Instructors? Options

[GM01SS]

I am considering going thru a Instructor training school with my local BMW club. Just wondering who here is a instructor for Open track events, and any down side to instructing?

I am VERY new to this side of open tracking, but really enjoy it

Comments?

Thanks (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[mitchntx]

I've had no formal training, but have been asked to ride along to show experienced students the line on a new track.

I found it very difficult to explain to the student the proper line while screaming at the top of my lungs.

I do not like the right seat ....

[racerns]

I instruct with NASA, NFME, and have done a BMW event. To prevent the yelling, it is a must to get some type of intercom system. The biggest down side of instructing is that you can get worked very hard and get pretty tired, depending on the event and how many students you have. If you have a problem with your car there might not be enough time to work on it if you have students waiting. The free track time helps make up for some of this but some people rather pay and have the time to relax between runs.

[#07]

Gm01SS good for you instructors are valuable.No instruction experience here mind you.But I can say maybe a downside is having a student wreck his/her car with you in it.Alot of the cars don't have all the safety needed for racing/OT'ing. I watched an instructor take a 5x roll over off T1 @ Thill doing about 85+mph during a licensing session.That honda did have cage though but was beer canned to the point the cage was seen excruding though panels like a emaciated(sp?) dogs ribs.The student failed of coarse.
I really liked having instructors they are a good asset to future racers and imo are needed to build the furture of racing.I have one instructor(same) alot of the times that really helped me with all of stuff to get fast.He was an ex-Panoz driver and really knew his stuff. Coarse he liked to teach some do some don't. I "think" its just something you have to try and see first. I used to cringe at times he would be saying"bring your car out to 3" off the wall (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) ".Unwind the wheel tony,stop modulating the gas to correct understeer your gonna wreck us.
He taught me to drive a slow car fast... great guy.Left a lasting impression on me.Some teachers do that for their students. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

As far as the screaming/communicating goes I.O. Port racing supplies sell a nice little student/instructor in helmet I-com system for like $90.To help that problem.

Go for it GM01SS.Somebody needs you!

Tony

[KeithO]

I instruct for NASA and for marque-based clubs that run the Beaver Run road course locally. I personally like to instruct. There are downsides:

1) As stated above, if you need to work on your car, you may be hosed.
2) Some students are not good drivers and may not take instruction very well. It can be scary.
3) Your student may crash and you cannot control what happens when the car goes off the track. This happened to me once, but we ended up being OK.
4) If you have a multi-student event, it can get busy. I have done this a few times and it subtracts from the fun.

However, FREE TRACK TIME!

My advice is that if you do instruct, tell your students repeatedly not to lift in the turns. Sometimes the classrom instructors forget and for a newbie, this isn't always obvious.

[mitchntx]

To prevent the yelling, it is a must to get some type of intercom system.

Not yelling instructions, rather screaming in terror ....

I do not like the right seat ...

[CMC #37]

I find instructing quite rewarding! It is so cool to see someone go from knowing very little about driving their car to experiencing the rewards of mastering technique. I would go for it. I think you as an instructor will learn quite a bit just sitting in that seat. Sometimes you get a student that will show you something new that you can use in your repetoire. I had a student like that not too long ago at Thunderhill - he was 17 and had been racing karts since he was an embryo. He was driving a V6 third gen like a bat out of hell! He wanted to go racing big cars, however, CMC cars were "too slow." (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

The communication devices are very good. I use some hand signals because the SCCA Street school at Thunderhill I teach does not have these devices.

Another thing that makes instructing easier is the organization running the event. I have had the pleasure of instructing the SCCA street school, which is run by good SCCA folks (they adopted me even though I am a NASA gal because I practically live at the track there). Fortunately I have some seniority there and if something is going bad I can get it handled quickly. The NCRC is a great organization to teach for as the instructors are hand-picked and the organizers have taken the best of the track events here in California and refined them to an awesome quality level. Both organizations have good classroom "download" sessions after track sessions - that is also a key to a safe and fun time as instructors and stewards communicate to the download instructor what tendencies they saw on the track that need to be corrected.

