Nancy and I have been driving in HPDE regularly over the last 5 years. I have almost 40 HPDE (track) days under my belt. I've slowly worked my way up from novice, to intermediate and even advanced run groups. I decided to take the next step and took the Porsche National Instructor Training course two weeks ago. I have always had good instructors and I wanted to give back some to my local PCA group and help instruct at our local HPDEs. I believe it is possible to self select, but our local PCA chapter likes to observe drivers over a period of time and invite only those that they feel have reached skill level and have the right attitude to teach. Even then, not everyone that takes the classes/exercises and test passes. They run the course every 2 years in the spring. It is set up on a Friday before a normal Sat/Sun HDPE weekend - and if you pass you get your first student that weekend.
Friday was intense. They had class alternated with three on-track driving exercises with other instructors acting as students. We do get the same "mentor"/instructor/student for the three exercises and there are time-out/time-in allowed during the on-track to allow the instructor to answer questions and actually teach. The exercises progress from a first time student, to a more advanced student and finally to an over aggressive and "combative" student over the three exercises. There were no breaks between sessions and even lunch was a class. The capstone was going with a different instructor for a test drive that included elements of the first time student, progressing student, and problem child - oh yeah and no time outs!
It was an interesting experience. My first mentor/instructor/student drove a manual transmission Mustang and since I am a PDK guy that made some questions about gearing and shifting difficult. My first session I talked so much that my mouth was completely dried out after finishing the session. My mentor blew off track during the problem child routine but did it where we just continued around the NASCAR oval. I had problems with the third wall all day - it was hard for me to look at the instructors like they really were new drivers. My check ride was in a full in race car with six point harnesses. It was really hard to treat that driver as a "novice" when we first started and even harder to point out minor driving issues when he was in competent driver mode. It was a very mentally tiring day - trying to make sure that I put my best foot forward and demonstrated everything that they taught in class in my on-track sessions. I must have done something right because I passed.
Picture of a nice Yeti water bottle that says instructor on it. Also, the white wrist band is what they give instructors during the weekend so they can make sure any vehicles that have two people in the pit line up - that one is an instructor.
At our PCA chapter, we supply the numbers for the run groups. 4xx are novices (with instructors), 3xx are beginners that have at least 1 weekend under their belt and may or may not have instructors, 2xx is intermediate, 1xx is advanced and instructors get two digit numbers. So this is my first two digit number:
They set me up with a good student for my first weekend. He was completely new to HPDEs but had some experience racing bicycles that I think helped with understanding the line. He also had a brand new (3,*** miles) Cayman GTS 4.0 so it was a very familiar car to me. He listened, progressed each session, and was a great first student. I doubt they will all be this good but it was a great first experience.
I think this picture is generic enough I am not outing my student but this is a picture of me and my student going out on track. My wife was there as well and we made sure to get a couple pictures for my student to take back with him to show his family / friends. (PS: That NC Miata was on all season tires and was surprisingly quick).
My student has already contacted me post weekend about getting into the July HPDE event. I have also signed up for that event to instruct (a different student - we try not to repeat with the same student so that they can learn different things from different instructors). July is our Women on Wheels (WOW) event and I have really wanted to help support that event. My wife was one of the original 5 women to start WOW in St. Louis.
It was a very busy weekend and I was worn out but very satisfied with the results by Sunday night. I was on track 4 sessions in the right seat on Friday for the training, on track 7 sessions in the right seat on Sat/Sun with my student, took my student out with me driving in 2 other sessions (1 Sat/ 1 Sun), and did another 6 sessions driving on my own in the advanced group just to enjoy driving. So, 19 sessions on track ... I think for July I will just do Sat/Sun.
