Instructor stories

[99MPower]

what form am I looking for?

[B.Watts]

Originally Posted by doeboy

I wonder what torque wrench that was. Most 1/2" ones don't go THAT low do they?

It wasn't a 1/2" wrench.

[doeboy]

Originally Posted by B.Watts

It wasn't a 1/2" wrench.

Yikes.

[Evergreen Dan]

Originally Posted by mdadgar

your exceptional high performance driving event document as the basis for ours.

You're most welcome.

Originally Posted by 99MPower

what form am I looking for?

The original "right" one:

http://www.boston-bmwcca.org/EventDe...iversGuide.pdf

The "left" one:

http://www.ggcbmwcca.org/events/296/...lEventPrep.pdf

[Chrome Horn]

Originally Posted by RPOZ27

At a really recent event, we had an unusually slow beginner group. I'm talking maybe a top speed of 65 on the front straight...at TWS. I had already threatened to pass the cars on foot in the hot pits while they were on track. So the beginners are on their third session and this car pulls into the paddock and parks near grid. A couple gets out, stands looking at the cars on track for a few seconds, and ambles over to us in the grid shack. The guy asks if we are doing parade laps right now. I started laughing and snorting thinking the guy is joking. He gives me a funny look and says, "No, really. Are these parade laps? I want to drive." Someone else had to explain to him because I was on all fours trying to regain the ability to breathe without swallowing my tongue. We had one driver in that group who was clocked at a whopping 3:30 lap time as her fastest lap of the weekend on the 2.9 mile course.

Another weekend, had a woman show up with a really nice Mustang GT 500. Instructor was really grateful that I assigned him to this beautiful car with a nice, (seemingly) normal chick. After the second session, I see the instructor and he makes a beeline for me, his eyes huge. Turns out, the nice, innocuous seeming woman is freaking nuts. She won't shut up while on track. The instructor can't get a word in to actually instruct. The student refuses to go over 55 anywhere on track, including that huge front straight. All she talks about is how she plans to bring her car to one track day at a time, adding a little speed each time, until "she", meaning the car, gets used to the abuse and can handle two days in a row. The woman thinks this will take at least a year. Somehow, the woman manages to spin toward the end of the day. Instructor is bewildered because at the speed the student was going my 7 yr old son could have caught it or avoided it. The woman is at black flag, gets out of the car and I thought we would have to call the medics for her. She was shaking and almost hyperventilating. Kept saying how "she" isn't used to this yet, "she" needs to rest, "she" might be tired, etc. ad nauseaum, all referring to the car and while petting it. Freaking creepy! Got a told-you-so look from the instructor.

Epic.

[reborn]

Originally Posted by MCain

LOLZ!! Jon looks neausous...

[JS154]

Originally Posted by raydoc

Oh, did you mean stories when WE were instructing...OK

How about the 500HP full Dinan prep M5 that a total novice brought to the track with his girlfriend. He had the racing suit and the custom painted helmet, all the important things for your first day at the track. Anyway we spent a day WORKING our way around the track. He was somewhat tentative at interesting points but the best was at the top of the esses when he realized how fast he was going and did the BIG LIFT. I waved at Elvis sitting on top of the blue Armco and suggested strongly that he NOT FRIGGING LIFT and GAS GAS GAS. We somehow avoided wearing blue paint, got around to the pits and went it. At about that time it started raining (wow, rain at WGI in the fall) and I suggested that his very powerful M5 would be a big shame to wreck in the rain. He took the hint and packed it in early.

Did this guy have a blue driver suit with yellow flames on the sleeves with matching helmet? I have astory about this guy too if that's the case...

[weneversleep]

Love this thread.

I'm a brand new instructor with PCA; well, haven't really instructed any "live" students yet, just did the ITS in June. I've printed out this thread to review the night before my first event as an instructor...

--michael

[Chrome Horn]

Originally Posted by weneversleep

Love this thread.

I'm a brand new instructor with PCA; well, haven't really instructed any "live" students yet, just did the ITS in June. I've printed out this thread to review the night before my first event as an instructor...

--michael

Hahahahahahahaha!

[cosM3os]

A couple of weeks ago I was instructing a nice older gentleman driving his new (to him--2 weeks) F430 at Autobahn Country Club. He did well, had no ego, and progressed nicely. First thing he said when we got out to the paddock was, "you wanna drive first." I played it cool and declined.

Anyway, in the first session we were making our turn at S8 which is at the end of a straight with a slight kink in it. As we are tracking out, I see red to my right in my peripheral vision. I turn my head to see a Carerra 4S Targa coming straight for my door. Apparently, he had fouled up the kink and was now taking a shortcut through the grass. Ultimately, he got the car stopped before he reentered the track. I exclaimed something and my student asked if he did something wrong. I told him no, but we just about got T-boned!

