Veloce Raptor

Because they can

ProCoach

Yep. It's an expensive business. If one club leaves, another club, ride/drive, film crew, private testing, OEM manufacturer is ready to take the date.

I was looking back at my rental contracts with some big tracks a decade or more ago and it's gone up quite a bit. It's like everything, and they're still not getting rich...

Manifold

At 3% annual inflation, costs should go up by about 35% in a decade. I'm wondering if the cost has gone up faster than that, and if so, whether it's simply due to higher demand for the tracks.

ProCoach

If you consider the tracks that have come online, including a nearly $400 million investment in COTA, the demand is there. The fees outstrip inflation substantially. Too many variables to track expenses like that.

Drug prices, health insurance, CEO pay. It's the way of the world... Upside is that there are a LOT more factory built Porsche race cars running around all these tracks!

User 52121

Interesting thread.

I started "coaching" with motorcycles after I had a few years of racing 2-wheelers under my belt in the early 00's. I found I was good at it, I had a lot of positive feedback from students, and I enjoyed it.

Took a break from all of it for a bit, then got back into track stuff with 4-wheelers ~10 years ago. My previous racing experienced moved me to "instructor" pretty quick. Again, loved doing it. From doing right seat a few years, moved into lead classroom, re-vamped my region's classroom stuff for DE, and took over their autocross program.... completely revamped it, too, including their entire school.

I've since moved on to instructing with another local for-profit group. Did some more right seat over the last 2-3 years to kinda "earn my stripes" with them before taking on classroom.

I love riding right seat. As someone else here said, you gain so much by being there in the car with them that you don't get with data. You watch how TIGHT they grip the wheel. You hear their breathing in the mic. You see where they are looking. You can overall just tell how tense they are. Do they pick up that car in the mirror as it approaches - or is it a surprise? Etc. What I love doing more is going through the mental aspects though - which is where the classroom came in. I love figuring out how to solve my students challenges. Take something I enjoy and feel "natural" doing, and explaining it... and seeing the lightbulb go off.

But I've had a few bad right-seat experiences. Oddly enough tho, of all the spins and off-track-excursions I've had while in the right seat.. only one scared me... he was a guy that wasn't listening. The others were actually getting pretty good and just stepped a little over the line. The scary experiences that put the fear into me were the "almost" spins. Couldn't wait to get out of the car. Older guy with a brand new Z06 Corvette with 650hp. Some overly cocky young kid with a turbocharged S2000 on coilovers and an exhaust so loud he couldn't hear me with the intercom. Etc.

Combined with the ever-increasing speeds of the newer cars, an increasing awareness of my own mortality, and a wife that gets more and more worrisome with each event - I'm getting away from right-seat stuff. I generally don't do it anymore, unless it's for a close friend and/or someone I already know and trust.

I like to think I've "given back" enough. So many events I showed up at JUST to instruct, I didn't even drive. But I see it too - it seems regions and events are coming up short for instructors. Some regions are putting people in cars that really, IMO, should NOT be instructors. On one hand, I can't blame the region - for a total newbie, SOME instruction might be better than NONE. But it's starting to feel too rich for my blood. I'll do the classroom as long as I continue to enjoy it.

TFBoxster

ARDS is required.

Manifold

Great post.

One positive aspect to add for being in the right is sharing in the student's enjoyment in real time when a session goes well or they just get a turn right.

One factor to consider as far as why some instructors drop out, aside from safety concerns, is simply having done it for a long time and wanting to move on to do other things. It's fun, but there are lots of ways to have fun in life, and variety can be good.

T&T Racing

+1

User 52121

I can see that. It's less pressure for sure.

DE can be good to just knock the rust off. Tho what I love most about racing is the strategizing.... how to pass and outsmart the other guy. Can't do that in DE. So I've found when I drive at DE's now it's just with friends, do 1-2 sessions, usually help/coach them a bit... and go home.

For me - aside from the safety aspects - sometimes? I just want to drive. One rule I set for myself after just a few events: I don't instruct, and drive myself, at the same event. I've seen it with too many other instructors - they're in a hurry to get out of the student's car (or sign them off entirely) so they can go get in their own car and drive. For me, I've found that (a) I prefer to be able to talk to the student after their session, handle their questions, etc. without being in a rush and (b) I personally need time to focus and get ready before going out in my own car.

As such, the ratio of events driven vs. events just instructed, for me, over the last 5-6 years, is easily 1:10. And yet... especially relating to the "burn out" comments others have made above... I still get the sympathy pitch and puppy dog eyes when I sign up for an event to drive, and say "NO STUDENTS PLEASE." Usually I'm still *assigned* one, and have to argue to get him/her reassigned. In some cases, they do it directly in front of the student.... so now, I just say "I don't do right seat anymore" and that usually ends it.

TXE36

They have gone as far as giving away a BMWCCA membership if you are willing to instruct for them and have credentials. They have done this at COTA.

-Mike

ProCoach

Yes, I wish. Would simplify/clean up things quickly. ARDS for track day AND racing instructors and coaches should be required, but is not in the USA.

It's a big country, for sure.

ExMB

Schnellfest or BMWCCA proper? One is a collaboration with PCA to cover the costs of COTA, the other is not. Still trying to understand your point because the last time I looked all I saw was a statement on the BMWCCA motorsportreg page was a statement that yearly dues would be charged but that they would attempt to get your membership extended for another year: i.e. no guaranty it would happen. That of course was prior to the collaboration with PCA to do COTA.

TXE36

^^ It likely was Schnellfest, I don't remember the exact date, but I do recall a BWM club race with a single Porsche competing amongst the BMWs.. The deal was you either got the membership or if you already had it, they would extend it. It was kind of a screwy setup.

I haven't been to the recent PCA-BWMCCA COTA events.

-Mike

Soul Performance

That is one of the best posts I've read in awhile, I couldn't agree more. I've never had any fear being in the passenger seat and love it as well, also experiencing some off track excursions but none severe. I'll tell you what did throw me for a loop though. I recently hit a wall sideways at the Glen somewhere around 70-80mph, "breaking" my helmet and Simpson Hybrid, not as an instructor but as a driver. I was very lucky and suffered only a concussion and a broken hand that I am still working through, but I lost all memory of the day including being in the car. No video, no data, no one that saw the whole thing happen, couldn't find anything wrong with the car (totaled, not my Cayman thankfully), and no memory of how it happened...I'll admit it has been messing with my head not knowing for sure what happened, and not being able to get back in a car this season due to the concussion therapy isn't helping matters. I fully intend on getting back in the driver and passenger seat as soon as possible, but I can imagine situations like these and talks about them could also be a contributing factor (albeit minor) in instructor numbers. Fewer and fewer people out there that care to live life on the edge like we do haha.

Regards,
John Gaydos

User 52121

That is tough.

The accidents I’ve had that have MESSED me up are the ones where I didn’t know what I did wrong.... leaving me not knowing how to prevent it in the future.

Glad you’re healing up. I still owe you a phone call!