Instructor stories

[csr]

Not a story, but ... there are two reasons that instructors sign off students to solo. The first is because the instructor is sure that the student will be safe. The second is because the instructor is sure that the instructor will be safe.

You missed the third reason. "Instructor wants to leave early on Sunday"

[JClark]

^^ This thread delivers!

Flying down the straight away at 120mph, my first-timer student froze up and wouldn't answer or respond to anything I said for 3/4 lap until I was shouting. With white-knuckles and the fear of God in his eyes, he navigated his way back to the pits. Afterwards, we had a thorough conversation about not being overwhelmed behind the wheel.

[gobuffs]

Where do I start?

take your pick:
1. what letter does the first word start with?
or
2. one letter at a time....get busy.

[motorsports321]

Not a story, but ... there are two reasons that instructors sign off students to solo. The first is because the instructor is sure that the student will be safe. The second is because the instructor is sure that the instructor will be safe.

I've been thinking about maybe starting down the instructing path. GGCBMWCCA is looking for instructors for the car control clinic, and advance students qualify. Maybe something I can try out to get a taste of what its like, maybe down the line in a year or 2 actually instruct on a real track.

Is there a school one needs to go to in order to become an instructor?

[rebel1]

i've swapped a few stories over beers and thought it would be fun to trade some here. I'm thinking more of funny stories, but student-from-hell stories can be good too. I'll start:

I recently had a swedish novice in, i'd guess, his 70's driving an 87 911. 5 track days of experience. Very nice guy and eager to learn, but frankly the car was kind of a handful.

Wary of the car, i peppered him with "don't lift, don't lift, don't lift" in each high-speed sweepers. After a session and a half, i hear through the communicator, "what does 'don't lift' mean?" if i'd had a mouthful of coke, it would have come out my nose.

lmao!!!!!

[jcrist]

I brought a buddy with me to a member day at VIR that drive a 335. No track experience at all. I think we were in the second session, he had made marked improvements and things were going OK aside from him not quite getting the backside of the turn in to the North Course. That was expected, hell everyone has issues with that and especially, as a beginner. We were working on understanding "Unwind the Wheel" and "Roll on the throttle smoothly", "Stay in contact with the throttle" through 11 and 12, etc. He was doing 3, 4 and on through the snake PERFECTLY (for a beginner). Then came the unexpected. He makes 120mph run down the front straight, very easy to obtain with PLENTY of braking room in his 400hp modded 335. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that it fried his brain......he was so excited and taken with what he had just "done" that he turned into so early to Turn 3 that we went off WAY before what would be the APEX extended across the track. I'm talking at the SNACK SHOP. As soon as he turned in I realized that there was NO WAY to salvage anypart of this turn and immediately yelled "STOP!!!!!!" Not, "easy", or "turn harder" or ANYTHING. We weren't going that fast, which makes it funnier to imagine how early he tried to engage this corner. He skidded across the track and went about a car length off into the grass.

15 laps of improvements COMPLETELY regressed by looking at a speedo that showed 120mph.

[Evergreen Dan]

Is there a school one needs to go to in order to become an instructor?

I hate to dilute this thread with actual information , but each chapter is different. I'd contact your local chapter (and any nearby ones), and ask the chief instructor what the path to becoming an instructor is. Instructing at a car control clinic is a GREAT way to start. It does not duplicate the fear factor of the track, however.

For example, in NY, the GVC chapter runs a well-regarded Instructor Training School. Here in Boston, we are hoping to run a smaller version, perhaps as early as this year. Most chapters have some fairly well established path, although I think relatively few have a formal school at a specific event.

Usually training is done over the course of a number of days. It generally involves a driving test and then a bunch of role playing. There may be a formal ITS candidate manual available to you. Some people seem to take to instructing quickly, others slowly, and some not at all. It is definitely not the same as driving well, and in fact ITS candidates are not expected to be the fastest drivers necessarily.

I'm not sure what is available on the left coast.

Now back to the fun. Some things I've seen in the Tech line:

• Brake pads in backward. "I was wondering what that sound was." (I've actually done this myself, but at least I noticed within a block or so.)
• Unsecured battery in truck, with double terminals. The side terminals go to the killer sound system. I see arcing on the sheetmetal by them. Driver reluctantly disconnects audio system and ties down battery with ratcheting strap.
• High heel shoes in the trunk. Inspector picks one up and says to the very pretty driver, "this is not what we mean by heel-and-toe."
• Cap installed over lug bolts. "Have you torqued your wheels this morning?" "Yes." "What did you torque them to?" "I don't know."
• 12" LCD screen installed facing driver. "What's that for?" "To monitor my boost and A/F ratio." Student later crashed.
• Belts not doubled-back through 3-bar harness buckle. "Your belts aren't doubled back." "So?" "I can pull slack through them by hand." I demonstrate. Driver (actually an instructor) was still unconvinced.

