emwavey

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LBHgti &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would cover the basics....track etiquette (sp), passing, flags, etc... Then a little bit on driving. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks all!

I'll probably put together a rough outline in the coming weeks. I post it when I've finished and will most likely solicit critiques.

577HondaPrelude

I know it has been said before but I also think it the most important thing a new driver can do. LOOK AHEAD! Do NOT fixate on the car in front of you. Look WAY down the track. This will making finding the line much EZer and you will know much sooner if someone has spun in front of you.

emwavey

_ resurrected _

Thanks again for everyone's input. ... I realized I never gave an account of what happened last year. Aside from actually braking a plastic chair while explaining weight-transfer, well even the chair braking made a pretty huge impact, the sessions were a success.

I had quite a few questions asked, I tried to involve the students by answering questions posed during lectures, and opened each session with, them being the focus. ... what was different then expected, what were things the instructor helped you with, or things that you need to work on, what were you doing right, and the most important, everyone having fun?... anyone not having fun?

... I had one guy I could see didn't answer quickly with a "yes" to the having fun question,... which was were the "anyone not having fun?" question came from. I made eye contact with him directly when the question was posed.

To my surprise and to everyone's benefit, he fessed up and explained about how he was stuck in a "train" behind someone not letting him pass, and also had another on his "***". I thanked him for the comment and began to explain the importance of checking mirrors.

I also began the first session with everyone introducing themselves and a little bit about themselves, outside hobbies, family connections, etc. I was able to use this info to further stress the importance of this NOT being a race. That we are all here together to learn and have fun in a safe environment.

I asked the class what we should do while out on track behind someone obviously not paying attention to his/her mirrors...
"back off", "ride his ***", "flash lights" were all comments.

Pit in or back off were the safest options, especially for total beginner drivers.

"... there are 2.5 miles of track, we have a fairly low number of cars compared to other track day organizers, so please, buy yourself some room. Either back off, and let the person behind you go around, or pit in."

... I'll do my part in stressing to the instructors and the students to check their mirrors, but you have to do your part in helping us run a safe event."

This kind of side-railed my intented purpose for the session, however I allowed the students to dictate the tempo and focus of the classroom. I eventually hit on some driving techniques like, two hands on the wheel, looking ahead, and gave them an assignment while on course... "tell me what the billboard outside of the "bowl" reads, you should be able to see it and read it while on the straight before the chicane."

Like what was suggested in an earlier post, this helped students look up and far down the course. Major kudos for the suggestion.

The next PDX our tri-region is holding is on June 15th-16th, the Friday and Saturday before Father's day. I've been invited back to conduct the novice classroom sessions and I owe a great deal of this success to the suggestions that folks gave here.

Again, thank you for your help... referenced this threat again for this next event!

Sincerely,

mrsideways

Same stuff as being a teacher. Keep their attention by Not going off on tagents, and use a little humor. Oh and keep it short. They are jonesing to get on track. They won't listen long.

Mike_C

with my first event as an instructor coming up, i'm very glad this was bumped. good info!

Stinkycheezmonky

Mike, what event are you instructing at?

6spdKEG

I just want to add a couple things from the students perspective.

Communication in Car: It must be clear and simple and it must make the driver comfortable. It needs to be worked out b/t the student and instructor before getting on the track and stressed durring warmup laps for learning.

As a classroom instructor you should point out what kind of communication that the students and instructors should have.

I have a loud car and at my 2nd HPDE event, my instructor did not have a head set. We quickly developed hand signals to get us by.

I liked the use of hand signals almost better than talking.

Instructor actions and their meaning:
Point left with one finger and left hand- you are off line and need to get left
Point right with thumb and left hand while shacking hand - you are off line and need to get right
Point forward - go go go - you can be faster or more aggressive
Flat hands with up and down motion - calm down, slow it down
Point at the rear view mirror - Let the guy behind you pass


About the car, driver & instructor: Your all going to be learning from eachother.. .

Even if you have been driving your car for years, if this is the first time on a road course, you are going to be learning about your car. I think this needs to be pointed out.

Both instructors that I've had, have had no idea about the capabilities of my car even by telling them about it. I let him drive it for a few laps during the first session. I hoped that this would make them more comfortable and also give them insite to what playing field I am learing with. One guy didn't know that our hondas basically have no power untill Vtec and was light on the gas the whole time thinking power at 3,000rpm. I had to show him how to drive my car basically. Another guy tested the steering, brakes, acceleration and all. He knew what we were in for.

Needless to say, both these RWD instructors learned a thing or two from instructing me and I learned from them as well. This goes to show that learning goes both ways out there.

I had fun with both instructors and they both had two very different teaching techniques which I was fine with.


Modified by 6spdKEG at 1:09 PM 4/5/2007

WrongWD

iTrader: (1)

make sure to tell them that their first session will not be their fastest. their last session will not be their fastest. If you took away the first and last sessions on all the track days i've ever been to, most of the idiocy would be gone.

WrongWD

iTrader: (1)

oh yeah, and just assume the guy in front of you is on the wrong line