Instructor stories

[The HACK]

I guess you're not suggesting he scared the piss out of her

He calls it "model juice."

[joenationwide]

wow, lots of good stories.

This story has no crazy ending or punchline, but I was seriously at a loss how to handle this student. It was at VIR, and it was the student's first time. He Had a 90s Mustang, and he liked to drag race. The student had a good attitude, but would not (or could not) take instruction. I asked if I was overloading him but he said no, and that he was calm. But everytime we went around the track his mind reset. I had no choice but to give every single command. Even after 2 sessions I told him I'd start giving less commands and force him to practice what I told him (staying on the line, braking points, turn in points, when to roll on throttle, etc...). That was a total failure, he was a blank slate. Even worse, had no instincts, and no car control skills. He had no clue about how fast to enter a turn, or what the limit of grip was. I couldn't even teach him any concepts or fundamentals (being smooth, slow hands in a hurry, unwinding the wheel) because he couldn't get the car around the track on his own, and I was too busy with commands! He would brake too early, then coast, then yank the wheel into a turn. He braked when he wanted to. He refused to brake hard. I would say "brake...., brake.., brake, BRAKE, BRAKE!!!!", and it did not even register. Usually when you hear someone repeat the word "brake" with increasing volume and intensity, you tend to brake harder, right? Not this guy. And then he would go full throttle out of T4, which links to an immediate tight right. I would say "easy, easy, easy" (after I explained to him in grid that "easy" meant smoothly backing off the throttle, but do not lift. And I said this while making the "backing off on the gas pedal" motion with my hand).

Another instructor came up to me after a session where we got in a lot of traffic, and told me his student did not get a proper point by from us. I was so embarrassed. I told him what was happening, my student would freeze up when trying to point by. Or give the little timid point where only the pointer finger and a couple knuckles would appear out of the driver's window. I would even tell him while I made the proper arm motion "point the civic, now point the BMW, now point the Lotus, etc). And to make things worse, he would give the point by several seconds after I told him to do so, making it impossible for the faster car(s) to pass. And why did I not tell the student to give a point by before we reach the start of the straight? Because I was busy telling him how to safely navigate the previous turn. And what happend when I tried to give less commands? We almost went off track! I had never felt so helpless or ineffective.

That was the only time I could not get across to a student and help them improve. Most other times I get to see signficant improvements from students and build their confidence. I really like instructing for that reason. Even when something happens to my car and I get maybe 1-2 session, and instruct for 12!

[NeilM]

This story has no crazy ending or punchline, but I was seriously at a loss how to handle this student.

Some students simply fall into the "Find a new hobby" category, and the best instructor in the world isn't going to give them instincts they don't have.

On the other hand I once had a student at Grattan who had done plenty of schools, but had to be told every single lap exactly when to brake, turn, accelerate and so on. As long as I did that he was fine, but if not then he'd continue straight ahead at the same speed. It wasn't until the second day that he told me that decades before he'd spent a month in a coma following a serious car accident. Ever since then he'd had memory problems.

I'm usually pretty patient with students, and in particular when I feel that the they're simply not equipped to progress all that much, I focus on helping them to enjoy their weekend at the track and to learn some skills that'll help in everyday driving. Once I understood this guy's needs everything went fine, and he was really grateful.

(I don't on the other hand, have much tolerance for assholes. Fortunately I've been lucky in that respect.)

Neil

[brownMINI]

Thankfully, I haven't been the subject of any of these stories (yet).

But, I could be... there was the time at NHIS (now NHMS) where I had a bad front control arm bushing - but it hadn't been diagnosed yet. All I knew is that when autocrossing, the car was looser that spring than it had been the previous fall (year round daily driver car). On the first hot lap of the event, going into the second turn, I looped the car. I managed to not even knock over a cone, but it was still a pretty dumb move.

There was the time at Watkins Glen that my instructor took a cell phone call on the cool-down lap. The phone had been ringing most of the session. But that instructor was the one who had the largest part in getting me over the mid-level driver plateau, so I'm not complaining.

The stories in this thread are great!

[The HACK]

There was the time at Watkins Glen that my instructor took a cell phone call on the cool-down lap.

That reminded me. I was out riding with another instructor at Willow Springs International Raceway in his wife's relatively new 650i. We were probably doing about 120mph in turn 8 when the car starts to ring. Yeah, you read that right. The car. Turns out his phone was still paired to the car and his wife called.

The following ensued.

"Honey, we're at the track."
"What? I can't hear you."
"WE'RE AT THE TRACK."
"What?"
"I'm in the middle of a turn at over 100 miles per hour!"
"You're what?"

"I'll call you back."

The whole time I was laughing my @ss off, meanwhile we've navigated about half the track and made several passes.

