By: Mary Queisser <[email protected]>

Chris Wilner, race car driver and sophomore, has been driving on the road for one year. But before that he had five years of race car driving experience. “(Race car driving) really helps a bunch (with driving),” Wilner said. “Especially when you first get behind the wheel, because you know how to control a moving thing.”

According to Mike Slabaugh, AA driver education teacher, recreational driving experiences, such as go-carting and race car driving may or may not help prepare students for driving on the road because it provides them with prior experience.

“Anything that you can do that is related to driving is good. Even if you’re just learning to ride a bike, you’re learning how to negotiate traffic and things of that nature. Riding a bike, driving a boat, driving a lawn mower, anything like that is beneficial for learning how to drive,” he said.

For example, Wilner said he felt he had an edge over other students in driver education due to his experience as a race car driver. “My instructor even skipped me a couple steps because it was so easy for me but I passed with flying colors,” he said. Though Slabaugh has never had any race car or go-cart drivers in his classes, he has had students who drive jet-skis and motorcycles. He said that they have done well in class, like Wilner. “As much experience that you can get will help,” Slabaugh said.

Colin Swingler, go-cart driver and junior, said driving go-carts helped him as well. “It teaches you to be more aware of your surroundings,” he said.

Swingler said that recreational driving does not fully prepare students. “It teaches you what not to do on the road,” he said.

For safety’s sake, Swingler said he tries to avoid driving a car like he would a go-cart. “You’re more reckless (when you’re driving a go-cart) because you’re competing on the track,” he said. “When you’re driving in a car your main goal is to be safe and not have an accident. You try to do that on the track too, but you’re also trying to go as fast as you can go. You’re pushing it a lot more.”

Slabaugh said if a student wants to get anything out of go-carting, in terms of driving on the road, they need to do it in a controlled way. “I don’t recommend anyone get in a go-cart and tear up someone’s backyard,” he said.

Though Swingler said he also performed well in driver education, he said he felt driving go-carts did not give him an advantage like Wilner. “It’s pretty different,” he said. “I felt comfortable driving a car but it’s really not the same if you think about it.”

He said go-carts have more responsive steer and are more light-weight, while cars are heavier. The rest he said he couldn’t describe. “It just feels different,” Swingler said.

Whether or not, driving go-carts or race cars prepare students on the road, it can provide a necessary sense of confidence. Though new drivers need experience, coordination, patience and an understanding of the rules, Slabaugh said that the ability to remain calm is the most important quality a student can have. “They have to be relaxed. That’s probably the most important thing: being relaxed,” he said.

Wilner said, “I know a lot of people who’ve never driven before and think it’s really scary.”