Shots fired!

 

Haha ouch

 

Loose parts on 944s make me nervous. There was this one guy I was catching up to and it took 1/2 a lap to determine that thing flopping around in back was a nylon tow strap. Can't be too careful.

-Mike

ETA: Then there are those specific 944s with a reputation of regularly dropping oil and/or catching fire. This is less of an issue with the 944 itself and more with maintenance.

 

There does seem to be quite a range of instructors out there. There are a few instructors in our club that absolutely hate my driving, and there are a few who were very positive and encouraging, saying I should move up into more advanced groups quickly etc. It's the same driving getting these different reactions.

I think instructor to student fit or instructor's fitness to instruct makes a big difference.

Understandably it must be concerning to put your life in a novice stranger's hands in a ridiculously powerful car - but from a student's perspective, I can tell you some instructors are definitely more comfortable with speed than others and this whole concept is about taking a car around a track at speed, or working up to that. When an instructor is really tense and skittish, it makes me tense as well and I end up driving worse somehow - and they get more tense because of my now worse driving, it's a vicious circle that goes downhill from there. Some guys will just not let you find a rhythm.

It's also tough to do a new instructor every event sometimes, as on a two day event, the first two sessions basically end up being throw aways for establishing trust, trying to get the instructor to relax and understand that I'm not a psychopath, and by the time we're good buddies and can start working on some concrete goals it's Sunday midday where most are usually like OK you're fine, I'll sign you off solo. I think I need to start asking for specific instructors this year to cut the meet & greet portion and hopefully make some progress instead.

 

You're not alone on this erko, I've experienced it as a student and heard complaints from other students.

 

I agree on the highlighted point and it goes both ways. You'll get more out of your instructor if you don't make him/her nervous.

I constantly tell my students "don't surprise me - work up to going faster. Don't take a corner at 4/10 and the next lap go 8/10." That tends to scare the hell out of an instructor.

Work and build towards attacking something more aggressively - don't jump up from lap to lap.

 

When you get an instructor you like and is comfortable with your track skills and track pace, you can request that instructor going forward. I did it all the time while I was in instructed groups.

NNJR is very accommodating if you let them know early enough. The track staff will be more than happy to give you the instructor you ask for if at all possible. You just need to ask.

You can also contact the instructor directly and ask if they can instruct you at the next DE. Your region and your region's instructors have always accommodated me with no issues when I was in an instructed run group.

I once had the same instructor for almost an entire season. I know a few instructed drivers in NNJR who get the same guy in their right seat at every event. Just ask for the one that you are comfortable with and is comfortable with you.

I have never known NNJR to NOT accommodate a request like that.

Using the same instructor from DE to DE will surely move you along quicker as they already know where they left off with you at the last event. Just ask.

My. 02...

 

This can be limiting too however as it narrows you to only that instructor. I found a smattering of opinions about how to do stuff more useful as the dirty little secret is there is more than one way to do everything in the advanced run groups. I know I developed my way of driving by picking and choosing what worked for me from all of those opinions. A student should chose instructors based on what works for them - again no single "correct" answer.

As an instructor, the quickest way to build trust is don't surprise me and be aware of what is going on around you. Actively working on that trust will minimize the wasted time Saturday morning. Do something foolish, and the trust can be trashed for the entire weekend.

-Mike

 

Interesting thread... thanks for all the great info.

As a student, when I first meet a new instructor I always introduce myself by saying, "I love my wife. I love my kids. And I love my car. And not necessarily in that order! I want both myself and my car to get home in one piece. So I'm not going to do anything crazy. I want to learn technique and accuracy and I know speed will come with that." If you've been my instructor, you've heard this. I say it EVERY time, hoping it will start the relationship in the right direction.

 

I love it.
The honesty is great!

 

+1

 

When I get in a car with a new student, I always tell them: "Don't try to impress me, you won't be able to; don't try to scare me, I already am"

 

I heard this quote from a fellow instructor

"You cant' scare me because I'm already scared"

 

Not sure this has been discussed here before but I have always believed the extra time taken during the registration process to model match instructor to student has tremendous value. The comments here about 944s reminded me that many current instructors have no experience with the 944 series of cars so ability to recognize possible issues with the car are substantially limited. This works in many cases an instructor who never owned or driven a PDK car is also at a disability. I know there is a lot of automated process in the registration process but investing the additional extra time to assign instructors to students based on car model knowledge can only help both instructors and students.
Just a thought
Rich

 

Very good point Rich