How to make an already fast driver faster

[davecarama]

Anyone who knows me knows I am at the track almost every other weekend instructing and driving. Recently I got in a cup car and immedietly thought WOW this guy is fast as S---! followed by WOW this car is loud as S---!

Then I was thinking how the HELL do I teach this guy something? He is already GREAT!

Well this is my "How to teach someone who already 'Gets it' how to improve"

In these cases, as the instructor (if you are comfortable doing this), you need to be the "Traqmate" and let this guy know where is is fast and where he needs to improve ("he" being for man or woman in this case )

I noticed that although my cup car driver had great touch on his controls, that there were sections of the track where he was holding back. Still faster than anyone else, but he was to me not as sure in those sections. And it was ever so subtle, it took 2-3 laps to catch up on the clues.

If you are a solo kind of driver, and you have a data aquisition system, you can visually see where you are breaking too early, too much, etc. You can see where you are coasting. And you can see where you are not on the throttle all the way or not at all. But that is not real time data being given to you at that exact moment. You gain this data and knowledge only after you get off track and download the data to your PC.

As the in car instructor, you need to be the guy to help "deliver the power" for a lack of a better term. Again, don't do this with an iffy student, but when you get lucky enough to get in a great driver's car, you can really help eek out those extra few seconds.

So in the data aquisition AND the in car instructor notes above, in order to be faster, you need to shorten the time you are using the breaks and coasting and lengthen the time you are on the gas. Sometimes it takes someone to tell you that "yes, you can do XXXX.", "I do XXX, you should be able to in this car as well", etc. I would have NEVER thought to left foot brake in southbend (VIR Full) if an instructor never told me it was possable, I would have never thought I could go full throttle from T3-brake zone at T5 on Summit had I not been instructed to. Once I ws tought those tecniques, I now bring them to other turns and other sections of the track.

Don't be afraid to tell the great driver to gas gas gas gas gas gas! MOre more more more more! If you feel the car can deliver and they are not putting it down, tell them to do it.

This is most likely all extremely obvious to most of you, but to a student, or even an expert, having that person next to you saying "it is OK to do this" gives the driver that little extra confidence to try. Which helps get past that little hurdle to eek out those last few fractions of a second they were looking for.

Olympic athletes have coaches, why can't even the best drivers learn too? In my mind, they can.

Anyway, Just a few thoughts.

I can't wait to go out and play Oct 2, 3-4 at Shennendoah with BSR and TrackDaze! Hope to see some of you out there!

Dave

[Tracktimeplz]

Man I wish I lived near a track =(

[EliseAtLeast]

You are a good instructor. Most instructors will feel threaten and will offer no advice out of fear that the student will be better than them. Some might even get angry thinking that the student is just "playing" him since clearly the student doesn't need any help. Not many instructors will go out of their way to help anyway they can.

[charliex]

Put a cougar in the passenger seat?

[davecarama]

Originally Posted by charliex

Put a cougar in the passenger seat?

NO JENNY! Get in the back!

[davecarama]

Originally Posted by EliseAtLeast

You are a good instructor. Most instructors will feel threaten and will offer no advice out of fear that the student will be better than them. Some might even get angry thinking that the student is just "playing" him since clearly the student doesn't need any help. Not many instructors will go out of their way to help anyway they can.

Thanks man! I try!

For sure I wouldn't do this with every student. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten in a car and was scared for my life... reciting im my head "Our Father Who Art in heaven..." I don't do that stuff with those guys!

I actually LIKE when I have a guy that I instructed in the top of their race class. They always come by and say "This is the guy I had the very first time I was on track" And now they are helping me get over the HPDE hump and into the Club Racing hump... 10+ years in HPDE, 6 as an instructor... I am just not getting the thrill as mich anymore

I was lucky that my cup car guy had a traqmate and was solo the 2 days before the weekend. The truth is in the data! Even with my 170# balast, we still dropped 3 seconds off his best ever time on the track. 3 seconds is nothing to scoff at! That is some real stuff! I think he even had something like 3MPH faster in the straightaways. Pretty impressive driving, and lots of trust in me telling him to give more gas and him doing it, not to mention trusting my line tweaks.

I like to see the improvement, even if it means they can do circles around me... But little do they know, if they try "the thing" and it works, I don't have to test, I know it works becauyse they did it

D

[trfewfe]

I believe the Cougar's name is Karen! Best movie EVER!

[davecarama]

Originally Posted by trfewfe

I believe the Cougar's name is Karen! Best movie EVER!

RIGHT! Jenny was Forrest Gump's love! Crap! Quote fail!

[fitfan]

Originally Posted by EliseAtLeast

You are a good instructor. .

Dave is a very good instructor!