Gofishracing

More from my Archives. Written by Jim Adelman- One of my Mentors

Gary R.

I don't complain about students any more.. I don't complain any less either. Hunt doesn't drink beer, he's on Trump Kool-Aid now!

ProCoach

Hahaha! You guys are great. Using your experience to give back, regardless of the recipient’s politics.

Cheers!

docwyte

I've slowly stepped away from instructing. Part of it is just lack of time for me to go to the track at all. Part of it is that a Camry has over 300hp and nobody brings one of those to the track, they're all in 400-500hp cars. Speeds are too high for the safety equipment that's in the car, or rather, NOT in the car.

Even in my 911, I'm uncomfortable with the speeds I'm hitting, with factory safety equipment. Since I bought the car to have a more civil street car with a back seat I could enjoy with my son, I won't ever be installing seats, harnesses, rollbar. I've done the track car, trailer thing and don't really want to go back to that complication.

So for now, mostly auto-x, maybe a track day here and there but doubt I'll be getting into the right hand seat for awhile...

Manifold

That hasn't been the case at events I've attend in northeast with Chin, PCA, BMW, SCCA, etc. Cars with 400+ hp are in the minority.

The current Cayman S is 350 hp, and the previous gens were less. The 991.1 Carrera S is 395 hp.

docwyte

Not around me. High powered muscle cars, corvettes, M2/3/4, Audi S4, RS's, Porsches, STi's (breathed on), Evo's (breathed on) GTR's, etc, etc, etc. Yeah, there are some people in BRZ's and maybe a smattering of the older E36 M3's or 944's but they're definitely the minority.

ProCoach

Same here at VIR. The GT3’s outstrip the GT4 population and there are so many Corvettes you’d think it was an NCM event every weekend. BMW CCA is probably the most modest hp number, Chin and David Murry the most powerful. A lot of powerful cars at Sebring and The Glen, too.

Veloce Raptor

Yep same here at COTA

Barfly

Same experience. This past weekend at Mid Ohio we had a Ferrari 458 challenge, Lamborghini Huracan, GT2RS, many GT3RS, Cup cars, Corvette ZR1, etc. This was my first DE event in 2 years. A few years ago, my 475hp 991.1 GT3 would have been considered a rocket. That’s not the case anymore. I am in the process of building a fun car, a Civic Type R with 300 hp. I’m going to have to drop a run group or two just to avoid getting rear ended.

Manifold

I've seen those cars at my events also, but you said "they're all in 400-500hp cars." Perhaps you didn't really mean "all," or even a majority?

TXE36

He may not have meant "all", but I can say even at little 'o MSRH there are a lot of high horsepower cars showing up, certainly more than 5+ years ago. For a track like COTA, significantly more high HP iron. I rarely instruct in a low HP car any more and I miss it actually. I had a student last weekend in an Integra - car was "slow" but that guy could drive - it was a hoot.

-Mike

LuigiVampa

It's the internet - we talk as though we were a bunch of guys sitting around drinking beers, not a bunch of lawyers (God forbid) negotiating the fine points of a contract.

Manifold

Sure, but "all" does imply something like "mostly." If we're talking about a trend towards the power of the cars increasing, it would be good to know how far along we are on that trend.

Here's the roster for Chin's upcoming WG event, which shows a mix of cars, and the majority in the novice group are higher hp:

http://chintrackdays.com/roster.aspx?q=alLebX8vbOo%3d

The roster for their PittRace event is more modest, with the majority of the cars in the novice group being lower hp:

http://chintrackdays.com/roster.aspx?q=SB9%2fa4L6Wkc%3d

TFBoxster

I'm reading with interest and from a slightly different perspective.

I run a Motorsport Team based in the UK and began making a living by coaching. I still coach a select number of our drivers, generally ones that I also race with.

There is no such thing as "Free" instructors or coaches in the UK or Europe. I would also say there is a big difference between an instructor and a driver coach.

To get on the first rung of instructing you have to complete 12 races at 3 different circuits. You are then assessed (a test you have to pay for) and if you pass you start at the bottom and then to properly instruct independently you have to complete around 3 years of junior level instructing during experience days/circuit corporate events, etc... while under the supervision of a senior instructor. There are tests and assessments along the way.

You are however, paid and this is considered a job. The rate of pay varies hugely and can be anything from £150 - £1000+ a day.

As with any industry there are still muppets that aren't competent enough to do the job, however they still have a piece of paper that says they can.

I may have misunderstood, but to suggest that anyone with X number of track days under their belt means they are in a position to start instructing is a dangerous formula. I know plenty of drivers/racers, that have decades of experience but still aren't qualified and never will be.

I personally am not keen on sitting in a modern super/sports car that is capable of 160+mph on many circuits with a 3 point belt and jeans and t'shirt, so I choose not to do it unless its for sighting laps/learning a circuit and the driver is driving no more than 7/10ths.

If a driver wants to be pushing harder with while I'm in the passenger seat then I'll always have full safety gear on and be in a race car with proper safety equipment. And if they're pushing more than 9/10ths I'm not sitting alongside them. We have good quality data and cameras set up in all of the cars and if they are at a decent level than my additional weight in the passenger seat is going to be affecting the dynamics of the car.

I agree there are certain traits and habits that are much easier to pick up while in-car but data and video capture is so good now and so I personally generally choose self preservation and sit behind a laptop rather than accept the risk passenger side.

Sean

911 Rod

Sean. I think you are referring to instructing race drivers? For the most part we are talking about instructing in HPDE. The drivers are just people with cars that want to do track time.