[mitchntx]

Is it just me or has there been a rash of rookie student crashes?

In the last year, I can recall 1/2 dozen or so local HPDE crashes by inexperienced drivers (not that I have a ton of experience) where significant damage has occured.

Is this a Texas trend?

[PF Flyer]

I certainly didn't/don't mean to imply it's all the instructors fault for what goes wrong out there. (though if he/she is pushing someone too hard and it exceeds the car/drivers ability, then bad things do happen) I always try to put a positive spin on things from the start by determining the level of experience the driver has, the level of modification the car has and setting goals of accomplishment for that one particular session. I always ask for staying 3 cars lengths behind the car in front, or I may want them staying in one particular gear around the track to better learn the line, or staying behind that slightly slower car in order to better focus on corner entry.
I look at students as either a sponge or a stone. And some stones are more pourus than others. The sponge soaks up all the input and excels throught the session and the event, while the stone shows different levels of accomplishment, some small and some better.
I've had people so set in their ways, like some of us older folks, that it is very difficult to break certain bad driving habits.
It really a good feeling, at the last session of the whole event, to sit in the right hand seat and not have to say a word and just go for a ride and enjoy the scenery with the car and driver in better control then the when you started 6 or 8 sessions ago.
I'm outta here. Headed back to Summit for the rest of this week-ends event .