trackjunky

To DE Instructors:

I am looking to develop a more formalized Yellow Student Curriculum for the LoneStar Region PCA DE program. As such, I am looking for ideas, feedback, advice and best practices.

Basically what I am looking for are tools to use to visually document for Yellow students the skills we are asking them to learn and master. I need exercises, videos and visual aids to suggest so that students can begin to practice, learn and hone those skills.

Here's the framework you need to think within:

Knowledge:
* appropriate line for their vehicle
* expert in driving skills
* excellent situational awareness and ability to anticipate

Safety:
* Ability to drive their car to at least 80% of the cars capabilities in a safe and controlled manner
* Car control shows concern for those around them and overall safety mindedness
* Subconsciously and routinely sees all flag stations

Skills:
* Smooth inputs; instinctive control and corrections of car;
* Can vary line safely in any corner
* excellent forward vision
* Seamlessly passes and plans/anticipates passes
* Understands threshold, trail and left foot braking techniques
* can Heel-toe and throttle steer

Behavior:

* Requests instruction and seeks to improve
* Great attitude. Courteous and respectful
* Makes very few on track mistakes and is not prone to losing control
* very comfortable with cars of various speeds on the track at the same time.

I appreciate all meaningful input (except for A.Wayne, ColorChange and a few others ).

FTS

I find classroom sessions most useful when it incorporates video and data logger traces in explaining different driving techniques, especially advance techniques that are hard to figure out by yourself.

MUSSBERGER

Class room after a couple of sessions on track maybe?

aj986s

Need a bit of clarification, since not all Regions use the same color schemes. What is Yellow in your Region? 0-0 novice, or subsequent group?

trackjunky

Green is beginner, Blue is Novice, yellow is intermediate to advanced and white is advanced/racer

Larry Herman

Bill, I ran some very well received "advanced classes" in my region over the last few years, and have a different formula that you might consider. PM me with your number and I will give you a call if you want, as it is too much to go over here. I could wirte a book on it.

95ONE

Seams like many in white could probably benefit.. lol. Seriously though, from what I saw, yellow group has a HUGE range / difference in skill levels. What I'd like to see is more emphasis on passing and being passed. Seems like the most pressing with such an eclectic driving style group. That way slower guys can be quick to let passing happen comfortably and smoothly, For example, know to slow down a little when appropriate, and to look for people needing to pass at the beginning of the passing zones instead of the end, etc. Then make sure the faster guys do it courteously and safely. Like not passing in the last second unsafely, and making sure they are watching the flaggers in case everyone's going slow for a reason and not just there to annoy them while they try to go faster. lol..

Brian P

I would include lots of videos of crashes/near misses along with a lengthy discussion of how the driver could have made a different/better decision.

RonCT

Here's our chapter's general advancement criteria: http://www.cvrpca.org/docs/de/de-advancement-2010.pdf

I've often felt that the concept of video, exercises, etc. marginally effective. I like seat time, one-on-one instruction, expert classroom presentation (ie: On a specific matter to be worked on next session), and ride-alongs where you can explain what you are doing to the student.

Often little things, like experiencing just how close to the curb you are, braking locations and strength, and smoothness of transitions, can make a big difference for a student to see and feel in-car vs. hear about or watch on a screen.

himself

The Mav PCA yellow log book has a lot of good structure. It is a pretty complete resource for getting from yellow to white, although it can be tough to get all the check rides you want in a given event.

-td

Marc Shaw

Check with Bob Rouleau as the RSR Region has very comprehensive docs.

Marc

Veloce Raptor

Bill, let me see if I still have any of the curriculum materials I used from back when I did the Yellow class. Also, himself is right--the Maverick advanced checklist/book is also some good material.









Professional Racing and Driving Coach

ervtx

Bill,

I think that one of the reasons that the yellow group is so diverse in skills is that it is made up of two kinds of students:

1) those who will be promoted to white because they take ownership of their own progression - regardless of the quality of instruction.

2) those who will never be promoted to white because they dis-engage from instruction that they perceive as getting in the way of just having fun.

You don't have to worry about the first group. It's the second group that you need to get re-engaged and excited about instruction. And they will not be as engaged as you may wish unless it is supported and reinforced by all AI's. There is nothing more irritating or distracting to a yellow student than the random instructor who jumps into the car just as the grid is being released, and then attempts to instruct from a personal agenda. White group students are better able to roll with the punches, but students in yellow are still working on expanding their mental bandwidth and multi-tasking at speeds much higher than those in the blue run group. The last thing they want to hear in their right ear is conflicting or "off-topic" instruction.

Therefore, whatever form the curriculum takes, it must be supported and reinforced by all AI's, not just those who participate in the classroom activities.

Sean F

Teach them about tires. I'm always amazed that guys who have been doing this for a long time pay almost no attention to their tires. The basics of managing temps, impact on handling characteristics, relationship to suspension setup, managing slip angle, etc.

SH || NC

“Ability to drive their car to at least 80% of the cars capabilities in a safe and controlled manner”

Forgive me if I am off base, I’ve been in White solo only a couple times, but being able to drive one’s car @ 80% of the car's capabilities is a pretty tall order I think and is closer to a Red or Black assignemnt which doesn’t really jibe with a student group.

In White I can still request an instructor if I like, but passing, being passed, tires, etc. are all fundamentals I hope would be mastered before driving at such a high level.