It was a long four years ago that I did the Dynamic Handling course with Ivan at Millbrook. Yesterday I finally got round to the second part of the course – transferring the skills learnt at Millbrook to the road. So how did I cope?

Ivan immediately put me at ease first thing before we even drove off. I was pleased that I had been able to remember a fair bit of what I should be doing, and as the day progressed Ivan systematically built my confidence and showed me exactly the effects that my steering/throttle/brake inputs were having on the handling of the car, but more importantly taught me how to improve. It was extremely satisfying to immediately notice the huge difference it made by putting into practice what he was saying!

My Porsche Cayman GTS is a wonderfully balanced machine and using what I have learnt will enable me to use the car’s talents more skilfully and indeed more safely. Like my day at Millbrook, I am sure that if I continue to practice what Ivan has taught me, the benefits of this course will stay with me for a long time, and I am so glad that even after four years I took the plunge and booked the second part of the Total Car Control course.
Anyone who loves cars and loves driving should seriously consider these courses – the confidence, safety and skill set it gives you is worth a lot more than trying to just upgrade the performance of your car.

I. McWilliams

I am sure that if I continue to practice what Ivan has taught me, the benefits of this course will stay with me for a long time, and I am so glad that even after four years I took the plunge and booked the second part of the Total Car Control course.

I had two of the most incredible, memorable, instructional and fun days of my 55 years. Ivan’s 2-day Total Control Masterclass ticked every box I knew about and some others too! I was looking to learn, become a better driver and have fun. All my objectives were completely achieved and I’m ‘on the road’ to improve still further.

Ivan delivered a truly bespoke package, continuously adapting the 2 days to gently push me out of my comfort zone, build my capability and confidence. I would recommend this to anyone who wishes to become a more skilled, quicker and safer driver who is then able to better influence others around him/her to minimise potentially dangerous situations.

Wow, I loved it! Thanks again! It was an absolute delight to learn from the best.

D. Cartwright

I had two of the most incredible, memorable, instructional and fun days of my 55 years. Ivan’s 2-day Total Control Masterclass ticked every box I knew about and some others too! It was an absolute delight to learn from the best.

Not long after my Total Control Masterclass with Ivan, I was on a road trip with a few people I have driven with on many similar trips in the past, and I was excited at the prospect of putting my newly-learnt skills to the test; and what a massive difference they made too! It was actually the other people I was driving with who helped me to realise just how much I had taken from the course, with complements about my lines taken through corners, my hazard observation and forward planning. This was some of the best money I have ever spent; a cliché I know, but I really do mean it!

I am the first to admit that I thought ‘I knew how to drive’ before the course, but what Ivan does is to break-down why a car behaves like it does and how your inputs influence the car’s behaviour, and then you get to experience it first-hand just to prove that you only know what you have been taught and what you have experienced up until that point.

D. Muldoon-Smith

This was some of the best money I have ever spent; a cliché I know, but I really do mean it!

2 day Total Control Masterclass encompassing both Millbrook Proving Ground and on road driving: the course was both extremely educational and enjoyable. Ivan is a very professional and skilled instructor and coach, and a ‘right nice lad’ as we say in Yorkshire. Ivan meets you where you’re at and teaches and encourages you to progress forward at a pace you’re comfortable with.

I quickly realised after about 10 minutes on the initial exercise and assessment on Millbrook’s Outer Handling Circuit that I didn’t drive particularly well, despite 20 years behind the wheel, and 15 of these having been fortunate to drive relatively quick cars. Humbling and frustrating, but was buoyed by fact the only way is up! Ivan assessed my strengths and weaknesses quickly and we set about raising my game.

Day 1 at Millbrook, we worked on many techniques, including developing peripheral vision on the High Speed Circuit, on/over grip limit skills in the wet, then emergency braking on the Mile Straight, and then rounded things off on the Hill Route to finish. Day 2 was the road driving session, where the previous day’s theory and practical skills were consolidated and applied to the road. I was honestly astonished how much more confident, capable, and most importantly safe I felt driving on road during and after the training. The course is great value for money and your skills are transferable to any car moving forward. I wish I’d done it years ago.

