Acropora

Being somewhat less than Schumacher on the track I'm always open to pointers on the track. In fact will be having a top club racer fly out for private coaching to try to improve. But today I got stuck w/ this **** who squeezed all the fun out of a de insisting I see things his way on the track. "I'll teach you to be an enthusiast" "Keep your arm off the door sill", "we aren't cruising" in the paddock.
Have had a dozen instructors show me multiple lines but if I don't follow this guys line and way of doing things I have must be some sort of criminal.
If I wanted to have someone complain at the track I'd have brought my wife (joke!). I mean, I can't be all that bad running mid 1:31's at Gingerman.
So is it a big deal to ask this person to get lost?

Bull

Ask for another Instructor.....during the day, not afterward. Not all people are compatible, and unfortunately some are not compatible with many people.

cooleyjb

Nope, ask the Chief Instructor for a new one. You are the paying person here and deserve to have an instructor you can mesh well with.

Greg Smith

What Bull said.

jrgordonsenior

Last year at PIR (Phoenix), I asked a fellow racer I was friends with to show me the line since I'd never been there. He said th e exact same line whilke we were juct cruising out onto the track about my elbow on the window sill. I was stunned and told him to bleep off. I only wanted to hear his perspective on the line. Of course I whipped his *** on the track later that day....

JJayB

I had this guy in a cup car all over my *** and he had his head out the window....when I was trying to show him the line....OH! that was you.

I had a student (an accountant) who would argue with me, can you imagine an accountant arguing with a lawyer and were on the track. I turned him over the the head driving instructor and told him If you sign off this AH, I'll sue you.

Acropora

Lol. So much for trying to be polite. Thanks guys.

Veloce Raptor

EXACTLY

Jay Gratton

Talk to the head instructor and ask him if you can change instructors. I have done it and I have done it for my wife last year. Some people just don't click.

A.Wayne

Man , even Schumacher knows not to do this , driving while your arm is on the door sill , you should have been caned ....

Bonster

Well, you are supposed to have a proper hand and arm position with relation to your steering wheel, but . . . like many have already said, you've got to bring this up to either the organizer or the lead instructor. We can't read your mind . . . you gotta let us know. And not three weeks later . . . let us know during the day so that we can fit you with an instructor that you work well with. You have enough things to worry about in the car without a nagivator riding along.

deep_uv

I had an instructor yell at me for having my arm on the sill once. I was allowing 2 cars to pass on a straight and I wanted to give each car a distinct point by so I kept my arm on the sill in between points. I instantly knew he was exactly right to do that so it didn't bother me at all. I like it when they are emphatic with their corrections to my mistakes. Their screaming of "On the Gas! On the Gas!" has helped me several times. Usually they are also just as emphatic on the positive reinforcements like when they yell, "Perfect! Perfect!" I really like that one.

But I do agree with requesting a new instructor if you're not happy with the one you have.

Steve

Nordschleife

Schumacher was born with his elbow on the window sill.....

and his first boss used to give him heaps about it
R+C

LVDell

Funny one Scott. I'll see YOU at CMP one of these days and I promise (**fingers crossed behind back**)to be very gentle

As for instructing, I pride myself in the patience I can exhibit in the car and the knowledge I can pass along to my student. If at any point I can't keep that patience and understanding in the car, I will stop instructing.

The guy referred to by the OP in this thread that clearly doesn't understand people aspect of instructing and should be taken out back behind the wood shed

Bonster

I will admit I've yelled "gas! gas! gas!" a few times, but it's only because folks are trained to hit the brakes when they feel the car going out of control, whereas we instructors and more advanced drivers know that hitting the gas can help you prevent a spin. I've also been known to give huge thumbs ups and give my student a round of applause in the car. I've even laughed a few times out of sheer happiness for my student's accomplishments. Overall, I am a very supportive instructor, even with students who don't get it right away. I rarely have had a student leave the track not able to navigate the course alone. And when a student does need more work, I just find a polite way of letting them know that they need a little more assistance to stay safe.

There are few things in life that are as satisfying as knowing that your efforts with a student produce a driver that gets it. It's a very rewarding feeling to see them turn into a better driver. I've even seen a few students go onto become great racers (and they now smoke me, lol). While I can't remember all of my students, they sure remember me when they see me at another track day. It's great!