Every Instructors Nightmare

[TommyW]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7iUKaPlBl8[/ame]

[FirstWinter]

Old but still frighteningly funny every time I watch it. Some things just never change.

[86_IT]

Never seen that before! Amazing!

[GrandSport]

When I was instructing a few years back
Me: "Let the (brand new) viper go ahead of you
Student: Why, it's only lead follow
me: I guarantee you he hasn't tracked before, at least not enough to handle that car. You don't want him near you (we're in a 911 Turbo S)
Student: what makes you say that?
me: Because no one who actually tracks regularly would ever buy a new viper.

15 minutes later, he's being lectured for nearly crashing into the car in front of him on 50% pace lead follow because he kept coming flying out out of turns and showing the car in front of him tire :facepalm: Missed him by about 2ft.

[Frost]

Originally Posted by GrandSport

When I was instructing a few years back
Me: "Let the (brand new) viper go ahead of you
Student: Why, it's only lead follow
me: I guarantee you he hasn't tracked before, at least not enough to handle that car. You don't want him near you (we're in a 911 Turbo S)
Student: what makes you say that?
me: Because no one who actually tracks regularly would ever buy a new viper.

15 minutes later, he's being lectured for nearly crashing into the car in front of him on 50% pace lead follow because he kept coming flying out out of turns and showing the car in front of him tire :facepalm: Missed him by about 2ft.

Sounds right.

This is also why I've avoided lapping evenings because there are usually too many people and higher chance of encountering someone who will be new and arrogant enough to believe that their xxx expensive car can't possibly be caught by my S2000. I don't want to push anyone but if you don't you're not getting a point by yet if you do they might push beyond their ability and I'd feel terrible for them getting into a crash.

[Locust]

Frankly I think every instructor's nightmare is getting killed by a terrible student putting them into a wall.

[spike021]

Originally Posted by Locust

Frankly I think every instructor's nightmare is getting killed by a terrible student putting them into a wall.

I mean, doesn't that come down to acceptable risk for the instructor? Obviously you don't want it to happen at all.

But if you're going to be an instructor for new track drivers, especially on a course that is especially challenging for a beginner (think Laguna Seca or Sonoma with walls and shit), then you're probably at least prepared for that possibility.

And I would think that an instructor would know how to ease a beginner in (I guess it depends on which HPDE group, Hooked on Driving did okay by me).

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Locust

Frankly I think every instructor's nightmare is getting killed by a terrible student putting them into a wall.

Originally Posted by spike021

I mean, doesn't that come down to acceptable risk for the instructor? Obviously you don't want it to happen at all.

But if you're going to be an instructor for new track drivers, especially on a course that is especially challenging for a beginner (think Laguna Seca or Sonoma with walls and shit), then you're probably at least prepared for that possibility.

And I would think that an instructor would know how to ease a beginner in (I guess it depends on which HPDE group, Hooked on Driving did okay by me).

The nightmare is getting this student, not picking up on it soon enough, getting in the car and having a close call or worse.

Every 'certified' instructor needs to have the cajones to shut down a student and get themselves safely out of the car when things get out of hand.

And a tolerance for motion sickness... Which is one of the few reasons I'll probably never be an hpde instructor.


On a lighter note, the autox copycats are funny too.

[atomicalex]

I'm returning to "serious" track after about 7 years of only stupid lap days.

I actually had that student once. It was a guy in an Audi A3 S-Line. I had seen him on the freeway on the way to the track and even my sons (like 7YO at the time) noticed that he was a shit driver and commented that watch out mom, you are going to see him at the track. God I hope not.

Yeah. After three sessions, I gave up and handed him off to our chief instructor, who after one session banned him from our track club and suggested to the track management that the guy be banned from the track. I quit doing incar after that and now only lead classroom.

This post brings up so many memories.....

[GrandSport]

I have new one:
First, I need to explain the student.
My friend who is beyond "space cadet" level out there. He's definitely somewhere on the autism spectrum, for sure (and not the first half) but he genuinely has absolutely zero concept of public perception nor does he care. Not in the sense of "I don't care what people think because I do what I like" but it literally has no meaning to him. He's just out there and has zero common sense. He'll park his car across the pit lanes without realizing he's blocking traffic. He wore those toe-sock shoes to the track day (and virtually everywhere). He's just not a disciplined person who has ever cared about anything for more than an hour or paid attention to any detail ever- basically someone that should never ever be on a track.