Needless to say, his cell phone stayed off for the rest of the day.

[Evergreen Dan]

Some students simply fall into the "Find a new hobby" category...

I was doing my instructor training, and the ITS chief casually drops OSB into the conversation. Having done lots of work on my house, I'm trying to figure out Oriented Strand Board relates while still following his conversation. Eventually I realize that I'm going to have to display my ignorance and ask.

The acronym just makes me , unless I'm thinking about a student to which it applies, in which case it makes me and usually .

[Jim Bassett]

I was doing my instructor training, and the ITS chief casually drops OSB into the conversation.

The acronym just makes me , unless I'm thinking about a student to which it applies, in which case it makes me and usually .

Yep, I've witnessed a few of those.

I probably at one time had some stories to tell, but I think most of 'em have been washed away by Scotch

[doeboy]

Yep, I've witnessed a few of those.

I probably at one time had some stories to tell, but I think most of 'em have been washed away by Scotch

Ah ha! So THAT's how you deal with it and keep coming back for more!

[doeboy]

That reminded me. I was out riding with another instructor at Willow Springs International Raceway in his wife's relatively new 650i. We were probably doing about 120mph in turn 8 when the car starts to ring. Yeah, you read that right. The car. Turns out his phone was still paired to the car and his wife called.

The following ensued.

"Honey, we're at the track."
"What? I can't hear you."
"WE'RE AT THE TRACK."
"What?"
"I'm in the middle of a turn at over 100 miles per hour!"
"You're what?"

"I'll call you back."

The whole time I was laughing my @ss off, meanwhile we've navigated about half the track and made several passes.

Needless to say, his cell phone stayed off for the rest of the day.

That happened to me too fairly recently... although not as funny to me. We're coming into the first turn at 100mph or so... and the car rings.... I suddenly stop saying whatever it was I was saying to my student preparing him for the next turn. Pause.. "uh.... don't answer that...." My student ignores it like I ask, and we continue about our business and finish the session. He apologized for that and shut his phone off during the subsequent sessions.

[csr]

I was doing my instructor training, and the ITS chief casually drops OSB into the conversation. Having done lots of work on my house, I'm trying to figure out Oriented Strand Board relates while still following his conversation. Eventually I realize that I'm going to have to display my ignorance and ask.

The acronym just makes me , unless I'm thinking about a student to which it applies, in which case it makes me and usually .

Haha...OSB is great. I've to remember that. I did have one student like that where nothing would stick in his brain. Just goes in one ear and out the other side. It gets so tiring having to repeat over and over and so frustrating when he acts like he has never seen a particular corner that he did perfectly a lap before.

That also reminds me of a student who was in intermediate level. He was talkative, smiling, and just in good mood when I met him on Saturday morning.

With a good attitude and fairly good fundamentals, we were making really nice progress through the first 3 sessions. He was eager to learn and a good listener.

On the last session of the day on Saturday, as we are going out he asks if he could be soloed the next day. Apparently he was there with two of his buddies and they both were in the solo group. I felt that he was good enough and would be able to handle the traffic management by himself.

So as we are going through the warm up lap, I ask him to show me his 'heel-toe'. Until this point, he has been rev matching and down shifting. Since we were working on other things, I really did not push him about the technique.

He was a bit nervous as he tried heel-toe down shift as we were going into T1. It was a fairly bad down shift with an uneven braking and a dumping of the clutch. He tried few more times but it was obvious he really needed more practice.

"I'm sorry but I usually do not solo students who can not 'heel-toe'. Now, it doesn't have to be perfect but at least I need to see some level of competency." I told him after a lap of watching his efforts.

As soon as I finished my sentence, he went quite. His smile disappeared. If this scene was in a cartoon, you would have seen steam shooting out of his ears. His driving changed from nice and smooth to all most reckless.

A track-rage. He was angry and he could not control it. He was jerking the wheels from left to right and stomping on the gas and brakes. I immediately told him to pull in to the pits.

"I'm sorry but I can't instruct you anymore since you can not control your temper. I will talk with the CI and get you another instructor." I got out of his car and went looking for the CI.

After explaining the situation to the CI, another instructor was assign to him and eventually that instructor soloed him the next day. In fact, the student was happy and talkative the next day when we met during lunch. Hhe apologized for his outburst. He also said I was a great instructor and learned a lot from me. I told him he really needs to learn to control his temper and anger especially when he is on the track.

He was the only student that I did not finish instructing.

What was also interesting is the replacement student I got the next day. (to be continued...)

[mdadgar]

Yep, I've witnessed a few of those.

I probably at one time had some stories to tell, but I think most of 'em have been washed away by Scotch

You're welcome.