M. O’Donnell

I was honestly astonished how much more confident, capable, and most importantly safe I felt driving on road during and after the training. The course is great value for money and your skills are transferable to any car moving forward. I wish I’d done it years ago.

I wanted to have a better understanding of how to drive my 30year old Ferrari 328GTS, and to feel more confident driving it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Dynamic Handling Masterclass: I learnt a lot of new skills, got rid of a few bad habits and got to understand what the car is capable of. I drove away with so much more confidence, it was palpable. Beyond that, some of the skills Ivan taught me have since been tested on the road, and I am very grateful I invested in enhancing my driving skills:

I think everyone should do it!”

Magdalen Bush

I drove away with so much more confidence, it was palpable. Beyond that, some of the skills Ivan taught me have since been tested on the road, and I am very grateful I invested in enhancing my driving skills: I think everyone should do it!

Firstly, thanks for everything! I really enjoyed both days of the course and my only misgiving is that it didn’t go on for longer. The first day at Millbrook was fantastic. It really put me through my paces and had me thinking about so many different things. I also learned so much about my Stelvio Quadrifoglio – moreover in a safe environment where things could not go catastrophically wrong. The wet handling session was really good and is something you can really only practice in that kind of environment.

The second day, out on the roads was also great, and the wet weather allowed a great comparison from the dry day at Millbrook. I was somewhat nervous to start off with, as my biking experience leads me to be somewhat conservative in those conditions, but with your guidance and supervision I became much more confident, both in my own road assessment capabilities and those of the car as well. There was still a lot to take in, but it was for sure mentally a bit more relaxing than the previous day. I now just have to try and ensure I put all of your advice into practice and continue to learn from your instruction. Thanks again for everything.”

W. Wilde

Thank you very much for the two day Total Control Masterclass. As a driver with what I would consider better than average experience from the UK and around the world; I had set my level of my expectations as to what I would learn and achieve during the two days down to a fairly low level: how incredibly naive I was.

In two days you enhanced my whole driving experience from feeling connected to the car as a mere passenger to a true driver!

I feel that the S6 is now alive when I’m out and about, and more importantly I’m progressing more swiftly and safely at the same time. I would recommend the Total Control Masterclass to anyone, and agree with previous comments that this should be compulsory training; to drivers of high performance cars this training is a must do.

You asked for any recommendations as to how the course can be further improved. My apologies for the delayed response, however I have been sitting on this deliberately to think of ways for your course to be improved. With the massive step-change in the improvement in my driving, I’m not sure if there can be any improvement. You listened to what I was trying to get out of the time, tailored the course to what you think would suit and injected advice where necessary.”

R. Edgell

In summary, I highly enjoyed the two day course. This was a gift experience from my father so therefore I had little to no expectations prior to arriving on Monday morning. Millbrook Proving Ground was both challenging and thrilling throughout the day. My personal favourite being the wet weather skid pan, testing both under and over steering. I now have a much better understanding of how the car reacts to those conditions and feel confident in my ability to handle such an occasion. We may not have reached the max speed anticipated (in the dry), but it was certainly fast enough and a real eye opener in regards to the forward thinking and vision required to drive at such speeds.

Prior to retirement I covered on average 20,000 miles a year in my car. After only half an hour with Ivan it became obvious to me I had not been driving at all, only travelling. What a difference this course has made to me. I wish I’d done it 20 years ago!

I love my Bentley. I love how it feels, how it looks, and how it smells, but Ivan awoke in me a real appreciation of what it means to actually drive it! Learning how to take up safe road positions, and relevant observations of road conditions (things I previously considered I was quite good at) were brought to life over the two days. I was amazed by the things Ivan showed me my car could do under pressure, on both the measured mile course and the track courses. I was in awe of what this car did to try me to keep me alive (when Ivan wasn’t looking I got out, touched it fondly on the wing and said ‘thank you!’).

