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If you're reading this, you probably live in New England, and you almost certainly have to drive in the snow. Maybe you drive a car with all-wheel-drive (such as an Audi with Quattro). Maybe you drive an SUV, or a Toyota Prius, or a BMW. Maybe you have been driving for 50 years in New England winters. Or you just got your learner's permit a few months ago and will soon drive in snow for the first time.

A wise man in all things automotive once said "If a meteorite hits your car, that's an accident. Anything else is driver error." Why not learn to drive in snow where you can safely make mistakes? For less than half the cost of the average auto insurance deductible, you can spend two days at a purpose-built facility learning to control your car in snow and on ice. You will learn the correct responses to all types of skids, slides, and spins, and you will practice these until they feel natural. You will overcome fears you might have about driving in snow and ice, and become a more skilled and more confident driver.

The North Atlantic Audi Club will host a three two-day Winter Driving Schools (WDS) on January 23-24, February 6-7, and February 27-28, 2010. These two-day schools include a classroom session covering the vital fundamentals of winter driving, including the finer points of accelerating, braking, weight transfer, and steering on ice and snow. Participants then navigate a closed course at Team O’Neil’s Car Control Center (http://www.team-oneil.com) in Dalton, New Hampshire, specially designed for winter driving instruction. Experienced instructors offer direction as students pilot their own vehicles through a proven curriculum that includes obstacle courses designed to simulate real-world accident avoidance, including emergency steering, braking and skid control. Participants will gain invaluable winter driving experience and improve their ability to react quickly and confidently to real-world driving situations frequently encountered in winter driving.

Please note that we are now requiring snow tires (with the snowflake symbol) on all two-wheel-drive (FWD and RWD) vehicles, and strongly recommend snow tires on ALL vehicles. All-wheel-drive helps you get going but it doesn't help you stop. However, you do NOT need to own, drive, or bring an Audi. All sorts of vehicles are welcome as long as they have adequate tires.

For those of you who have come to our Winter Driving Schools in the past, please note that we have events at two different facilities at Team O'Neil's this year. The January (23-24) and late February (27-28) schools will be in the traditional location. The early February (6-7) school will be at a new course at Team O'Neil's that includes a larger skid pad and multi-purpose exercise area, but with fewer hills. Both schools will be fun and educational, but the early February school might be the better choice for front- and rear-wheel-drive cars, as it has a flatter terrain.

We are thrilled to have the headquarters for these events at two wonderful hotels. The January (23-24) and late February (27-28) schools will be headquartered at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa again this year. This is an amazing resort and we have negotiated a great rate for our event. For more information on the Mountain View Grand, please see: http://www.mountainviewgrand.com. If you would like to stay at the Mountain View Grand Hotel please call them IMMEDIATELY upon receiving confirmation of your registration. Instructions for getting the NAAC rate will be in your confirmation email. There are a very limited number of spaces available on a first come, first serve basis and they will likely sell out quickly.

The February 6-7 school will be headquartered at the Spalding Inn, which is also an amazingly comfortable and cozy place to stay. For more information on the Spalding Inn, please see http://www.thespaldinginn.com. Again, please call the Spalding Inn immediately upon receiving confirmation of your registration.

Whichever winter driving school you decide to attend, please join us for a fun and delicious banquet on Saturday night at the Mountain View Grand and Spalding Inn (respective of school headquarters). You will get to mingle with fellow students and instructors, recall stories from the day's events, and undoubtedly make some new friends.

Please join us, and - no matter how long you've been doing it - learn to become a better, safer, and more confident driver on snow and ice. Come drive 'slideways' with The North Atlantic Audi Club!

Visit http://www.naaclub.org/ to sign up! Registration is open for the January (23-24) and Late February (27-28) schools, and will soon be open for the Early February (6-7) school.