Best instructor story so far:

Some years ago at an Audi Club event at Thunderhill. They pair me up with a squid in an S4. Typical young-kid-with-fast-car and he is BOPPIN' OFF THE WALLS at the thought of being a "racer." Standard stupid male newby shizznit.

End of Day 1 and he's talking up a storm in the bar at the banquet. I just shake my head and go to bed early.

Sunday morning he swings by my parking spot to pick me up for his first run and I climb into his car. The first thing out of his mouth is "WHOOOIEEEEEE, did I have too much tequila at the bar last night or WHAT?!!"

Uhh, yeah. You can just drop me off here. Thanks.

We had The Talk about personal responsibility before he left for home.

[Chrome Horn]

One of the all time most fun instructing experiences I have had also happened last year at Barber. The weekend was H-O-T, the area was plagued by extraordinary drought, and the air was almost unbreatheable due to super-thick smoke blown up from Florida forest fires. I was there with a fellow Dirkdirkistanian instructor & friend who tracks an M Coupe. We always have fun playing chase on track.

It seemed as if every Instructor session on Saturday, and one on Sunday morning, was cut short due to mechanical failures of instructor cars. So, to make it up to us, the then CDI made an unannounced decision to make the Instructor session after lunch a bit longer. We, of course, didn't know this.

I was asked to give a ride to a student's father. My buddy in the M Coupe was running solo. By then, it was like 96 degrees. So we did our usual lead/follow chase, pointing each other by every other lap or so. I had advantage in certain areas (mostly carrying speed in the faster corners) and he did in others (mostly exiting slower corners due to a bunch less weight).

Well, after a while, we noticed fewer & fewer cars on track. I looked at my watch, and it had been 25 minutes, so we expected a checker any minute. Long story short, they let us stay out there, no checker, for another 20 minutes! We kept looking for a checker...but after a while it was apparent that we were probably the only vehicles on track. And soon the corner workers began cheering us on. We were probably inches apart in most corners and son some of the shorter straights, and it was just a freaking blast. Lap after lap!

Finally the checker came out, and only then did I look down and realize that I had used nearly a full tank of gas. After we parked, my passenger said "I'm glad the checker finally came out. The heat was begining to make me nauseous, and i was just about to ask you to let me out!"

[MAB Badgerbimmer]

3 maybe 4 year s ago at Road America instructing for the Milwaukee PCA. I am assigned my student, nice young guy. Ever done a track event? No, but i've driven real fast on the autobahn this can't be much different! Where's you're car? Over there. Nice, brand new A6, bone stock. Why is there a Hertz gps unit in the car? Oh, its a rental car. Heading out on to the track for the first session, one hand on the wheel, left elbow resting on the window frame.....man o' man this is going to be a long two days....

As it turned out he listen well, followed instruction and was very safe. Some times you just never know. The student's you think will be tough are great and the ones you think will be great take you on off track excursions.

[tommelton]

Ok - no names - and it was not me. But, a few years ago at Road Atlanta when doing the chief instructor gig - I had a visiting instuctor fly in for the weekend. He rented a car to instruct with. We have had a few do that in the past, not a big deal. Only he rented a 4 door Jag at the airport. Comes out for the Friday orientation day and somewhere after lunch has an off in turn one. Proceeds to put the passenger side into the tire wall.

He has it towed back to the airport, tells the rental company exactly what happened, has their insurance coverage, not a problem. They then tell him that his replacement Jag is not quite ready and that they will give him a $50 discount off the rental for the wait.

So when I see him the next day - I tell him he has a great body shop, not only can they repair a car overnight, they can professionally change the color too!

-Tom

[Z3SpdDmn]

As a student at Road Atlanta, I was riding with a cool instructor that I had met and been hanging out with that weekend. He had a 944 race car and I was enjoying the ride. He said, "I'll show you a faster way to take Turn 5, as long as you PROMISE not to try it this weekend. If you screw it up, you'll be in big trouble and it'll come back to me!" I promised I wouldn't try it and he showed me how braking for T5 (quick uphill left) with the right-side tires on the slick curbing would help the car rotate very well and you could carry a nice 4-wheel slide through the turn a claimed 15 mph faster than otherwise

It worked, but I haven't been back to RA to try it myself!

[BobWright]

I guess you're not suggesting he scared the piss out of her

Yeah....there are an assortment of possible fluids in that area....

[dmwhite]

Roebling Road...T5 (quick uphill left)...I haven't been back to RA to try it myself!

[Z3SpdDmn]

FIXED! It was actually at Road Atlanta

[Chrome Horn]

he showed me how braking for T5 (quick uphill left) with the right-side tires on the slick curbing would help the car rotate very well and you could carry a nice 4-wheel slide through the turn a claimed 15 mph faster than otherwise

It worked, but I haven't been back to RA to try it myself!

