c-8firefit55

I am strongly considering attending the - Ron Fellows 2- Day Corvette Owners School. I assume its definately worth it for those who bought their C-8 new and can attend for $1,000.00. Unfortunately for me I am the second owner of my C-8, therefore the cost is $3,695.00. My Question ; Is it worth it for $3,695.00. I Would love to hear from those who have attended.
Thank you

Chemdawg99

I say it is absolutely worth it for you to attend. Just bear in mind that your quoted cost doesn't include airfare, rental car, lodging, and insurance on the car you will drive for the course,

Best way to truly learn and gain confidence in the car you have. It's a lot more capable than you realize.

c-8firefit55

Good to know, and I was not aware that insurance is not included. Thank you

nhlgopens

Definitely worth it. I thought I knew a lot about the car, handling, configurations, settings, modes and realized how much I didn't know. Plus fantastic track time understanding how to push its limits and and knowing my own. My son went with me and he paid the full price for the experience. Absolutely loved it. he walked away with the fasted auto cross time award for our class. The insurance isn't mandatory and if you listen to the instructors, you won't need it (unless you don't trust yourself). Most people don't get it. You do get one night of lodging for the two day event. We paid for a second night so we could show up the day before and not feel rushed the first day. Is it worth the $3700? That's for your to decide... but I would.

dahogan

I know several corvette owners who have gone several times. If you can afford it, do it. Its a blast! At 73, I am seriously thinking about going again, you cant take it with you.

ChotisBill

I would say It all depends on you. I am sure it is worth it to a lot of people but for me the $1600-$1700 I spent is border line. I did enjoy the classes but after racing a DSR for almost 50 years the C8 didn't compare in performance. The C8 is faster but not as quick. For a production street car my C8 is fabulous but as a race car it doesn't compare to a purpose built race car and it isn't designed to. So it depends on how much you are willing it spend on two days of having a ball driving a C8 and grinning ear to ear.

Sdk8103

It all depends on how hard it is for you to come up with $3,695. It's easier for some than others, but the school is amazing.

bhvrdr

I definitely wouldn't feel bad paying the $3,700 and I'd highly recommending spending an extra week or two out in that direction because you have Bryce canyon and Zion national Park and you have Moab and death valley and then you have grand canyon and Arizona and Scottsdale all within driving distance.

SMOKN C8

I just emailed them the other day.....here is the response.

I want to thank you for your interest in Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club, home of the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School.

As the “Official High Performance Driving School of Corvette”, you will receive first-class instruction in current model Corvettes. The C8 Stingray and Z06 are the exclusive cars of the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School.

If you are a new C8 Stingray owner, you’ll receive a two-day school for $1,000.00 plus one included night of accommodations. Only first retail purchasers of new and unused C8 Corvette Stingrays and Z06s are eligible. The certificate is not transferable, one owner per VIN, and you must have taken delivery of your car to book the school. The certificate is only good for one year from the date you took delivery of the car.

For those who do not qualify for the discounted rate or have additional drivers wanting to join, the cost of the two-day Corvette Owners School in a Stingray starts at $3,695.00.

The goal for all levels of our school is to provide an exciting and educational, adrenaline-charged program. Through a dynamic series of car control exercises and maneuvers developed by Corvette Racing legend Ron Fellows, we have developed a curriculum that will help you learn to process information quickly and accurately – the most important skills in the high-performance environment. Our step-by-step program integrates the exercises and maneuvers to coordinate eyes, hands, and feet providing you with a baseline for car control that will have you balancing your car with confidence and finesse. All of our Corvettes are equipped with two-way radio communications, providing constant contact with our team of instructors.

Things to Know:

• Times to Note –
  • Breakfast – Breakfast is served from 6:45AM-7:30AM in the Clubhouse. Registration is no longer held the first morning of your class. You will go from breakfast in the Clubhouse to your assigned classroom, which will be indicated by the color of your wristband and marked on your map that you will receive upon arrival.
  • Class – All classes are 8AM-4PM BOTH DAYS. There will be an hour dedicated to lunch, which will be served in the Clubhouse.
  • Check-In – Condo check-in begins at 3:00PM. We have 24/7 Security that can assist with check-ins if you plan on arriving late. If you wish to stay somewhere else the night before your first day of class, we ask that you make sure you are at our facility no later than 7:30AM the next morning. If you are coming from Las Vegas the morning of your first day of class, we suggest you leave no later than 6:00AM.
  • Check-Out – Condo check-out is at 11:00AM the morning of your last day of class. As a student, you will want to make sure you are checked out of your room before heading to class at 8:00AM that day, since you will not have a chance to return before check-out time. If you are bringing a guest, they can stay in the room until 11:00AM.

