Autocross

Front Row!

CVR’s own John Raudat had what he modestly describes as “a good year”!

Congratulations John!

John transformed from being a CVR AutoX “wild child” a few years ago, to now being a Front Row driver, multiple Road Racing Champion, and Watkins Glen Record Holder! If you’ve had the chance to watch him drive recently, it’s clear that he has refined his driving skills to a high level and has earned these accolades. He is a great example for all of us aspiring to improve our own driving skills.  

At Thompson Motorsport Park in July 2017, John’s driving was impressive and his refinement was already evident.

John is always fun to be around and clearly enjoys being with his friends at CVR AutoX events. That fun may mask the seriousness that John puts into seeking out different opportunities that advance his driving skills and apply the lessons from CVR’s AutoX-U curriculum. He took advice from AutoX-U instructors and other fast competitors, turning his sideways-style into quick lap times. John also made pilgrimages to various driving schools to expand his knowledge, breadth, and his feel for speed.

He learned how to be fast

CVR’s AutoX program was a perfect foundation for challenging John’s car control abilities with good advice, feedback, and friendly competition that pushed him further. At AutoX events, he would go beyond limits with impunity, but then quickly learned how the clock rewarded a different approach. He learned how to be fast! It’s hearth-warming to see John’s driving evolution and gratifying to know that AutoX-U helped speed up that process. John has done us proud.

John transformed from being the “wild child” of CVR AutoX in 2011 to being Fast!
John always liked being in the Front Row. Here he “drinks up” tips from PCNA Chief Driving Instructor, Cass Whitehead, at the 2011 AutoX Celebration event provided by Hoffman Porsche.
John went from a yellow ribbon at the June 2011 CVR AutoX…
…to class winning framed artwork at the September 2011 AutoX (John is the center in red shirt).
John also organized the famous “February Freeze” Go-Kart events with some AutoX buddies to expand and push his competitive racing skills (John is second from right).    
From mid-pack at the beginning of his Spec Miata racing career (shown here entering the bridge hairpin at Thompson in 2017, in the center car #129), John applied his AutoX-U lessons and took lines that shaved off distance but kept momentum compared to the others
… to the Front Row at Thompson in 2019 (now in lead white car exiting the oval), still applying his tight line.
…and the Front Row at a rainy Palmer race in 2019. John went on to break records for the long and short courses at Watkins Glen! Congratulations John, a well-earned “good year” indeed!  
A stepping stone in John’s driving journey, here he receives some acknowledgement from Hoffman Porsche’s Elliot Matos in 2012.  

Where are you on your driving journey? Do you want to better appreciate the amazing capabilities of your Porsche at a safe, friendly, and exciting event? Do you want to refine your driving skills to a higher level? Just owning a Porsche doesn’t improve your driving skills, that takes work. The “work” is definitely fun, but like John, we all can get better by attending CVR’s AutoX-University.

Head towards the Front Row. Watch the CVR website and join us in late Spring for the first CVR AutoX event of the season.

Make 2020 a “good year” of Better Driving…Faster!

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