In that instant, the first thing that crossed my mind was "this is going to be expensive!"

Day ended with the student letting me have at it for a session. An experience I'll never forget.

[weneversleep]

Originally Posted by Chrome Horn

Hahahahahahahaha!

I figure if I can make it through that LSRPCA ITS Program, I'm ready for anything. (naive, I know...)

Hey, we all had to start somewhere.

--michael

[jacy]

Originally Posted by weneversleep

I figure if I can make it through that LSRPCA ITS Program, I'm ready for anything. (naive, I know...)

Hey, we all had to start somewhere.

--michael

Don't fall for the "Hey, I think you should ride with this guy in blue solo, he's fast but wants to go faster...."

It's a trick.

That is code for "Here is a crazy driver who does not respond to instruction..we're stumped and we're pretty sure is going to spin a few times today in a big way..have fun."

And we did...in a very big way at TWS T2 on track out.

[bennyfizzle]

Someone posted this classic video on a local forum I moderate, immediately reminded me of this thread:

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/D...ing_157239.htm

[txse46m3]

Originally Posted by jacy

Don't fall for the "Hey, I think you should ride with this guy in blue solo, he's fast but wants to go faster...."

It's a trick.

That is code for "Here is a crazy driver who does not respond to instruction..we're stumped and we're pretty sure is going to spin a few times today in a big way..have fun."

And we did...in a very big way at TWS T2 on track out.

LOL You gotta watch out for Misty. She's tricky! (and evil!)

[Evergreen Dan]

Originally Posted by weneversleep

Hey, we all had to start somewhere.

My advice for a new instructor: never irritate the registrar(s).

[Damon in STL]

I had one student who still stands out from the crowd. He is a very cheerful foreign born gentleman who is a high-end doctor by profession. To say he is enthusiastic would be a huge understatement. He has a perpetual smile on his face! But, he is also very serious. He is an absolute sponge for knowledge....wanting to know everything he needs to know. Grabbing for every bit of information he can get. Very much wanting to excel in this sport as he has done in others and in his career. He would get very serious and intense at times.

I got him as a novice student, completely green, had never been on track, and driving a 330 automatic. He was totally lost the first couple of sessions. Jerky, inconsistent, and scary would be some of the words I would use to describe his better moments. By about the third session he started to learn his left from his right...uh...or, I mean which direction the track was going!

So, it was late in the day on the first day and there was one session left. He tracks me down to get some additional instruction on the side. He's now in the intense and serious mode. We talk about things he should focus on. Towards the end of the conversation he asks me in a very serious point blank way "So, how am I doing?" and, before I have a chance to respond he adds "....I'm pretty good aren't I?.....pretty much a natural...huh?" Me =

After regaining my composure, I respond with something like "....uh.....well....um....you see.....uh....it's like this.....uh...it takes time to digest all this new information.....and well....uh....you're making good progress!!...."

The last session of the day was a little better. The next day was a huge improvement. And, the funny thing is is that he's evolved into a very competent and good driver. Once you get the fundamental basics down and then get some seat time (doing things correctly), most drivers can evolve into very competent drivers.

I still chuckle every time I think back to that moment and being caught completely off guard.


Damon in STL

[Chrome Horn]

A couple of years ago, another instructor asked me to ride with him. He is also a conepacker, and to say his driving "style" is influenced by conepacking would be a massive understatement. It was probably the most frightening experience I have ever had in the right seat....compounded by the fact that it was an open car. Adding to the experience was his incessant queries of me: "So, how's my driving? I'm really smooth, aren't I?" and so forth. All I could answer was "It's OK".

[RPOZ27]

Originally Posted by txse46m3

LOL You gotta watch out for Misty. She's tricky! (and evil!)

I just try to see the positive side of things (and amuse myself). So, you gonna be able to help out any time soon?

Reminds me...3 events ago, we had an older gentleman in an SVT Focus as a student. Nice guy, had quite a bit of racing experience in his past (a lot of it at TWS), but expected to be checked out first. So I put him in blue group with an instructor. After the first session, the student comes up to me and requests to be moved back to green group. I don't have a problem with this and am impressed that he is secure enough to make the request. And then he tells me why. Turns out he has a short term memory problem and can't remember the track from lap to lap. Anyway, I go looking for the instructor. It turns out he's been looking for me (wonder why). He's fine staying with the guy in green and they do okay as long as the instructor constantly tells him where to be on track, when to brake, etc.

So a month goes by. This same nice gentleman has signed up again for our DE in green group. I make a mental note to share the previous instructor's notes with the instructor for this event. And, of course, with the morning meetings and registration and everything else, I forget. At the end of the day, my flag one comes up and asks if I had remembered to let the instructor know the situation that morning. My eyes bugged out of my head. Then I started laughing and made my way over to tell the instructor that his student has issues. Better late than never, right?

