We’ve had the pleasure of sampling some of the country’s best driving schools, but were intrigued at the notion of moving from the track to the dirt. So we signed up for a stint at DirtFish rally school in Snoqualmie, Washington.
Our TV-savvy readers may recognize this location from Twin Peaks, the wonderfully bizarre, early ’90s crime thriller; the 315-acre facility is where much of the show was shot. That’s one of the charms of the school: The backdrop truly looks made for TV, with lush greenery and enormous snow-covered mountain tops visible in every direction.
Until recently, all of DirtFish’s classes were taught using all-wheel-drive, rally-prepped Subaru STIs. We sprang for their new rear-drive three-day course, however, which uses Subaru BRZs specifically set up for gravel driving.
Most of our group’s six students had some prior high-performance driving, club racing, or professional racing experience; however, most of it was on road courses. Because of this, our four instructors spent day one introducing us to new techniques that would improve our speed and survivability on loose surfaces where the courses were lined with trees and rivers instead of curbing and gravel traps.
Our first driving exercise took place on a three-corner gravel “skidpad”—here, the name of the game was “lift, turn, wait.” We were told to approach the corners with a late-apex driving line, lift off the throttle on corner entry, steer the car into the corner, and wait for it to rotate. The late-apex line was very different from what most of us had previously been taught. It required that we trust the car to actually turn in and scrub speed while leaving enough room on the outside of the corner to deal with any nasty surprises that the road’s changing surface might dish out.
Day two brought opportunities to start really exploring the limits of the cars. We ran a variety of courses on a variety of surfaces, which really let each driver see how the previously taught techniques could be used to control the car and improve speed. Day two also helped show those of us who were still resistant to accept the new, and often counter-intuitive, methods, that our way was slow, and the instructors were there for a reason. Using the techniques, however, was easier said than done.
Day three was when we would get out into the woods, and for many of us, this was what we’d been waiting for. In the morning, we had a quick instructor-check session to ensure that everyone was prepared for such a task. Our small class had come far in just two days, and we were cleared to progress towards the muddy, green abyss. We’d been warned that the added pressure of the unforgiving arboreal habitat would either throw a wrench in our driving “zen,” or amplify it to stupendous levels. This was no lie; the first few laps of the C/D car were hesitant, nervous, and just downright terrible. Our instructor was understandably unnerved by our sudden lack of talent. However, with the help of the instructors, a review of some GoPro footage, and our sheer desire to not suck, we managed to work out the kinks, and finished the third and final day with our fastest and strongest runs of the week.
Impromptu interviews with our classmates revealed what we already had suspected; regardless of their background or driving discipline, by the end of the third day, satisfaction was plentiful, and the time spent behind the wheel wasn’t the only reason for this. We also appreciated the school staff’s efficiency. We rarely if ever had to wait for a course to be set up or a car to be repaired. Between each group’s runs, a tractor quickly graded the course’s surface, and by the time we finished our morning driving, lunch was always ready and waiting for us back at HQ.
We didn’t know what exactly to expect before arriving at DirtFish, but the program is top notch, and the amount of improvement in our driving by the end of the class was tangible. If the driving wasn’t enough, we also simply enjoyed the scenery and how accommodating the school’s staff was to each student’s individual needs. For both newbie and seasoned driver alike, there’s much to be gained by spending a few days in the woods of Snoqualmie.
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