As far as handling the different types of students... I find that most of them are primed to listen and follow instruction. With new students I usually tell them not to try and impress me with speed because they won't. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) The worst student is one that goes too fast and does not listen. As an instructor you need to be firm with this type and pull them in the hot pits for a talking to. Don't hesitate to pull any of them in the hot pits if they scare you or do something that could be dangerous if they continue that way. It is important to know what the student's goals and problem areas are before you get going so you can tell them what you will be working on in the session. There's lots more, however, I should write a book instead of wearing out your eyes here! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[KeithO]

Hey, if this is an advice section, then here goes:

1) When you meet the student and get through the introductions, ask what he/she is looking to get out of the day. The range is "I want to be a professional racer" to "I just want to get through this without breaking anything". This will give you insight into the mindset of the student.
2) Ask about previous track experience. If they have previous experience at other tracks that you know, you can often convey ideas by drawing parallels to the other track.
3) Ask him/her to tell you what they covered in the classroom session. This will tell you alot about the student and also tell you what you need to watch out for.
4) Check over his car. Even if there is tech, have him/her pop the hood, ask about mods (who DOESN'T like to talk about their mods), ask about the brake fluid, pads, oil/flui age, etc. Get to know the car and the student.
5) I use a communication device as described above. It cost me about $100 but I found that student take you more seriously when they see that you went out and bought a teaching aid.
6) Take the student out for rides. Tell the student that you are going to make one mistake per lap and ask him/her to pipe up when you make. As you interleave your rides with theirs, you can work on things.

I truly take alot of pride in some of my student's progress. One of them is now turning faster laps than I turn (in an admittedly superior car) and I am pretty sure that at least one of them will be racing against me next year in American Iron!

[RedHardSupra]

What I appriciate in my instructor:
1. Take me for a ride--gives you an opportunity to show me the perfect line, but do it at speeds which allows you to explain the why's and how's of every manouver. Talk as much is possible, this is where I soak in the knowledge the fastest, and it can make the first session helluva more fun and safer for both the student and the instructor. Oh yea, tell them that if they need to puke (some instructors cars are way insane), to tell you about it ahead of the time, not after, and trade a small inconvinience for a big disapointment.
2. Estabilish what you are trying to achieve, and what are the big no-no's.
3. Estabilish hand signals, as it gets loud sometimes. I've seen everything from just pointing left and right to seal-team variety of signals. I like a combo of hand signals and yelling best, so the usual corner goes like " wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, NOW clip it!" followed with a big thumbs up (or not). If I mess something up, tell me what and why it was bad ("you missed the apex by 3 feet"), and how to fix it next time.
4. Please, no stupid comments, students usually feel like stressed out maggots in a boot camp anyway. I've heard everything from "I don't do imports" to commentary about my accent (it's a country of immigrants, you forgot that already?)
5. Have a summary at the end of a session. What was good, what needs work the next session, and how to go about achieving it. Tell them to relax and drink lots of water. Comments on the car and the setup are super-valued too.

I think that's it.

Generally though, instructors are awesomely cool, knowledgable guys, and they better be, as you pretty much put your life in their hands (and vice versa). I wish I could somehow thank them better, like with a beer and a steak, but unfortunatelly the track is not the best place for any of it.

Hats off to instructors, thanks guys!

[PF Flyer]

... if you're looking to be an instructor, start by riding 'over there', in the right seat. Make sure you are comfortable there.

Then just get your open minded hat on. See what kind of an individual you get as a student. The best kind I call a 'sponge'. They soak up all the info, both from you and the classroom, retain it from session to session and shows definite improvements thru out the event.

I just finished another week-end doing a NASA-VA event. I had 2.5 students (my choice). The .5 student was to just evaluate on track doing a lead/follow. My novice student was the ideal student. Soaked up everything that was given to him, showed marked improvements all week-end and had a great attitude. I indicated he could move to intermeadiate next event. I also qualified my observations and recommendations by having another instructor ride with him for his last session. My intermeadiate student was somewhat lacsidasical. He would listen, but there wasn't a lot of marked improvement. I believe he just wasn't 'into it', mentally, and it showed. He'd only done 5 open track events over 4 years.

I've had the best of students (as stated above) and I've had the worst of students (wouldn't listen, ended up blowing the motor). So if you want to try instructing, go ahead and try. That's the only way you're going to see if you're cut out for it.

Look into getting a two way communications device, too. I use one that is used for motorcycles. The 'Chatterbox. I have the model 50. It's the only way to 'communicate' to your student.

And read what everyone else has written before this post.