Hard on the brakes I heel-toe and double down in the gears, executing Infineon Raceway’s important Turn 11; a tight late-apex right-hander I had practiced repeatedly just an hour before. My EVO X GSR pushes hard toward the outside wall as I grab third and then fourth, changing over to the other wall at Turn 12 and blasting down the front straight, pushing above the 100 mph mark and heading straight into Turn 1. The track rises up before me like more of an asphalt wall than a hill, gravity working with the EVO’s impressive AWD setup to keep the car balanced as I spy the apex of turn two and hammer the brakes.

Impressive? Yes! And I’ve only just described the front straight.
I’m at the Jim Russell Racing Driver’s School Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Experience, a program the Japanese automaker hopes will not only allow enthusiasts and average Joes alike to experience just how capable and fun the latest EVO is, but to spread the word that despite its perception as a less hard-core machine than previous iterations, the X is the best EVO yet.
And they couldn’t have chosen a better pairing than with Jim Russell, who’s chief instructor, Paul Gerrard, is a veteran of racing past EVO models overseas and currently pilots the AMS-tuned EVO X in the Redline Time Attack series, where he took the Unlimited AWD Class Championship last year.
This is an added benefit, as not only is Gerrard an incredibly skilled driver, but he knows EVOs inside and out, meaning that he’s got plenty of tips and tricks on how to get the most out of the car – something that should really get EVO owners out to this school. And considering the unique nature of Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) setup, the EVO lends itself to vehicle-specific advice.
Surprisingly, despite the obvious synergies between Mitsubishi and Gerrard, the reason for the partnership with the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School lies elsewhere. The Jim Russell school, you see, uses EVO IV motors in its full carbon chassis formula cars, which is where the business relationship between the school and the automaker began.


PLENTY OF SEAT TIME FOR PRACTICING TECHNIQUE
Offered as a one-day class for a bargain price of $995, the Lancer Evolution Experience starts early for maximum seat time. Following a classroom portion where instructors cover the basics, it’s time to pick a car. Thankfully, the school offers both manual-transmission GSR models, as well as MR models with Mitsu’s amazing Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) with paddle shifters.

With plenty of vehicles available, the school even encourages students to try out both transmission types. I spent most of my day in a GSR, although the dual-clutch setup is equally capable (if not more so). Plus, it’s perfect for those who aren’t comfortable with a manual tranny, or who haven’t heel-toed in a while.
Technical exercises make up much of the day, with lap time almost like a reward. Gerrard points out the importance of each exercise, commenting how Roger Federer will practice a single swing technique for hours, while pro sports teams run repetitive drills, and yet for some reason in motorsports, even at an amateur level, drivers think that once they have been out on a track they have nothing to learn. My experience proved that you can always do with a refresher course.
Along with a group of other journalists, my day began at a slalom course. A simple task, in and of itself, the instructors walk you through executing a perfect path around the cones, starting wide and getting increasingly narrow, with consistent application of the throttle. And with the EVO’s amazing all-wheel drive setup, even the slalom speeds can get exciting. Better yet, you get to feel the EVO’s S-AWC system give you all-wheel grip but with some rear-drive maneuverability, so you can hang the tail out – even if that’s not the goal here.
This exercise really teaches you to use as little effort to get the result you want out of the car, as well as what happens when you try and over-drive the car. Crushed pylons don’t lie.

Next up we practiced a “simple” right hand corner, marked out with pylons in the paddock area, increasing our speed with each few attempts and working to get the trail braking perfect. In many ways this late apex turn is a replica of Infineon’s turn 11 and is important to get down pat, as proper execution means more speed down the front straight.
After numerous runs (seat time is plentiful) it was time to put that specific skill into practice, so we helmeted-up for our first lapping session on the big track. With my group all having had previous experience at Infineon, the day’s first track session immediately took on a brisk pace.

HIGH-SPEED LAPPING ON INFINEON’S CHALLENGING CORNERS
The format is a lead-follow with an instructor up front and several students riding solo behind. It may sound like a parade, but it’s anything but. The instructor will let you drive to your limits and has the skill to do so; able to keep ahead of our pack with just one hand on the wheel and the other on his radio, barking back pointers and encouragement.
And push the limits we did, with one of the drivers running wide and even spinning… neither of which are recommended.
The idea of the track time being like a reward is only true if you want it to be. The other, and arguably proper way to look at it, is to use the technical skills learned earlier to make yourself a better driver.
It’s hard to pick up where to improve when cornering at 100 mph in Turn 1, but by practicing the proper technique for Turn 11 onto the front straight, it’s possible to lift that 100 mph speed to a 105.
The EVO really is a perfect car for experiencing Infineon, a track that often plays second-fiddle to the more widely-known Laguna Seca, but which is arguably the more technical, exhilarating and rewarding. In fact, the EVO X is perfect for any track, being so capable that it’s really just wasted on the street.
A note for those thinking of attending, if you’ve ever seen a race on TV that took place at Infineon, it was probably either IRL or NASCAR, both of which use a less technical layout, skipping the sweeping left-hand off-camber Turn 6 which drops a solid 80 feet in elevation. Lancer Evolution Experience participants get to feel this thrill first hand. And what a thrill! It’s important to keep just a little positive pedal pressure in order to keep the car planted and give maximum grip, in order to exit wide, using up the entire width of the track and carry plenty of speed down the next straight.
Turn 6 is followed by a technical section, but first there’s that long straight, at the end of which the EVO’s braking capabilities really shine. Automotive journalists often talk about how such-and-such a car showed no brake fade during a test, but often on a track that’s not the case. The EVO, however, delivered confident and consistent braking lap after lap. In fact, it begged to be pushed further and further into the braking zones, always shaving off speed with finesse.
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