Getting a few autocross races under your belt could be a great way to get your feet wet. You could even use your daily driver for that, so you could get started before your car is even built...

Sounds like you are off to a good start!

Another learning tool I didn't see mentioned is sim racing, not talking about xbox here, but a dedicated PC sim with a decent wheel and pedal setup. Racing against other humans online in a league format has greatly improved my driving and situational awareness on the track. Getting setup costs about what one DE weekend does and you can use it for years, definitely worth the small investment. Sims are most certainly not a direct replacement for real seat time, but they are a mighty good supplement.

I'm preping to run spec 7 next year and I'm on the mail list aswell. first off unless you have alot of free time building the car right can be a pain in the ass.. I bought a built car for 1500 but it need work. for the first time out i just needed a new seat to fit my fat ass and new belts and a brake line and that was it. since then I have been going trough the whole car piece by piece to make sure its right. I'm in the middle of a fuel cell install and a rad and oil cooler upgrade. I am a fabricator for a living and the stuff still takes time to get it right plain and simple.. hell i had 2 nights just trying to get the seat where i wanted it so it felt right. it all comes down to how much is your time worth.... in some ways i wish i had spent more and got a better car off the bat but hey its been fun. and asfor not wanting to mess up at school .. get some track time before you go.. they hold a couple FATTs at summit a month normaly and alot of the spec 7 drivers instruct and you will learn alot from them quick.. and again as for messing up... it will happen but atleast summit is a faily forgiving track. I myself have gone backwards in the the kitty litter at turn 3 but if your not messing up your not trying hard enough. but listen to the instructors and just get seat time and seat time on the road just doesn't compare to what you see and feel going at 9/10ths on the track.

Do you use a TrackIR by any chance? I use one for flight simming and I can't go back to doing it without one. Being able to turn your head to look around adds an incredible amount of immersion. It takes a little while to train your brain to deal with moving your head and not your eyes, but it adapts fast and once it does it's awesome.

Yes, but I'm a cheapo and use free-track.net software. It is the same way for driving sims as flight, once you get head tracking you can't believe how you ever got by without it!

Sorry to veer a little OT.