Took my SRT-6 to Summit Point (Shenandoah Circuit) in WV today for some instructor aided (with instructor next to me for all laps) performance driving. I learned a few things that I wasn't expecting to:

1 - You beat the crap out of the car: hard breaking and screeching tires resulting in melted rubber on the tires (on the lines HDDP wrote about). Not sure what the toll on the brake pads were.

2 - The skill of the driver far outweighs what car you drive. I'll admit I was at the bottom of the class in skill, but still routinely passed a Porsche Boxster and yet was in turn routinely passed by a Chevy Impala. This course featured 18 turns in 2.2 miles. I mentioned this because I watched in amazement as the instructors were on the track during lunch break. One drove his supped up Mazda Miata and the other a student's Porsche Carrera GT (which is an awesome piece of machinery). The Miata stood with and eventually passed the Carrera GT! On the short straight-aways, the Carrera GT easily pulled away, but the Miata quickly made up the difference in the turns.

Personally I would have enjoyed it more if:

1 - it wasn't my car that I beat up (couldn't help thinking about the abuse I was delivering to my XFire which diminished my enjoyment).

2 - the course wasn't so technical (I'm getting soft in my middle age ). I spent alot of time trying to remember the line than enjoying the ride.

Don't mean to discourage anyone, putting aside the abuse I inflicted on my XFire, it WAS a lot of fun . Just thought I would share my experience.