Your worst student

[ccm911]

Without naming names, have any of you instructors ever had an outrageously horrible student?

Should make for some funny stories. 

[bobt993]

Chris, this was posted on Rennlist a couple of months ago.  Entertaining, but it had serious backlash.  I would suggest that topic over a beer........... (another excuse to drink).

[ccm911]

So I take it that a little backlash would put folks off?  Our world has become waayyy too sanitized.

So much for fun(and free speech).

[bobt993]

My with you..... how about that beer?

[JIMK]

How about a "worst student moment"?

I was at Shenandoah being coached to "carry more speed into the corners" and break a little later.  I thought I was getting it REAL GOOD.  I'll say t 7,8 & 9, the last three before the long back straight down to the hairpin left.  I thought I'd done them extremely well and was flying. 

My Instructor and I were not using a communicator.

I see him stretch his arms out straight and wave his two hands like patting the head of a dog and think "deeper deeper deeper" with his hand motions.

I think to myself, :wow I am really going fast but I can break later".

I see him do it again and think "Wow is there really this much more speed for this corner??

He does it one more time and I say to myself "F_ _ _ THAT!";  I am HARD  on the breaks!

No even a thought of a turn in. 

Try not to let the tires lock up and little twitch to the left.  I want to ease away from the right side of the track and use more of the length into the outside of the turn.

I do it again.

I'm FINALLY slow enough to actually turn the car but I am in the marbles of the outside of the line.

The car is a bit twitchy there but we get around and I'm on the power again.

Out loud I say, "That was bad but it is behind us we'll talk later."

...

So we're in the paddock and start talking.  I say"Sorry about that, I know you are "in charge" but I am "in control".  I thought I'd got 7, 8 & nine dead on and was flying down into the break area.  When I saw you reach out and motion DEEPER DEEPER DEEPER I went for it.  However it was TOO FAST.  I should have slowed sooner and that corner could have been a LOT nicer.  When you did it again I thought you were crazy.  Do you really think I could have managed that corner any deeper?

He smiles and say, "You did fine considering the circumstances.  You had done 7, 8 & 9 perfect and you were carrying a LOT of momentum.  A lot more that on previous laps.   I wanted you to realize that so I put my hands out to signal you so you would be aware.

What I meant was BREAKS BREAKS BREAKS.

We then discussed hand signals for subsequent sessions.

 

PS: I want IN on those beers.  By me one at MAW Friday :-)

[Phokaioglaukos]

I would not address a RTR moment here, but at Skip Barber at Laguna Seca I promised myself to spin (their cars) regularly to as to push the envelope. In the sweeper following the corkscrew I was slow. One of the instructors told me to trust the car (a top heavy, under-powered formula car on slippery street tires). The next session I kept my foot on the floor (I thought) and spun BIG TIME. Massive, long black marks. Flat spot tires (were they the least bit sticky) sort of spin. Of course the half of our class not on the track were watching that turn, too. I pitted and had the talk with the chief instructor. What happened? Mega speed increase, panic and a lift lead to a massive slide. Lots of tire smoke. Why did it happen? "John told me to do it." The CI said that he was deeply impressed with my awareness of the event and willingness to push John under the bus. The rest of the class, a day and a half, had constant references to John's error. I did not learn much there more than I had learned at an RTR DE, but I had fun in their cars and the instructors were almost as much fun as the RTR instructors. John included.

[Nick]

The worst student thinks he already knows how to drive.

[ccm911]

Time for me to come clean.  I was the most frustrating student for a lot of people.  What would happen, is we would be cruising along doing well.  Then it would be time to kick it up a notch.  But I wouldn't.  So in order to get faster, I would have to take out like THREE instructors before I would go faster.  Pobably just a confidence issue on my part, but at the same time, very frustrating for the instructors.