I just completed Day One of the four-day performance driving course at the Bondurant school in Phoenix. Here's three things that stuck out after spending eight hours in class and behind the wheel of a 400hp Corvette C6:

1. A Ford Econoline van can do over 70 mph on a high-performance race track.
And nearly 50 through a slalom. With a dozen guys hanging on inside. Without tipping over.

2. It's not the car. It's the driver.
That van ride proved that a truly skilled driver can make almost any vehicle perform well. And on the flip side, even if the car you're strapped into has a serious set of balls, unless you know what you're doing behind that wheel, you might as wheel be driving a minivan. (Which is what I proved.)

3. Love him or hate him, Jeff Gordon's got serious skills.
Upshifting. Heel-toe downshifting. Hitting the proper entry point on turns. Controlling the shift of the car's weight from front to back for optimum adhesion to the asphalt. Adjusting for over- and/or under-steer. And a shitload other variables and things to worry about. While keeping your car from slamming into the few dozen other cars chasing you around the track. At triple digit speeds. Sorry, Jeff. I had no idea.