Starting Again: Dement Kwan Racing School Opens

It’s been a while since we’ve last posted an article. COVID has been hard on the automotive journalism world, but we’re starting again. Our first on-site coverage is of the opening of a new racing school based at Willow Springs International Raceway.

The Dement Kwan Racing School (DK Racing) is the brainchild of racer Martina Kwan and Vision Motorsports head, Dwain Dement—the first male and female FIA license team to start a driving school. The school offers a full day of instruction by seasoned racers, who take students around in groups on Big Willow (the largest course at Willow Springs), teaching them how to attack the corners, car balance, power application, and track safety and communication via flags and hand signals. The DK Racing School had to do it all, just socially distanced and masked.

Driver lead instructor, Kwan said, “DK Racing School was in part working in support of the PCA San Diego region to assist students, some who were trying to gain their Certificate for Solo Driving, so that they could start attending PCA-SDR DE and Time Trial Events.”

Socially Distanced and Masked, the DK Racing School’s participants showed up early at Willow Springs to do the track walk, and start their orientation with competitive driving.

Being that Vision Motorsports is a major player in the Porsche community, representatives from the Porsche Club of America, San Diego, were on hand to assist students, some who were trying to gain their Porsche license so that they can start attending Porsche racing events.

A student waits by his car, awaiting the inaugural class of the dk racing school.

Dwain dement and Martina kwan, owners of the DK Racing School, introduce themselves and walk students through the day

the cars lined up into two groups lead by an instructor at the front and another at the rear.

despite the school running on the track, they shared the day with a myriad of cars that were out on the open test and tune day, including this Le Mans style Racer.

after the track walk, students drove back to the pits and many took advantage of the time to start taping up the body panels of their cars.

Dement and Kwan explain the rules of racing, how to take corners, car balance, and an explanation of hand signals and flags.

students look on, taking in the lecture before their first trip onto the track.

Car Lecture over, tape applied, the students lined up behind their instructors of a Lead Follow session where they would all have a chance to driver directly behind the instructor as they learned the racing line.

An Instructor gets ready to board his 911.

when the students came in to debrief, the other cars came out to play including these amazing canam race cars.

A mclaren 720s also lapped the track while the students were in the pits.

the students had class with their professors of speed, asking questions and getting direction for their next session on track.

at the end of the day the vision motorsport GT4 Porsche took the track, showing the students what is possible if they continue their education in performance driving.