Dang, I thought everybody knew that!

[NeilM]

Some years ago as a student at Mid Ohio I caught a ride in an Instructor's car on Friday. In the first turns there was this horrendous thumping and banging noise from the rear of the car. We limped slowly back to the paddock where the shamefaced driver revealed that he'd forgotten about the extra diff he'd brought to the track in the spare wheel well.

Talk about failing Clean Tech!

Neil

[NeilM]

Also at Mid Ohio a few years ago I was assigned an A Group student in a Viper. I go along to his garage and there's a fully track-prepped Viper with roll bar, big brakes, harnesses, the works. I've never so much as ridden in one of these things before, here's this monster car, and by the way — did I mention it was raining? I figure crap, we're all going to die.

We go out on the wet track and this guy turns out to be a masterful driver. Fast but always in control, excellent judgment, the works. I thank him for the ride and promptly sign him off. This driver doesn't need me.

Turns out he's a local guy who doesn't want to instruct, just likes to come and drive in the BMW schools. Won't drive with the Viper Club because he says they're all assholes!

Neil

[NeilM]

Guess I've got Mid Ohio on the brain because I'll be there this coming weekend, but going from the sublime to the ridiculous, here's the worst car I've ever instructed in.

It was a first generation Mazda RX-7 rotary that the the student and a buddy had bought together, sight unseen, for $1500 on eBay. This rotary was somebody's partly completed track car project on which they'd run out of interest, money or skill. Probably all of the above.

The suspension was painful, but not nearly as much as the exhaust, which had no apparent muffler and was unbearably, shrieking, dentist-drill-in-your-frontal-lobes loud. This wasn't helped by the exhaust leak right under a sizable hole in the floor, filling the cabin with acrid fumes. My eyes were watering uncontrollably shortly after the start of each track session.

The only instrument that seemed to work on this car was an exhaust temperature gauge, something I've never seen before or since. As we'd gather speed down the back straight at Mid Ohio the needle would creep up, finally hitting about 1700 degrees by the braking zone. My eyes were unavoidably drawn to it — is that normal? Is that hot? Will the whole thing simply melt down and catch fire underneath my sorry butt? Fortunately none of those happened.

This RX-7 apparently converted most of its fuel directly into sound energy, so it didn't go very fast. This was just as well, as the tires were rock hard and there were no brakes to speak of anyhow. I have to assume that the owner got his tech inspection done at Jiffy Lube and that beer was involved.

Man I was glad when that was over!

Neil

[99MPower]

My first experience at a track was at Road America as a spectator a couple years back. I had been invited to go with a friend who was driving his Toyota Supra (old style) with a BMW group. We went up there friday night for the instructor sessions and I got a few rides with some instructors (got me hooked on this track stuff).

Anyways, Friday night it had rained and the track was still wet saturday morning. I dont remember how it worked out, but I got to ride in an instructors car that day. Audi TT, with some harnesses, suspension, tires. Very nice guy and showed me around the track. He was taking it easy due to the rain and I was still having a blast.

First lap we went through the kink and he got a little loose and corrected with no issues (going about 70-80, my guess, usually 90-110 in dry conditions). Second lap we go through the kink again, and gets loose again, this time though, he over corrects, we spin a few times, and hit the back wall square in the front bumper support. Air bags deployed and no injuries. He was very apologetic, but I was more sorry about his beautiful car.

Ever since that weekend, I've been hooked. Due to the unfortunate accident, I take great care in the kink, and appreciate the safety involved on track.

[325bob]

Haven't been back to Summit Point after watching(in my mirror!) an identical e36 climb a tire wall,flip and land on the roof, I tell my instuctor we'll be seeing a red flag, he's wondering if i'm psychic! Then we see the driver and instructor low crawling through the rear window opening! They could barely get out.

[tgerrity]

...He said, "I'll show you a faster way to take Turn 5, as long as you PROMISE not to try it this weekend...

That last part is the most important. Back when I was in the left seat, I was in the advanced group at a DE at Mid-America. During one of the classroom sessions for the advanced group, the classroom instructor told us that he drove flat-out from T10 to T13 in his E46 M3. My instructor was the Club's CDI, and was with me when I tried going flat-out from T10 to T13 in my E36 M3. We slid off the track his side first, and as the dirt and weeds settled onto his lap, he just turned his head and glared at me. As we motored back to the hot pits to get chewed out, he asked me what I was thinking, so I told him about the classroom instructor's claim. Turns out the classroom instructor had tried that once, pulled it off, and never tried it again. Anyway, the classroom instructor was also working the hot pits that session, so as I'm explaining to him what happened, another advanced driver in the same session slides off at T13 trying to go flat out. Counseling session over...