sweanders

When going to fast in the slow sections you won't be able to be fast enough in the fast sections (since you've overdone it).. Teach your student to be slow enough before even trying to be fast enough.

tkerrmd

John, Mark, Anders (why is your name here?) more great quotes into the little black book, which can now also double as a comedy! Thanks for sharing, others with great quotes or stories feel free, I (we) learn tons from this stuff!!! tom

993inNC

[QUOTE=tkerrmd]
Chris...please dont sign me off yet!! I'm not ready, you still have too much to teach, thanks for all the good stuff!! The hand signals are great I will use them.
[QUOTE/]

Brother I've given you all I know Take what we've all given you and find your own style. Your two main goals are to make sure the student learns and has a good time. Secondly that they don't hurt either of you or their equipment in attempting the first task. You will find (as I and most likely the rest of us regular instructors) that you can talk someone throught the entire w/e, some you'll have to talk with pretty pictures between sessions, etc. I had one student that every time I gave him a hand signal, it would spook him......drove me nuts. He just didn't get it no matter what I tried. He ended up leaving early the second day.......probably for the best. It was the most I had to work and got nowhere for it, but that happens I guess.
You're going to need every style we've given you, so try to emmulate and you'll be fine. But it WILL need to be done with conviction, last thing you want is for the student to think you're a newbie too........remember perception is everything

tkerrmd

Chris thanks again for everything and taking the time to be one of my cyber mentors!...tom

cooleyjb

Teach them never to give up on an apex. Show them that when they get lazy and miss their apex by six feet it can amount to as much as twenty degrees of turn which they will have to account for LATEr on in that combination. Teach them that driving their line means putting their tires in the SAME place lap after lap after lap. Only when they start DOING that should you let them put the hammer down.

993inNC

Oh you are very welcome, maybe we'll get a chance to meet one day Come on up by way of Roebling or Road Atlanta and I'll teach you how to really drive

........just kidding of course

tkerrmd

cooley, thanks good point.

Chris I have been to both. Roebling is not one of my favorites. But do plan to do Road Atlanta this year. Would be great to me up!!! And thanks again!!....tom

Tony356993

+1

Rassel

Tony,
You really hit a nail there. This isn't "always be prepared for the doom"-training, rather let's have a great time! and I'm glad you mentioned two points. I've seen some instructors who tend to keep every thing sooooo serious and never even share a smile. I think the enthusiasm Tom seems to have is one of his greatest resources for instructing.

I just coughed up beer through my nose..

---

Tom,
Being an instructor doesn't mean you're not a student anymore. (This goes for all of us) We're just learning some "other" stuff at the moment. I strongly suggest you go back to the first thread you wrote and reread it again. If you master everything that was written there, you're in the top 10% of all instructors already. It's just like tracking actually. Repeat, repeat again and improve and repeat more and more.


I get the impression that you have a happy attitude towards instructing, some lemon instructors will not always be just as happy as you. Just don't let that sip over to you. A big smile to a student is always comforting - no matter what level.

993inNC

granted RRR is not the most technical, but it has gotten better since the repave, have you been since? 10 times smoother and not as hard on tires......its almost a little to slippery (for lack of a better term).
RA bit me fatally a few years back with my last race car and I haven't been down there since (logistics nothing more )......maybe this year I'll have to make it a point to get down.

tkerrmd

Magnus thanks and as for the smile, man I still cant stop doing that!!!!

Chris have not been since repave. I will keep my eye out for events there. Even considered the Instructor school coming up; but my third in as many months, they may really think I am crazy!!
I LOVE Road Atlanta!!!

jrok

A fantstic thread you folks are putting on here, really great information for all levels. Your combined experience is very impressive and you should all be very proud of both your skill and humility.

A couple of things I did not see so far:
1.) Please tell your student beforehand if you are a steering wheel grabber. I realize sometimes a wheel grab is the last resort to avoid an incident and I'm not talking about that. I'm referring to instructors that catch a student completely off-guard by suddenly and without warning grabbing the wheel to show the student they're off-line, missing an apex, etc.

It can be very unsettling when it happens and the student can begin fixating on whether or not you're going to do it again instead of what they're supposed to be doing. I'm not saying it's a bad teaching method at all -- but please tell your student before you go on track something like "Now I may grab the wheel to help show you this or that or if I feel we're in trouble" or "Next time through corner 6, I'm going to grab the wheel and assist you to show where the apex really is".

Nobody like suprises, especially when you're new. As already stated in many ways earlier, communication and trust are key in this relationship and warning the student breforehand is just being respectful in my opinion. It's a simple gesture that can go a long way with a new student.

2.) Are there any on-line bibles or collections about instructing that you guys feel are the sort-of holy grails about the art for those of us that are new to the game? If there are, a handful of links would be great.

Again, great thread and thanks.

993inNC

1. I don't "grab" but I will tell you that I am about to "assist" you and lightly keep you on the appropriate line. But I would never Grab as to take over control of the car. If you're going to wreck, I'll leave that to you. My touching of the wheel would only be a slight coercion to assist you in "track" ing out properly......but you'd have fair warning because it would be a situation where you've done the same thing over and over again.

2. you're now participating in of the best instruction "bibles" you'll get online print it if you must

Greg Fishman

Here is a "speech". I haven't had to give it to any students but I know a few who have.

"You need to listen to me. If you don't listen to me, we will crash. I don't like crashing. If we do crash, I'm gonna start kicking your *** before the car stops moving."

Greg Fishman

The Rules for students:

Rule #1: DON'T PANIC.

Rule #2: When in doubt, floor it. It may not solve the problem, but it will definitely end the suspense.

Rule #3: Don't drive fast. Drive smooth. Like butter on a bald monkey. Fast will come all by itself.

Rule #4: Move your feet slowly, and your hands quickly (but smoothly). Squeeeeeeeeze the throttle.

Rule #5: Listen to your instructor. Do what he says. Never argue, or try to tell him why you can't do it the way he wants.

Rule #6: There is no Rule 6.

Rule #7: Stay on the line. Always.

Rule #8: Never look at the car in front of you. Look around it, over it, under it, or through it, but not at it. If you look at it, and he screws up, you will too.

Rule #9: Do not drive off the track. Stay on the pavement.

Rule #10: If your choices are a) spin, or b) drive straight off the track, drive off the track.