He's also able to do whatever he wants without consequence because he's stupid rich. Literally, both sides of the family are multi-billionaires. So his uncle has a membership to a local track we're going to, makes some phone calls and somehow gets him on the track, because well, that's the cool kind of shit you can do when you're rich.

He did some kid's driving school 20 years ago. That's his driving experience. He's out there in a Z51 stingray (vert, auto). The track freaks out about sending him out alone and they get him an instructor.

I politely suggest that he get his brake fluid flushed since had over an hour until the track was hot and traction control can really heat up the brakes.
"Traction control? I'm not leaving that on.."
"Dude, trust me. Keep some driving aids on."
"No way man, I'm not a traction control kind of guy."

Instructor said that he was one of the worst drivers he's ever coached in 20 years and he was so erratic that he made himself sick and vomit.

[SuperTom]

Originally Posted by GrandSport

I have new one:
First, I need to explain the student.
My friend who is beyond "space cadet" level out there. He's definitely somewhere on the autism spectrum, for sure (and not the first half) but he genuinely has absolutely zero concept of public perception nor does he care. Not in the sense of "I don't care what people think because I do what I like" but it literally has no meaning to him. He's just out there and has zero common sense. He'll park his car across the pit lanes without realizing he's blocking traffic. He wore those toe-sock shoes to the track day (and virtually everywhere). He's just not a disciplined person who has ever cared about anything for more than an hour or paid attention to any detail ever- basically someone that should never ever be on a track.

He's also able to do whatever he wants without consequence because he's stupid rich. Literally, both sides of the family are multi-billionaires. So his uncle has a membership to a local track we're going to, makes some phone calls and somehow gets him on the track, because well, that's the cool kind of shit you can do when you're rich.

He did some kid's driving school 20 years ago. That's his driving experience. He's out there in a Z51 stingray (vert, auto). The track freaks out about sending him out alone and they get him an instructor.

I politely suggest that he get his brake fluid flushed since had over an hour until the track was hot and traction control can really heat up the brakes.
"Traction control? I'm not leaving that on.."
"Dude, trust me. Keep some driving aids on."
"No way man, I'm not a traction control kind of guy."

Instructor said that he was one of the worst drivers he's ever coached in 20 years and he was so erratic that he made himself sick and vomit.

After he shot down advice I would just let him make a fool of himself.
Record him on video, let it go viral, get rich off his dumbass mistakes.

[GrandSport]

Originally Posted by SuperTom

After he shot down advice I would just let him make a fool of himself.
Record him on video, let it go viral, get rich off his dumbass mistakes.

I don't think he stayed on track very long during a session. In 90 min on track I never once saw him- and I am certain I was at least 7-10 sec a lap faster running 85 second laps.

[amcp1]

Originally Posted by GrandSport

I have new one:
First, I need to explain the student.
My friend who is beyond "space cadet" level out there. He's definitely somewhere on the autism spectrum, for sure (and not the first half) but he genuinely has absolutely zero concept of public perception nor does he care. Not in the sense of "I don't care what people think because I do what I like" but it literally has no meaning to him. He's just out there and has zero common sense. He'll park his car across the pit lanes without realizing he's blocking traffic. He wore those toe-sock shoes to the track day (and virtually everywhere). He's just not a disciplined person who has ever cared about anything for more than an hour or paid attention to any detail ever- basically someone that should never ever be on a track.

He's also able to do whatever he wants without consequence because he's stupid rich. Literally, both sides of the family are multi-billionaires. So his uncle has a membership to a local track we're going to, makes some phone calls and somehow gets him on the track, because well, that's the cool kind of shit you can do when you're rich.

He did some kid's driving school 20 years ago. That's his driving experience. He's out there in a Z51 stingray (vert, auto). The track freaks out about sending him out alone and they get him an instructor.

I politely suggest that he get his brake fluid flushed since had over an hour until the track was hot and traction control can really heat up the brakes.
"Traction control? I'm not leaving that on.."
"Dude, trust me. Keep some driving aids on."
"No way man, I'm not a traction control kind of guy."

Instructor said that he was one of the worst drivers he's ever coached in 20 years and he was so erratic that he made himself sick and vomit.

So many things wrong with this its staggering. Instructor should set the tone while on track with new students not the other way around.

[GrandSport]

Originally Posted by amcp1

So many things wrong with this its staggering. Instructor should set the tone while on track with new students not the other way around.

You'd be surprised what you can get away with when you can buy the entire race track, set it on fire and barely have it make a dent in your annual financial statement. They live in a different world than you and I.