The Philosophy
A school that combines Safety and Emotions
Our Founder
former Formula 2 driver
Our History
Audi car fleet - 1995
The Organization
Mobile workshop during the Courses
A school that combines Safety and Emotions
former Formula 2 driver
Audi car fleet - 1995
Mobile workshop during the Courses
DRIVING CAMP is a special driving school that combines safety and emotions. It is not a racing school, nor does it teach how to achieve speed records on the track, but it is aimed at those who want to learn, while having fun, to master their car. To be safe in any situation and in all environmental conditions.
The uniqueness of DRIVING CAMP is evident right from the teaching program. The School's exercises are structured in increasing order of difficulty and are strictly linked to one another; each one is explained theoretically, performed on the track, and then reviewed in light of practical experience.
Another fundamental aspect that characterizes DRIVING CAMP is the exceptional staff of Instructors. Many are professional drivers still active, some are international champions. Their selection was conditioned, in addition to personal skill, especially by a particular aptitude for human relationships. All have undergone special training to learn how to best transmit their experience through teaching. And it is surprising that the protagonists at Driving Camp are not the instructors, but the students.
DRIVING CAMP doesn't just teach how to drive better; it proposes a concept of "ACTIVE DRIVING" that goes well beyond a set of techniques. And it proposes it with innovative teaching, also, and above all, on a human level. Because a psychologically favorable climate always fosters a better understanding between people, a better transmission of experiences, and more effective learning. It is from here that the concept of CAMP, meaning community life, develops, in logical respect of every individual need.
Carlo Rossi is the founder of DRIVING CAMP in 1983.
He is responsible for planning the course program, fine-tuning every practical exercise, and creating and writing all the theory taught at DRIVING CAMP.
DRIVER
1976 debuts in F. Monza (without ever having raced karts)
1978 2nd in the F. Italia Championship, tied on points with the winner
1979 4th in the Italian F3 Championship with a RALT RT1
1981-82 races in the European F2 Championship with a TOLEMAN and finishes 9th overall in his first year.
1983 in the European Touring Car Championship, on an Official BMW 635, is 1st at Monza and 2nd at the 24 Hours of Spa
1985 in the single race at the 24 Hours of Spa, finishes 4th with an Official VOLVO.
1986 races in the European Touring Car Championship with a BMW 635 from the Cibiemme team, finishing 2nd at Zeltweg and 2nd at the 24 Hours of Spa.
1987 10th in the World Touring Car Championship on an Official ALFA 75.
1988 races in 3 races of the Italian Sport Prototype and Touring Championships, winning 2.
1989 races in some CIVT races on an Official BMW M3 and in the World Group C.
1994 races in two BPR Championship races with a PORSCHE Carrera RSR Gt3, finishing 4th overall (and 1st in category) at Vallelunga and 7th overall (and 2nd in category) at Spa.
INSTRUCTOR
1978-79 Instructor for Henry Morrogh's Racing School.
1982-83 Instructor at the BMW AG Safe Driving School in Munich: the chief instructor is Rauno Aaltonen.
1983 1st Safe Driving course in Vallelunga for BMW Italia internal staff.
1986 DRIVING CAMP becomes a traveling school and courses are opened to the public.
After a couple of years of experience in BMW's "newborn" courses in Germany, Carlo brought this culture to Italy, enriching it with Latin imagination and emotion.
The first course "signed" by Carlo Rossi thus dates back to November 1983: more than 40 years have passed since then!
Thanks to you, we have grown a lot, from 300 participants per year at the beginning, we have passed 2,000 today.
At Driving Camp, we have had many famous people, but for us, the most important one is YOU. Our DNA drives us to treat every student as if they were the most important of all.
It is in this desire to pamper each of you that the secret of our success lies.
The photos show their age, but we have stayed young...
The adventure continues...
These photos show the sign of the times, despite us remaining young at heart.
To achieve our goals to become the number 1 driving school in Europe, we are always committed to ensuring that nothing is left to chance. We have a permanent office at the Monza circuit which is used as an operating base and hospitality area for students during the courses. Hospitality tents are also set up in each part of the circuit, where exercises take place. In addition to that we have a racing style motor home that we use to monitor the exercises and to provide refreshments to students and participants. To make everyone more comfortable we even have Italian espresso coffee machines available for use throughout each course!.
To ensure that our fleet of cars is always perfectly maintained and at top performance, we have a huge fully equipped and fully mobile workshop similar to those used by Formula 1 teams. In the truck are 3 technical support engineers who are constantly at work along with their teams, to ensure cars are ready for each exercise. Maintenance of the cars in between DRIVING CAMPs is done directly by our technical team with assistance from the NISSAN and VOLVO service departments at dealers in the area where each camp is held. Our vehicles’ tires (supplied by YOKOHAMA) and tune-up’s, are instead performed directly by our staff at our headquarters. Therefore, our complete fleet consists of: 1 MOBILE TRUCK-WORKSHOP similar to the one used at F1, a VAN-WORKSHOP, 2 streamline trailers, 1 LORRY and the 10 meters long MOTORHOME-OFFICE. This allows us to manage two events simultaneously even when they are being held in different circuits.
Over the years, Carlo Rossi's work for safe driving has interested an ever-increasing number of people. His authority regarding this important topic has been recognized not only in Italy but also in the rest of the world.
Since 2014 he has been invited - as a speaker - to some Road Safety Congresses, all over the World. Speaking in his native language (except in Ukraine...) he often analyzed the serious problem due to the poor driving preparation of those who obtain a license. In fact, those who pass the test have learned to "use the car" and respect the highway code. But who teaches them to control their car during a skid?
A bit like in elementary school... Let's think about how many levels of school there are still, afterwards...
2014 is also an important year in Carlo's activities. It is the year in which he starts two new projects. OTIS Italia is interested in an Online course for its 1500 maintenance technicians who - in addition to making several ascents and descents in their elevators every day - also travel many kilometers every day. Carlo was already thinking about it and, starting from a base of 25 “driving pills” that he dispensed weekly on RTL Radio, he began to write the lessons and design the first course of what later became “Drive at Best”. More than 50 very interesting video lessons, each about 5 minutes long. Including introductions and conclusions, it is more than 6 hours of video, written in 8 languages. They make up 4 highly appreciated online courses: Smart Defensive – Eco/Sustainable Driving – Safe Driving – Hybrid and Electric Car Driving. These courses are now enjoyed all over the world. Also, in 2014 Carlo was invited as a speaker at a Congress on Road Safety in Dakar. With the myth (at the time) of the Paris-Dakar, how could he have refused? That was the first of other Conferences, both in Europe and on other continents.