Peter Finlay’s Advanced Driving Schools

Nationwide Defensive Driving School
Peter Finlay first became involved in Advanced Driver training when he was invited by Peter Wherrett to join him at the Peter Wherrett Advanced Driving School in 1970. He had over seven years motor sport experience which well qualified him for this task.

After travelling to Canada and then the UK to race Formula Ford and gain experience in driver education, Peter returned to Australia in 1973 and his position with the Wherrett School. In conjunction with these duties, Peter developed a Learn-to-Drive school which provided an exclusive service for over 10 years. Peter still holds an RTA Type 1 Instructor’s Licence (number 005666).

From 1975 to 1980 Peter Finlay managed the Wherrett school’s daily operations and, at the end of 1980, bought out the Wherrett interests. Peter and Gaye Finlay renamed the organisation Nationwide Defensive Driving School.

Initially concentrating on road safety, Peter then established Peter Finlay’s International Racing Drivers’ School (PFIRDS) and commenced regular schools for budding racing drivers. Peter saw the vital need to separate competition driving from the ethics of road safety training by keeping the two disciplines of the school apart.

Peter Finlay has studied road trauma, specialising in the education of drivers. He gained academic qualifications in the subject with the University of New England and has worked with the NSW RTA on a research project. With over 31 years experience in the industry he is recognised as one of Australia’s leading authorities on the subject.

Peter Finlay’s International Racing Driver’s School
In 1986, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) appointed PFIRDS to train and evaluate drivers for their initial racing licences. This was the first school to be authorised in NSW and only the second in Australia. PFIRDS remains the only dedicated racing drivers school in Australia.

In 1995 PFIRDS was selected to represent the world famous Jim Russell Racing Drivers’ School as its Australian and New Zealand agent. Our very first customer, Peter Hackett, won the 1995 JRRDS World Scholarship and went on to achieve success in England and Australia in Formula Vauxhall Junior, Formula Ford and Formula Three. Later, the winner of a PFIRDS scholarship achieved outstanding results when he claimed his prize of a Jim Russell 1 week course and entry into that year’s World Scholarship.

Formula Ford School
Our first foray into providing a single-seat racing car for clients to drive was with a succession of Formula Vee cars in 1983. One of these was the highly successful Rennmax MK1 formerly driven by Bernie Haehnle.

In 1998 we hired a Bowin P4 (formerly driven by Australian Champion driver, John Leffler and the very talented John Smith). After one school we bought the Mawer 004B from Clive Kane and the concept blossomed. A Van Diemen RF 85 was added and we took the cars to Barbagello Raceway in Perth for 2 days training. Later we bought an Elfin 600 to enable us to accommodate the larger framed client who might not fit into the slimmer chassis cars. This is a unique feature to the PFIRDS school.

The school’s new cars are fine examples of the evolution of Formula Ford design over the years. Our four Van Diemen Zetec 1800cc state-of-the-art Formula Fords are the most modern cars used in Australia's leading racing driver training school. The have ample room in their cockpits for the larger-framed driver. Up to 193cm in height and about 120kg in bulk can be accommodated.

To carry the four cars we have a 1980 Bedford bus which served its public service days in the Holroyd district of Sydney with Baxter’s Bus Lines.

HOME | COURSES | INSTRUCTORS | CIRCUITS | CORPORATE | COACHING | GRADUATES | GALLERY | MEDIA | SATISFIED CLIENTS