• Accommodations – New C8 owners will receive 1 night of accommodations included in their package, with an option to purchase 1 additional night. Those paying the retail cost of the school will have to pay for accommodations separately. (Accommodations are based on availability. If onsite accommodations are not available, alternate accommodations will be provided.)
  • Pricing – The cost per night starts at $135 and goes up to $218 based on availability at the time of booking. Due to our availability, we can only accommodate the night before the first class and the night in-between. We will not be able to accommodate the night after the second day of class, as we have other students and members checking in.
  • Recommended Additional Stays – If you need any additional nights added to your stay, we recommend The Silverton located near the Las Vegas airport; their number is (866) 722-4608. We also recommend The Holiday Inn Express in Pahrump; their number is (775) 727-9100.

• Guests / Amenities – Guest will be allowed in the classroom during all classroom sessions of the program, as well as participate in a ride-along with the instructors.
  • Guest Fee – If you plan on bringing a guest, the guest fee will be $40 per person. This $40 is the total for the entire duration of the program and will cover each guest for their meals, amenities, ride-alongs, etc.
  • Amenities – Our amenities include a pool, jacuzzi, fitness center, basketball court, horseshoe pit, Clubhouse, viewing towers, and an on-call massage. If you are interested in booking a massage, please call Tina at (775) 513-9360 for pricing and scheduling.

• Meals – Breakfast and lunch will be provided in the Clubhouse both days of your school, prepared by our on-site Executive Chef. Dinner will be the student’s responsibility. Spring Mountain will provide a list of restaurants we recommend in town.

• Transportation – Depending on where you are located, you may need to book a flight into Las Vegas. The airport to fly into would be Harry Reid International Airport (formerly McCarran International Airport). Las Vegas is about 55 miles from our facility. While taxis, Uber, Lyft, etc. may be available from Las Vegas to Pahrump, they will not be available from Pahrump to Las Vegas. You must have a vehicle. Some buildings on property may be up to 1.5 miles away. We recommend your guest accompany you to breakfast and drop you off at the classroom, use the vehicle for their leisure during the day, and return to pick you up from class. Students will be provided all necessary transportation during class hours, allowing the guest to use the vehicle.

• Dress Attire – Please dress comfortably. Jeans/shorts and a t-shirt are perfectly acceptable. We recommend driving shoes if you have them. If you do not have driving shoes, please make sure you are wearing a pair of tennis shoes. You may not wear sandals, boots, heels, etc. Helmets will be provided for you at the facility.

• SD Card/PDR System – All of our cars are equipped with a PDR (Performance Data Recorder). Each student will be provided an SD card to record their track sessions.

• Liability Waiver– Each student will sign a waiver stating they are responsible for the first $8,000 of any external damages to the vehicle. This applies to external damages only. Anything after $8,000, Spring Mountain will cover.
  • Buy-Down Option – However, you do have the option to buy your liability from $8,000 down to $2,000. The cost to do that would be $200.This waiver will be sent through Signeasy once your decision has been made.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with. Again, thank you for your interest!

mjhoward

If I were paying out of pocket the full amount, I think I would probably spend the extra $400 on the 2-day Intro to Open-Lapping course instead since you get more track time. You'll probably already be familiar with most of the C8's electronics by then, and any that you're not familiar with, you could probably find info or videos about online.

KentCNC

I second this. I knew most things about the C8 by reading the manual. The Level 2 course gives you more time on the track than the COS does. Tracking was the fun part for me and I will do it again even though I will have to pay the full price for this next time.

proeagles

I've paid the full bill twice and one owners school. Money isn't an object with me and so it was worth it. That's a lot of chocolate if you have to ask if it will be worth it for you. When I went it was in the heat of the summer and they were tossing in free lodging because the classes weren't full. Apparently the C8 has changed all that.

NEVERL8

I third this. It’s what I did. The Level 1 class provides more seat time. Didn’t need the instructors telling me how to operate the radio LOL.

EASonBASS

I think I was in the same class with you and your son. I remember him crushing the autox time.

taxdr1965

Do you just have to book a date within 1 year of purchase or actually attend within 1 year of purchase?

Deer Elk

You need to book. It seems to be really, really popular.... But they can reach out to GM for an extension. They were able to do this for me. May 10th 2022 was the day that I got my car at the NCM. In January I called to try to get a date before the 1 year of ownership had passed, but they were booked solid. I'm going late May. I can't wait.

BLUE1972

jay21

Yes worth it!

C7Me

I'm due to attend the class in Sept for the $1000 first owner discount. I'm far from being rich, so money is definitely an object with me, so I would not spend $3700 on it. I'd do local track days instead.

SMOKN C8

It was worth the $1000 to me and I would do it again. Learned a lot and improved in every timed event with each session.

As for insurance, I did not buy down and thankfull did not need it. However, a guy in our group ran off the track and totaled the car. He was physically fine and I have no idea if he paid the $200 to buy down to $2000. If he didn’t, he owes them $8k.

I’m not going to go into details of what happened or post any pictures but it was BAD and was more than just running off into the dirt.

I can tell you, for me, seeing it was stuck in my head and made me more reserved in the last two sessions and kept me more conservative and less interested in faster laps.

if I ever go again, I’m buying down just in case.