[joenationwide]

Originally Posted by Chrome Horn

A couple of years ago, another instructor asked me to ride with him. He is also a conepacker, and to say his driving "style" is influenced by conepacking would be a massive understatement. It was probably the most frightening experience I have ever had in the right seat....compounded by the fact that it was an open car. Adding to the experience was his incessant queries of me: "So, how's my driving? I'm really smooth, aren't I?" and so forth. All I could answer was "It's OK".

True that. I had a good friend of mine request me as an instructor at Summit Main. We both autox together, and it was to be his first track experience.

It was like instructing a trained cheetah. He had great car control, but he would make sharp and abrupt inputs, and would attack the turns with constant wheel corrections, and throttle jabs, instead of being smooth through them. At T4 (off camber downhill right hander) he went through pretty mildly, I told him to slowly ramp up the speed. Next lap he went through in a 4 wheel drift!

Ok, ok. So anyway, over the course of the day he learned to be smooth rather quick. The funny part is when he challenged my "line" into T3 (an uphill lefthander). I was telling him to brake in a straight line up to the turn in point. The track curves slightly towards the left before reaching the turn in point, and I felt it was more of an advanced move to trailbrake parallel to the edge of track before turning in, also harder to threshold brake. He disagreed, and debated this during breaks between sessions.

So I made a deal with him. I told him to nail the turn using my line, and then he was free to do it his way. So after about 3 laps during the last session, he finally got it. I said next lap was his turn.

We approach T3 about the same speed as before, but this time close to track out. He tried braking at the same point as where I had taught him to threshold brake [in a straight line], but since he had to give some steering input to keep from going off track, he could not squeeze the brakes as hard, and at that moment we both know what is about to happen. A split second later, we fly straight off track into the gravel trap, and he turns to me and says loudly [over the noise of the gravel hitting the chassis]....."YOU WERE RIGHT!"

[jacy]

Originally Posted by RPOZ27

Better late than never, right?

First Lap:
"Oh yeah....don't follow that car and turn left he.........re. DOH", instructor says as we turn left onto short course after T3 at TWS.

Second Lap:
"Ok, now track out and accell.......erate......DOH", instructor says as we turn left onto short course again.

[gobuffs]

Originally Posted by jacy

First Lap:
"Oh yeah....don't follow that car and turn left he.........re. DOH", instructor says as we turn left onto short course after T3 at TWS.

Second Lap:
"Ok, now track out and accell.......erate......DOH", instructor says as we turn left onto short course again.

Now THAT'S funny. I wonder how many people have actually run the short course at speed? I haven't heard anybody running that configuration for years except maybe the SCCA. I can say I have run the short course at speed. It is not that bad. :-)

[Chrome Horn]

Originally Posted by gobuffs

Now THAT'S funny. I wonder how many people have actually run the short course at speed? I haven't heard anybody running that configuration for years except maybe the SCCA. I can say I have run the short course at speed. It is not that bad. :-)

I did once. Boring.

[Evergreen Dan]

An oldie, but a goodie:
Instructor hops in the car, and sizing up the loose cannon:
"Don't try to impress me, 'cuz you can't."
"Don't try to scare me, 'cuz I already am."

[Damon in STL]

Here's one more....

Instructors do Dumb Things!

A fellow instructor asked me to take his car out with him for a session. I said "Sure, I'd like to see if an e36 can take T3 without using the brakes....". So, off we go. Being the experts that we are we have forgotten to get our communicators connected. After a somewhat longer debate than necessary on who's Chatterbox to use, we selected mine since my speakers are attached internally to my helmet and the Chatterbox itself is attached to the side of my helmet. Oh, and my point that I'm currently driving....at speed....came into play.

So, here I am at speed....with my fellow instructor trying to plug in the "Student" type microphone/earphone......grabbing my helmet with one hand...and jerking my head left and right....up and down..... trying to keep it still to make the connection. And, after about three turns....Success....I can hear him very clearly. I'm now going into NASCAR T3 at GIR at a good clip.... Well, the other instructor can't hear me. So, instead of moving his earphone (KEY WORD HERE "EARphone") over his ear...he decides to turn the volume all the way up on my chatterbox!!!!!

I immediately feel the pain of two red hot pokers being shoved into each eardrum!!!! I've got the gas pedal to the floor while desperately trying to find the volume knob with my gloved hand!!!! Finally, I get the volume down to the level of a jet taking off. Now, I can faintly hear the BING BING BING while looking down at the tach and seeing the needle bouncing off the rev limiter!!!!!

>>> to the one in the passenger seat!!!!


Oh, and the moral to the story is....."An e36 can take GIR T3 without brakes!"

Damon in STL

[Evergreen Dan]

Originally Posted by Damon in STL

...the Chatterbox itself is attached to the side of my helmet.

But isn't your chatterbox on the left side of your helmet?