I've only been instructing for a year and a half, but I have never paid for an event where I instructed and have have been paid for a couple. Both my students and I benefit from this. I regularly skip my sessions to talk to students or help them fix their cars. If I was paying, I would be far less willing to give up my track time.

 

Our region Northern Ohio, has been free for years, but just last year we started charging our instructors $25 - $50 per event (depending on what track we are going to) and this charge is waived if they bring a new, never before student.

We did it more to encourage our instructors to be sales people (which they should be anyway).

Thanks

Ed

 

Unfortunately for instructors in the Zone 8 time trials and DE's there is no discount.

Greg Phillips

 

Hi Greg,
So we're not the only ones after all!

How do you attract and maintain a sufficient instructor pool? Do you guys have to turn away drivers for lack on instructor availability?

Thanks,
Joe

 

We have not had to turn people away for lack of instructors.

I think one reason is that we have a busy autocross series and a lot of the instructors start teaching there and then transition into the time trial series.

I think the culture of not discounting instructors started with the autocross series and carried over to the DE/ time trials.

Greg

 

As a non-instructor, I believe that instructors should be required to pay something. At our last DE we had 68 non paying instructors there gratis out of 200 participants. That is an instructor for each and every Green and Blue (both non solo and solo) driver with 8 left over for the upper run groups. This means that the 132 remaning participants have to bear the cost of the entire event. In todays environment this is a bit over the top.

 

Why? We are donating our time and putting aside our own safety and self-preservation instincts.

After all, would you expect Skip Barber or other pro racing school instructors to pay for the privilege of instructing you? Heck, no, they are actually paid real money to instruct, and they rarely even get in the car with you! OTOH, we get in the car every session, and only ask for our fees to be waived.

Seems right to me.






Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

In the North East it is common for instructors to pay half rate for the reasons already cited. With one student, let's remember that Instructors get as much or usually more track time than the regular participants. This explains why instructors pay half the regular rate. Instructors who teach and do not drive pay nothing in any region.

 

And again, I wonder why Skippy instructors and others of that ilk are paid actual cash to instruct w/o ever getting in a right seat? And yeah, they get to drive, too.

You would think, in the North East, they would be made to pay something.....






Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

Dave I occasionally teach for pro schools too. Yes we get paid usually $400 a day plus meals etc. On the other hand compare what participants pay for pro schools compared to PCA DE. The prices are quite different! I'm sure you've had the experience too, but paying customers at a pro school are often much more of a handful than a guy driving his own 100K car!

 

Well, I certainly see your point. However, I still believe that VOLUNTEERS--who are willing to get into the right seats of total strangers' GT3's on Hoosiers w/o complaint--should not have to pay for the privilege.






Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

I won't argue your point. I teach because I enjoy it. I think many PCA guys feel the same way. When a novice "gets it" it feels good. When you show a more experienced guy how to shave seconds off, it feels even better!

I've never had a scary ride with a student in PCA for more than a half a lap. Around here, if the driver does not follow instructions promptly we park him. Period. No exceptions. My predecessor as CI has a neck problem he'll suffer with for the rest of his life because he did not follow that rule. I have no intention of following in his foot-steps (harness straps to be accurate)

 

We "pay" our instructors 100 "POC Bucks" to instruct for 2 days, 50 POC Bucks to instruct for one (1). These "Bucks" can then be used to defer up to 50% of registration fees at a subsequent event.

 

There's no "right" answer as to how much instructors should pay. IMHO, the club should keep lowering the instructor price until they get enough interest that there's just one student per instructor. Two is just too much, like others said.

If you get enough volunteers without lowering the price, good for you, but that seems surprising.

 

Eric, I just want to interject one point here. There are some, young, energetic instructors who insist on two students. They are too bored sitting around waiting for their run group or their students. There are others that want two students because many DEs won't charge an instructor who takes 2 students. There are no rights or wrongs here - it is what the club can afford to do with the amount of people who sign up... and a real look at the costs to put the event on.

But on the other hand, all instructors should always be treated very, very well - whether they paid, didn't pay or get paid!