POLL: How many Cobra drivers have been to an HP driving school?

[Hal Copple]

Right after we got our SPF in Feb, 00, my son then about 20, and i attended an Olthoff Sponsored driving weekend at nearby Charlotte motor speedway. My son had lots of instruction and seat time on the short infield course, up to about 90+MPH, and a lot of skidpad time. More than me.

A few days later, he was driving, me riding, on an interstate heading back to his college, Clemson, in southern SC. He was crusing about about 75 in the left lane, when another vehicle, some sort of minivan, moved abruptly from the right lane immediatly in front of our car, not more than a few feet. In a moment, the minivan went to full lock braking. Chris got on the brakes, with the nose of our SPF not more than 10 feet behind the leading minivan, with me all the time saying to myself "we are absolutely going to impact the minivan's rear. "

But when we and the minvivan were finally stopped, with the same 10 feet or less separating us, we found that a Jeep had flipped off a trailer just in front of us all. Hence the panic stop.

It is very rare to have to brake to zero mph from "speed." When i collected my wits, i asked Chris how he managed to keep from hitting the minivan. He calmly replied.

"If Dennis Olthoff had not taught me how to threashold brake, i never would have stopped in time."

Since then, between the two of us, i guess we have about 600-700 laps on various courses. Mostly i have learned that at some point, i am no longer influencing the direction of the car.