George A

When?

Bonster

***For that you'd need to come to a track I'm more familiar with . . . Thunderhill, Sears Point, Laguna, Reno-Fernley, or heck, if you're feeling really adventurous, Sebring.

Veloce Raptor

Several years ago, like 2003 or 2004. IIRC. It was at MSR, obviously. I enjoyed it, and learned your line into the Snake that day!

George A

Man, I swear I've lost my mind. I don't remember it. I must be getting old..... I only remember riding with you doing MSR clockwise.

G.

MJHanna

Quit smelling that phoo phoo oil you used.

Veloce Raptor

Yes, you helped me a lot to learn the exit from the Snake going clockwise. That was the weekend that clockwise on the 1.7 became one of my all-time favorites! But I rode with you going the normal direction maybe a half year earlier than that? I am not sure, but I remember it clearly.

George A

But it makes me feel light and free and fresh, like a cloud......

Bonster

George . . . that sounds like one of those . . . errr . . . feminine product commercials. Can you play tennis and go horseback riding now, too? Lol!

George A

Bonni,

Yes, yes I can.

BTW, I started using Motul engine oil and it does have a floral scent.

G.

bdf

I'll play

From another perspective. I'm a noob instructor

Second event instructing at Lime Rock. My student is making me look good. Starts the weekend with the perfect attitude, not worried about speed wants to learn the basics etc. He keeps progressing and by the end of day 1 is driving a consistent, good line. Fast forward to second run day 2. I want to sign him off but he asks that I work with him a little more so third run I work with him on braking points and throttle transition to carry a little more momentum through corners. He is doing great so I insist he take the final run solo if for no other reason than to be out there on his own. He agrees and I tell him I'll be watching. I'm thinking, this instructor stuff is easy!

Now the fun starts! I'm all packed ready to go and I get paged to report to the Chief. I'm thinking, Oh boy, what did I do or worse what did he do! Chief asks me to take a green student out for the last run. Ok fine no problem, gives me the car number and thats about it. I find the car, 996TT, gee thanks Chief! Driver is no where to be found so I wait at staging for him. Run group is released still no TT. Finally, I see the car coming down pit lane. He is in a rush to get out but I manage to talk a little while I'm getting the seat belts & helmet on. Tells me his prior instructor showed him the line and he was doing pretty good. I say ok, lets do a lap or two at slow pace so I can see where you are at. He proceeds to pit out and I tell him it's a hot track so mind the blend line all the way to the bridge. He says ok, we are waved on. He proceeds to completely turn his head to look up the front straight, nails it and shoots across the track to get in position for big bend. I nearly ripped the door handle off the door. I say, I guess no one explained the blend line? He says I thought you meant the turn in line. OK, moving right along. He starts talking out the "line" to me. Nailing the gas, slamming the brakes, ripping the wheel into turns. I'm like a dear in headlights. I'm being slammed back & forth in the seat so I can't even get a word out. All the while the kid is talking a mile a minute about anything & everything! This goes on all the way through the esses, no name, etc. & finally the front straight. I'm able to speak! I yell "SHUT UP, SLOW DOWN & LISTEN OR WE PARK IT HERE AND NOW!" I got his attention.

By the end of the run he had progressed to about the same as a new student on his first run on the first day of his first track event.

I'm thinking, this instructor stuff is tough!

Sorry for the novel!

Brian

Bonster

ROFL Brian. Wait til ya get a student that is fond of riding the clutch. Those are always fun. Well, in a masochistic way.

TR6

Which begs the question, what is the appropriate hand signal to other drivers that you are stopping on the track to ralph (offline hopefully!)? And what color is the flag for that?

MJHanna

Debris flag

cosmosm3

Maybe he liked you in a different way?

Dat

Marc Shaw

Yup, just read through this whole thread to make sure I was not in it.

I think it is very useful thread and doubt any students will be turned off. It is interesting to see how bad things can get, how much instructors have to put up with (for little to no compensation), and makes students feel better that, "at least I am not as bad as that guy."

While DE is not racing, nobody wants to be the slowest (on track or mentally) so we always go home thinking we did well as we passed some/all of our run group. Now we can get comfort in the knowledge that we also did not hurtle off the track, get threatened with banishment, or make our instructors wet/muddy/puke.

Marc