[BMWParkingOnly]

One story from some classroom instructing experience......this one in a Beginner and Novice classroom session #3 of the weekend.
I had heard a few point-by related comments from students and instructors so I was reinforcing the 'point' (pun intended) of passing to students.
A rookie student who drives a supercharged Mustang (430whp) raises his hand and asks about "passing protocol" sighting an example he experienced where a Mini Cooper (who is admittedly faster in the corners but...) is a lot slower on the straights is on his rear bumper as they approach each straight. Seems he was being hounded in the corners by a 'slower' car but felt he could just blow him away on the straight and wanted to know if he should give the Mini a point or not.

It was all I could do to calmly explain (without laughing) to the group that the faster lap time isn't always the more powerful car and that he might even need to gently brake in the middle of the straight to allow said car to pass. I explained that once by him, he probably would't ever see that Mini again in that session and that in order to be on his rear bumper the Mini must be faster around that particular track. (You know, the one with curves and no burn-out box) THAT was proper passing protocol and being friendly to others while on the track.

The good news is the student in the Mustang understood and actually learned and improved by magnitudes over the weekend. And by his example, the stage was set for all other students in earshot to be courteous with their point-bys! 'Point' made!


Another fun story, this time from the Student side:
I was quickly running down a Turbo 996 at Mid-Ohio (closed a big gap nearly as long as pit straight by the time we progressed through Keyhole). I had a decent run on him at the exit of Keyhole heading down the back straight where he proceeded to 'punch it' and left me like my car stalled. My instructor mumbled something about those damn turbo point-and-shoot drivers and their egos and gestured as if he was masturbating to the impressive turbo power.......the best part - I have it immortalized on video.

[JS154]

• 12" LCD screen installed facing driver. "What's that for?" "To monitor my boost and A/F ratio." Student later crashed.

I've seen that one - the Eclipse, right!

Yep, a full 12" computer screen so he can monitor boost, a/f ratio, throttle position, weather, tides, enemy communications, the price of tea in China...

...all while driving offline.

[purplem3pursuit]

Lol!!! This stuff is pretty damn funny..


Man am I glad my instructor from the RA DE drives a 944

[BobWright]

Aw, come on already. Spill the beans already! Name some names!

I was just talking to an instructor buddy about whether instructing is something I might like to try down the road. Free track time and sharing the knowledge both seem pretty desirable goals. After reading this thread, maybe I'll just keeping paying for my track time and keep my knowledge to myself.

......+100.....(knowing it could be me)......

[BobWright]

Not a story, but ... there are two reasons that instructors sign off students to solo. The first is because the instructor is sure that the student will be safe. The second is because the instructor is sure that the instructor will be safe.

ummmm...that certainly does explain an awful lot about my DE career......

[gobuffs]

Man am I glad my instructor from the RA DE drives a 944

Maybe he is telling a story about you on the Porsche boards?

[The HACK]

I wonder if they came back after that or if the instructor scared them off for good.

How do you think he made them cry the SECOND TIME? Of course they came back (for more punishment).

[Neil]

Perhaps my scariest moment was on the front straight at VIR during my instructor training.

My "student" had a number of bad habits -- including leaving his hand on the shift knob and not checking his rear view mirror. A car was approaching fast and I told him to give a point by. With his right hand resting on the shift knob, he promptly took his left hand and stuck it out the window. Yep, well into triple digits and NO HAND ON THE STEERING WHEEL!.

Disregarding all advice about never grabbing the steering wheel, I immediately grabbed it and admonished him never to do that again. He explained he simply was following my instruction Ugh!

Neil

[Conechaser]

One of the DE instructors brings up her best story for the people that hadn't heard it before. One hungover Sunday morning, she climbs into the seat of her student's car. After a few laps, it's clear the guy is ham-fisted and lead-footed. She pipes up with this gem:

"Smooth. BE SMOOOTH! Because if I throw up all over the inside of your car, I'll still have a good day."

Apparently, it worked well.

^
^
^
filed for future referrence.

[Evergreen Dan]

With his right hand resting on the shift knob, he promptly took his left hand and stuck it out the window.

Delicious. Evil. Delightful. Theftworthy. I'm slipping that one into my ITS quiver.

[BobWright]

Perhaps my scariest moment was on the front straight at VIR during my instructor training.

Yep, well into triple digits and NO HAND ON THE STEERING WHEEL!.

Disregarding all advice about never grabbing the steering wheel, I immediately grabbed it and admonished him never to do that again. He explained he simply was following my instruction Ugh!

