Jim Clark

During the upcoming February Citrus Region DE they are holding a National PCA Drivers Instructional School. I will be attending but wanted to see if anyone out there has attended and can give me some pointers and an idea of the day’s program.

Thanks,

jsabatini

an instructor candidate, are you an existing instructor, or just a solo student their for lapping?

Instructor candidates have a very busy day, lots of classroom time and lots of role playing where you are the instructor, and the mentor is a student driving like the worst student you could ever have. It is your job to see their mistakes and correct them.

DarkSideDE

Last May, we invited Pete Tremper, head of the PCA DE Program - to come for a day, and, give "his" course. It was great. The day is spent with 4 classroom sessions - and after each one - practice on the track of what material you had just gone over.

It takes a good 6 hours (9-3) and that's with eating on the run...

I want you to know that we had more than 40 persons there, of which 40 of them were already instructors (and in some cases Chief Driving Instructors). We only received positive feedback. Even the most seasoned instructors found there was something there for them. And everyone had a great day.

It is one course that they allow the newbie to play instructor, while the seasoned instructor is being the student from hell. That experience alone produces some mighty fine instructors....

Oh, yes, and it this was with the Coastal Empire Region, PCA at Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA. (That's just where Citrus will be holding theirs! Should be a great time and very educational....)

M758

I did one of these this past fall. Pete came out to Arizona and held a classroom session going over the basics of how to be a good instructor. The next day we did a series of drills. Most of time the "senior" instructor playing the role of a novice driver and the "junior" or "candidate" instuctor being the instructor. So the "senior" guy drivers around like a novice grading how well his instructor picks up on common rookie errors and mistakes. Then the guys swap and a different senior guy evaluates a differe "candiate".

Sounds a bit complex, but once you figure it out it works pretty well. In some cases two equal instuctors evaluate each other and test each other. Great practice for new instructors and pretty tough on "senior" ones as driving like a novice is just hard work. It was the hardest thing I have ever done on the track. Well worth it however.

If you want the low down Pete maybe watching this forum as he has posted here are few times.

Doc V.

Tremper's PCA National DE Instructor Training Program balances classroom instruction with on-track driving sessions. Classroom instruction focuses on instructor attributes, the "three minute interview," how to teach, what to teach, and debriefing and critiquing. The driving sessions involve four scenarios. For the first scenario, the mentor drives and demonstrates sound instructional techniques. During the second scenario, the instructor candidate instructs the mentor (who behaves as a novice student). For the third scenario, the candidate continues to instruct the mentor, who plays the role of a developing novice student. Finally, during the fourth scenario, a new mentor--a "check-out" mentor--drives, and the instructor candidate instructs; at the end of the fourth scenario, the "check-out" mentor debriefs the instructor candidate and submits a written evaluation of the instructor candidate's skills.

Bull

I found it to be a very enjoyable day. Relax and apply yourself and you will too. Remember, anticipate nothing, expect anything.....

Eric in Chicago

Interesting. Chicago region has talked about getting National cert. but the logistics are pretty difficult I guess given the size of our instructor pool. I wonder, did any local instructors not make the "national" cut? and if so why? I wish we would hurry up and get our region set up for the National school, everything I have read about the class sounds excellent. I am going into my 4th year as an instructor and would love a new perspective/teaching method/ reinforcement of the basics.

DarkSideDE

Eric -- We had two instructors (in training) not make National's "cut" so to speak.

One was a hot-dogger - just a little too gung-ho - fun for one on the track - and not the type of person we want instructing at our events.

The other was there more as an observer, to see if one day she'd like to be an instructor. She did very well, but will let us know when she has more experience if she is ready to instruct.

DocV - Thank you for reminding me about Pete's "size-em-up" part of the course. Many of our instructors found this beneficial - it is not something that has been discussed in other instructor courses - and it made so much sense.

Our region though, still is timid about driving the participants cars the first session. It opens the way to potential lawsuits - something we shy away from. Otherwise, many wonderful suggestions came about for the DE program to use and implement. And here it is a year later, and we still remember...

Not a bad program at all...

And besides - you get that neat sticker to put in your car window (after you pay for it that is...)

M758

I myself was a bit concerned about this. Especially after all the Ghettoracer stuff.

However after doing it a couple times it is not that bad. Remember if you are driveing the student's car for the first couple laps of the very first session, just drive it slow.

There is no need to drive it anything close to the limit of the car. The point is not to show "what the car can do", but to show the student where the car needs to be. Drive it like you would with grandma in car. This is probably like 4/10ths at most. Any faster and the student will not understand what is happening on the track. Also reassure the student that you are going to baby their car and drive it slow as the intent is to show the line. I had a student in GT3. Very nice car. I used maybe 1/4 throttle all the way round shifted at 6k and took the corners very easy. Hell I needed to go slow to have time to explain what I was doing and where the car needed to be. Drove it like a slow warm up lap or full course yellow lap behind a pace car.

On thing I did with the Local NASA group was a version of what Pete mentioned that one region does. We instructors all lined up our cars at 7am in on the grid and took our student around the track for two laps no helmets at low speed full course yellow the entire time. Great chance to drive slow point out flag stations,the track surface, braking markers, and have a nice chat without all the restrictions that come with a helmet. Also much less intimidation since most novices are not familiar with helmets either.

Rest of the day was done in the students car with the student driving.
Both seemed very helpful.

TREMPER

Eric,
I would be happy to run the program for the Chicago Region..I have successfully run the program for the big regions in Zone One, such as Northern New Jersey, Metro, and CVR...so Chicago should not present any problems that I have not already experienced. Call me and we can get things started.
Pete
(O)215.539.6379
(H)856.881.7049

tntporsche

NNJR runs the national program for new NNJR instructors at our first event of the year and then we run the program again later in the year for our existing instructors to get national certification. I think most of the big regions in Zone 1 are now running the national program and it is a great refresher for those who already instruct.

Jim Clark

I want to thanks all for the information and experiences. Sounds like a great time and a good learning experience.

agio

Having attended several "National Instructor Days," first with Pete @ SunCoast and then with Pete at GoldCoast, I can say without a doubt...it's very worth while for all attendees. We just had our 2nd (or possibly 3rd) such event @ Moroso with GoldCoast. It was still a blast for me and the prospective instructors. As one of the original nationally certified instructors, Pete has developed a program with all of the necessary elements to build a core of instructors that all embrace the "party line."
Pete, you have done a great job. Hopefully, we'll see you hear for the 48 Hours.
ciao fn,
Bob

richard glickel.

Arlene, you've got a P.M.

Richard

zffnhsn

Eric: Just be sure to bring your communicator with you when you attend the school. The brass at PCA won't go for those wild hand signals you use. Just another piece of advise, remember to shave and brush your teeth too.

Peter H