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03-02-2007, 01:19 PM
Hey, this is a cool thread! Lot's of interesting subjects all mashed into a non-intuitive topic title 
Lemme add my $.02 on a couple of the topics. Probably all been said before, but that won't stop me.
Electronic Aids: Almost all of the modern cars we see at the track have them, we aren't going to influence manufacturers to delete them, so let's deal with them. Do I think I'm a better driver cause I learned without them - yes. However, I say that's irrelevant cause these driver aids are on today's cars and our students need to learn with their cars. We tell folks to come to our DE pgm to "learn to drive your car like it was designed to be driven". Today's cars were designed to be driven with electronic aids. Our DE pgm, and we instructors, need to change our instruction techniques to recognize these driver aids exist. Telling a student to turn it off isn't the answer. In fact, we have guidance from PCA National that it is forbidden for an instructor to do so. Just think about it for 2 seconds from a liability standpoint and it's perfectly clear. This is one of the major reasons we have re-instated the skid-pad as an instructional tool this year. And, unlike previous years, it will be required. It will be one of a student's assigned run sessions. Does that mean giving up "track" time - yes. Does that mean getting your car dirty - probably. Does that mean giving a student the opportunity to see what happens when PSM can't compensate for a mistake - YOU BET.
Promotion criteria: This is always a hot topic. Several of you on this forum personally know I am a very conservative "promoter". There are other equally or better qualified instructors that are more liberal in their approach. Who's right? Both... Why??? Because we, as an instructor core, have not spent enough time agreeing upon standard promotion criteria. Let's face it, we will never achieve total consistency as there will always be judgement involved. However, I think the gap is bigger than it should be today so this is a topic we will discuss at length in our upcoming instructor clinic. The goal is to walk away with an agreed upon standard set of criteria of when to promote someone, and when not to.
OK - I'm off my soapbox
Jack
Lemme add my $.02 on a couple of the topics. Probably all been said before, but that won't stop me.
Electronic Aids: Almost all of the modern cars we see at the track have them, we aren't going to influence manufacturers to delete them, so let's deal with them. Do I think I'm a better driver cause I learned without them - yes. However, I say that's irrelevant cause these driver aids are on today's cars and our students need to learn with their cars. We tell folks to come to our DE pgm to "learn to drive your car like it was designed to be driven". Today's cars were designed to be driven with electronic aids. Our DE pgm, and we instructors, need to change our instruction techniques to recognize these driver aids exist. Telling a student to turn it off isn't the answer. In fact, we have guidance from PCA National that it is forbidden for an instructor to do so. Just think about it for 2 seconds from a liability standpoint and it's perfectly clear. This is one of the major reasons we have re-instated the skid-pad as an instructional tool this year. And, unlike previous years, it will be required. It will be one of a student's assigned run sessions. Does that mean giving up "track" time - yes. Does that mean getting your car dirty - probably. Does that mean giving a student the opportunity to see what happens when PSM can't compensate for a mistake - YOU BET.
Promotion criteria: This is always a hot topic. Several of you on this forum personally know I am a very conservative "promoter". There are other equally or better qualified instructors that are more liberal in their approach. Who's right? Both... Why??? Because we, as an instructor core, have not spent enough time agreeing upon standard promotion criteria. Let's face it, we will never achieve total consistency as there will always be judgement involved. However, I think the gap is bigger than it should be today so this is a topic we will discuss at length in our upcoming instructor clinic. The goal is to walk away with an agreed upon standard set of criteria of when to promote someone, and when not to.
OK - I'm off my soapbox
Jack
Jack Kramer
'95 993 Black - Track (for sale)
'97 993 Arena Red - Street
'05 M3 Imola Red
'03 Chevy SS Black
'08 Audi A3 Misano Red Pearl
'95 993 Black - Track (for sale)
'97 993 Arena Red - Street
'05 M3 Imola Red
'03 Chevy SS Black
'08 Audi A3 Misano Red Pearl