Neil

Ummmm......Guilty as Charged.......I have a bad habit of taking my hands off the wheel and "Clapping" at the checkered flag....which can be at top speed sometimes.......like at Gateway..........

[reborn]

ummmm......guilty as charged.......i have a bad habit of taking my hands off the wheel and "clapping" at the checkered flag....which can be at top speed sometimes.......like at gateway..........

lol!

[Bud Scott]

Ummmm......Guilty as Charged.......I have a bad habit of taking my hands off the wheel and "Clapping" at the checkered flag....which can be at top speed sometimes.......like at Gateway..........

Heck, we saw you pumping both fists in the air during the "mock" race while you were leading!

[Arkadi]

Instructing at an open lapping day at Beaverun. A friend of mine (a well known racer and instructor on this board who shall remain nameless) asked me to take out his student as he had to go out with another.

Sure no problem. The guy had never been on a road course but had been drag racing for years. The car was some modified trans am with 400+ HP. Complete disaster, would not listen, only knew one speed, jumping on and off the throttle. We finally spun in T1, didn't hit anything and I ordered him to the pits.

It seems that Mr. nameless instructor had taken him for a ride upon his arrival and he was trying to imitate him. Oh and he didn't just take him for a ride, it was the "A" ticket, balls out, scare the p#ss out of him ride. Mr nameless and I had a little chat in the pits and he got his "student" back. We have laughed about it many times since

[TrackRat951]

From the student's perspective, one of the funniest experiences I had was running a WGI event with YDubbs in our very equally matched e30's. We ended up with instructors that were racers and apparently friendly competitors. This was very early in our DE careers (at a time where my experience and talent allowed me to actually run with YDubbs), and we were relegated to the beginner group.

I'm guessing the other drivers in our group were getting something slightly different than the "You got him, you got him! Now, just beat him on the brakes into turn 1, and we can take them after the esses!!" that Will and I had coming from our passenger seats. Still one of the most memorable experiences of my DE career.

-Jon

[motorsports321]

I hate to dilute this thread with actual information , but each chapter is different. I'd contact your local chapter (and any nearby ones), and ask the chief instructor what the path to becoming an instructor is. Instructing at a car control clinic is a GREAT way to start. It does not duplicate the fear factor of the track, however.

Thanks for the info!

Will look more into this. Maybe in a few years I might have some juice stories myself.

Heres a story from a student side, it was my third track day and my instructor offered me a ride on track in his car. First lap he takes it "easy" and proceeds to ask if I was scared yet as he was looking in his mirrors. I said no, and almost shat in my pants as I said it cause he then went into a turn 3 wide with 2 other instructors in the middle with a little bit of countersteer. Craziest ride at that point, he continued to "race" his fellow instructors the rest of the session. Real eye opener.

[Lateral G]

I've never been in a novice student group because I was misclassified in my first track school -- and managed to survive. It was at Laguna Seca with the LA BMW ACA. They must have thought I had some track experience based on the Skip Barber school I had attended. While that was a great introduction to car control, it was entirely in the paddock.

I tip-toed around the track for my first lap, and was already getting intimidated by the speeds of the other cars. On my second lap, I was carrying more speed, and was starting to get overwhelmed. I came into T11 a bit hot, blew my braking point, turned in early, and dumped the clutch while I had a lot of steering input. This put me tail out (in an E28), and pointed at the pit wall, and headed towards crumpled sheet metal.

Happily, my skid pad training kicked in, I went to neutral throttle, caught the skid, prevented the counter skid, and continued down the front straight.

As I was getting sideways, my instructor (who I later learned was a first timer) exclaimed "Woah! Let's slow it down", which was a really good idea, but was not exactly timely input. By the time we got to the bridge, he turned to me and said, "By the way, nice recovery."

[1996 328ti]

Instructor story from the student seat.

Watkins Glen, conditions wet but the party line starting to dry.
The last turn before the front straight. I take it a little too fast for either the conditions or experience. I feel the rear stepping out. I open the wheel and track out wide with a gentle controlled slide and get back on the gas. My instructor is yelling and pointing to the line. THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO BE. You should have turned in more to get back on the line. Huh? Turning more to the right would have put me in a spin.

Mid-Ohio entering keyhole.
I'm trying to get my vision up by looking further in the distance.
I see a sign on the fence so I'm using it to gauge my entry.
Instructor asks, what are you doing?
I'm trying to get my eyes up by looking at that sign.
Don't look at that sign. That sign can move.
Look at the cone. That's where you want to be.
Huh? That sign is not moving. At least not today.
That cone moves everytime someone brushes near it.

Same instructor both times. I think the problem was he only knew one line.

I've had a few instructors who I scared.
Tank slapper uphill esses VIR.
I was pretty scared too.