Larry Herman

The "driving the student's car" theme has been beaten to death over many threads, but when I HAVE TO drive a green students car for those 2 laps because they have never seen/been on the track, I use that opportunity to drive AT THE PACE that I want them to start at. It gives them quick familiarity with the track, and also a pattern of what I want. Seems to work pretty much all of the time.

onefastviking

+1

kurt M

Not hard to do ether. Instructor 2.0 tenths = 0.0 Green 9.5 tenths.

I have turned down some nice cars too.

trumperZ06

Best advice when one has to drive a students car !!!

A.Wayne

Awwww shucks , just call yourself a Professional and don't use telemetry .
The student will never know

Wormhole

All good advice I will be using this year as a new instructor myself. I think we should also not forget encouragement and to have fun. My worst experience was my first time on a track. My instructor at the time was a hot head who thought screaming a point across made it more clear. It's those types of experiences that drive students away from the sport. JMO..

mdrums

Absolutly...I have seen in my short instructing time too may instructors taking a student out in the 1st laps either in the students car or the instructors car and doing hot laps right at the start. There is no way a student can learn the track or know the pace they need to be at.

mark kibort

The times I have done this, didnt really help much. (Not to say that its not a good idea, as it does makes sense) I think there is just so much of driving that has to be done by the driver to stick. I think the lead follow is good, but if you dont have radios and the following car's driver doesnt understand hand signals, its kind of a mess too. ( Especially when there is more than one car, and the guy behind starts doing the wrong thing, fades back and everyone behind him learns from the lowest commone denominator).

I had a lot of good luck just having folks drive the car, brake straight and turn in on my point. Hand signals like both hands pushing for brakes, a point for the release of brakes and the turn in.

Maybe a good way would be a hybrid. Let the student out first to discover the track with the instructor's help. THEN, drive the car at that same speed or at a better pace, now he has his first experience to reflect on, a correct way, and can use this to feel more comfortable doing what the instructor is guiding him to do.

Obviously communication is key. yelling , screaming, doesnt work and probably is dangerous and not a lot of fun for anyone. I think KISS. Keeping it really simple. Focusing on just a few important things with easy to understand hand signals or verbage is best. This even works for the guys with more advanced skills. "Brake here, release, turn in , track out, accelerate", signals (verbal and hand signals) can do much of what is needed to get someone up to speed quickly and safely .

Bull

Then simply don't do it! If you are not comfortable driving another's car, don't.

993inNC

I don't, never have, no intentions to.........and I've turned down a CGT
And to be clear, its not about "comfort" per say, but having a rather high liability daily life, I simply choose not to muck it up even more with what seems to me to be a useless opportunity for risk.

We always say here that "seat time" is the best receipt for getting better on track, now its ok to jump in their car and drive it for them for a couple of laps? Is it that difficult to instruct a newbie around a new track that they couldn't learn more by a couple of self propelled pace laps under careful instruction?

No offense, this is just my opinion, I know we all have our own ways. This one just seems fruitless given the potential hazards.

Martin S.

over at Vortex...he has instructed mucho!!!

Read the complete Speed Secrets series, about 8 books. Go to www.porscheownersclub.org There is a drivers manual on there.

The 2 things I remember:
1. The car goes where you bee looking,
2. Look past the end of your hood....
3. Don't do what he did...

2, 3, who is counting....