Performance Driving Group

What Performance Driving Group does

Performance Driving Group (PDG) is a privately-held High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) provider operating exclusively in Florida. The company runs non-competitive track day events at three iconic race tracks: Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Participants drive their own vehicles in a controlled environment and self-select into Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced run groups, with optional in-car professional instruction. The company is owned and operated by founder Henry Gilbert, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran whose motorsports involvement dates to 1976 and who holds professional racing experience across ALMS, Rolex Grand Am, IMSA, Pirelli World Challenge, Trans Am, HSR and SVRA, as well as Hollywood stunt driving credits.

PDG operates two core revenue streams. The first is per-event registration fees ranging from approximately $449 to $948 depending on track and event duration, sold direct-to-consumer through the company website and a toll-free phone line. The second is vehicle rental for customers who lack a track-ready car, supplied through a channel partnership with Sports Car Driving Experience and offering 2023 model-year Corvette C8 Z51 and Camaro SS 1LE vehicles at roughly $2,400-$2,600 per day plus mandatory insurance. A $75 add-on instructor service extends the per-transaction revenue capture.

The business model is asset-light and service-based, with no proprietary technology platform, no mobile application, and no AI/ML component. Go-to-market is fully direct-to-consumer and relies on a website funnel, email newsletter, Facebook, YouTube video gallery, and informal affiliate relationships with parts, tire, insurance, and lodging brands. PDG has no external funding, no parent company, and no institutional ownership; it functions as a founder-operated lifestyle business with 11-50 employees and an event calendar extending through December 2026.

Name

Performance Driving Group

Legal name

Performance Driving Group

Website

https://performancedrivinggroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Performance Driving Group is a Florida-based HPDE provider that runs non-competitive track day events at Daytona, Sebring, and Homestead-Miami Speedway for individual driving enthusiasts, and offers rental Corvettes and Camaros through a partner.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

High Performance Driver Education

NAICS

Automobile Driving Schools (611692), Racetracks (711212)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAJAJ

Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Camps, Academies & Training Centers

SECONDARYTHAJAFAF

Motorsports & Racing Experiences

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Live Entertainment & Ticketed Events (Shows, Concerts, Sports Experiences)

Keywords

• High performance driver education
• HPDE track days
• Performance driving school
• Track car rental
• Racing experience lessons

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Track Day Event Fees: Customers pay event registration fees to participate in HPDE track days at Florida race tracks. Fees vary by track and date, ranging from approximately $449 to $948 for multi-day events.
2. Vehicle Rental: Rental of track-ready performance vehicles (Corvette C8 Z51, Camaro SS 1LE) for customers who do not bring their own cars. Pricing includes four 25-30 minute sessions with instructor, helmet, and registration fees.
3. Instructor Add-On: Optional in-car instructor accompaniment for beginner drivers at additional cost of $75.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Performance Driving Group operates High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) track day events at three Florida race tracks (Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway), where participants drive their own vehicles in a safe, non-competitive environment with optional professional in-car instruction. The company also rents track-ready performance vehicles (2023 Corvette C8 Z51 and Camaro SS 1LE) for customers without suitable cars, with each rental including insurance, multiple driving sessions, instructor, helmet, and registration.

Product overview

Performance Driving Group operates as a High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) provider offering track day experiences at three Florida race tracks: Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway. The company provides two primary service lines—self-drive track day events where participants use their own vehicles, and rental car programs featuring 2023 Corvette C8 Z51 and Camaro SS 1LE vehicles. All events include professional instruction options, safety briefings, and structured beginner-to-advanced skill groupings. The company also offers photo and video galleries as supplementary content showcasing track experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HPDE Track Day Events High Performance Driver Education events where individual drivers bring and drive their own vehicles on world-class Florida race tracks (Daytona, Sebring, Homestead) in a safe, controlled, non-competitive environment with optional professional in-car instruction. Skill-level groups include Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
• Corvette C8 Z51 (2023) Rental Automatic transmission track-ready sports car rental for track day use at $2,600 plus $375 mandatory insurance. Includes four 25-30 minute sessions, instructor, helmet, and registration fees. Provided through partner Sports Car Driving Experience.
• Camaro SS 1LE (2023) Rental Manual transmission track-ready muscle car rental for track day use at $2,400 plus $200 mandatory insurance. Provided through partner Sports Car Driving Experience.
• Beginner In-Car Instructor Add-On Optional in-car instructor accompaniment for beginner drivers during track sessions, available at an additional $75 fee. Includes classroom sessions covering safety, track rules, and flag meanings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Staff working together since 2008 providing seamless event execution

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sports Car Driving ExperiencecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPDG offers rental cars for Beginner students through partner company Sports Car Driving Experience, who provides the latest 2023 model C8 Corvettes and SS Camaros. This partnership enables PDG to serve customers who do not own track-ready vehicles.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Skip Barber Racing School: Long-standing high-performance driving and racing school running programs at major tracks including Sebring. Offers beginner-to-pro driver development ladder with professional instruction comparable to PDG's model.
• Hooked on Driving: Independent HPDE operator running no-pressure, no-timing track day events at tracks nationwide including Florida venues. Closest direct comparable to PDG's "no racing, no timing" beginner-friendly positioning.
• Track Masters Performance Driving School: Independent HPDE school running events at Sebring and other Florida tracks with similar beginner/intermediate/advanced group structure. Directly comparable regional Florida peer in pricing and event format.
• Sports Car Driving Experience: PDG's stated rental fleet partner supplying C8 Corvettes and Camaro SS 1LE vehicles. Operates similar track experience offerings at Sebring and Homestead, with shared customer overlap and channel partnership relationship.
• Bondurant School of High Performance Driving: Premier dedicated high-performance driving school founded by racing legend Bob Bondurant. Offers multi-day HPDE programs, stunt driving, and corporate events—directly comparable to PDG's instructor-led track day model, though Bondurant owns its own dedicated facility.

Broad incumbents

• SCCA (Sports Car Club of America): Largest U.S. motorsports sanctioning organization operating the national HPDE/Track Night in America program. Directly competes with PDG for Florida track day participants, but offers a national ladder, multiple car-class racing formats, and broader event portfolio beyond HPDE.
• Porsche Experience Center: OEM-backed driving experience center with multiple U.S. locations offering paid track experiences in performance vehicles. Represents an OEM-funded competitor with deeper capital, structured curricula, and fleet of Porsche vehicles that competes for enthusiast spending in the same category.
• BMW Performance Center: Manufacturer-owned driving school in Greer, SC (and former Thermal, CA location). Offers M-car driving experiences comparable to PDG's Corvette/Camaro events, with OEM funding that supports facilities no independent operator can match.
• NASA (National Auto Sport Association): National HPDE and racing series running events at Sebring, Daytona, and Homestead. Offers structured HPDE levels, time trial progression, and spec racing series that overlap PDG's beginner-to-advanced driver development path.

Others

• Track Day Tire: Tire retailer and HPDE event partner/co-promoter listed on PDG's site. Runs its own track day events at Florida and national venues, making it a partial competitor on the events side while also serving as a partner ecosystem node.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=performance+driving+group
• Facebookfacebook.com/Performance-Driving-Group-482500751827905

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Performance Driving Group