As testament to Ivan’s ability to convey his skills to others, my wife is convinced I’ve been replaced by a doppelgänger, such is the change in my approach to my driving: her left leg no longer aches after a journey from constantly pressing the imaginary passenger brake pedal. Thank you so much Ivan.

Overall, I can highly recommend Total Car Control to any driver who has the privilege of owning a performance car and who wishes to gain the tools of how to make the most of their pride and joy.

P. Falconer

A quick note to thank you for a fantastic two days and for your patience with me. You’re a true professional and a great teacher.

There’s a lot going in my head right now, as you completely changed my perspective on driving and car control. Having read the various reviews from other clients, I do not think I have anything new to add. The two days with you have certainly had a very positive impact on my driving.

Upon further thought, I feel that the word ‘Masterclass’ is not appropriate, as I think it is overused and doesn’t fully capture the spirit of what you do. As such, I think you should rename your course ‘Surgery’, as this is precisely what I underwent in my time with you. The radical shift in perspective and performance is to my mind more akin to a ‘surgery’ operation than a mere ‘masterclass’.

Constantine Theodossiou

I feel that the word ‘Masterclass’ is not appropriate, as I think it is overused and doesn’t fully capture the spirit of what you do. As such, I think you should rename your course ‘Surgery’, as this is precisely what I underwent in my time with you. The radical shift in perspective and performance is to my mind more akin to a ‘surgery’ operation than a mere ‘masterclass’.

In summary, I highly enjoyed the two day course. This was a gift experience from my father so therefore I had little to no expectations prior to arriving on Monday morning. Millbrook Proving Ground was both challenging and thrilling throughout the day. My personal favourite being the wet weather skid pan, testing both under and over steering. I now have a much better understanding of how the car reacts to those conditions and feel confident in my ability to handle such an occasion. We may not have reached the max speed anticipated (in the dry), but it was certainly fast enough and a real eye opener in regards to the forward thinking and vision required to drive at such speeds.

Day 2, I woke up slightly confused as to how P1 – P5 etc would translate onto real roads with real drivers, but I can certainly say I now understand these techniques and the benefit of having this knowledge on the public highway. I asked for more focus on town and city driving which was exactly what we did. I feel that a big part of driving any car is how it handles traffic and built up areas. Again, I appreciate the stopping techniques and the importance of keeping a smooth drive with minimal braking where possible. The highlight of day 2 would certainly be our multiple runs on the ‘S’ bends with increasing speeds.

Overall, I can highly recommend Total Car Control to any driver who has the privilege of owning a performance car and who wishes to gain the tools of how to make the most of their pride and joy.

T. Parker

To anyone thinking about booking a performance driving course, I cannot recommend Ivan and Total Car Control enough. From the outset Ivan is hugely professional, instilling a sense of confidence for the upcoming day’s driving.

I booked the course because I wanted to find out what my car is capable of and how to deal with oversteer/understeer etc in a safe environment, so I chose a day at Millbrook Proving Ground.

Once out on the course at Millbrook, Ivan’s professionalism and skill as a teacher allow you to quickly push your car to find its limits, and then learn how to react once the car has gone beyond those limits. In particular, the wet handling is something I found very useful given the rain we get in this country. I was amazed at how much grip my car has in the wet, but also how controllable it was beyond grip limits, all in the safe confines of the Steering Pad. I hope I never have to use those skills on a public road, but feel better able to deal with such a situation if it ever arose.

I got out of the day exactly what I was hoping for: how to cope with oversteer and understeer; understand grip levels; braking distances from high speed; entry/exit points for bends and even trail braking. Everything we covered has translated into improved driving skills that I use everyday.

On top of all of this Millbrook is an amazing place to drive, with some great tracks that give a sense of realism comparable to being on public roads.

S. Woods

Thanks for the outstanding day On Road. Not only was it great fun (who would have guessed six times along the same road would be such a blast!), but I learnt huge amounts.

I think the biggest outcome for me is that the day has made me think again about my driving – now focusing on ‘driving’, not ‘travelling’.

Many thanks again.

S. Garrett