Track days, tuition to driving on your own ratio?
Discussion
I'm getting back into track days, but am still feeling pretty slow as I'm lacking a bit of confidence frankly.
I can book tuition and guess I could go down the route of having someone for the day or a morning/afternoon, or just an odd session with more itme out on my own. But what is best? My initial thought was the more time with an instructor the better, but can you find yourself relying on them and almost using them as a crutch? I'm not sure if that makes sense!?
I'd quite like to get my skills up over the autumn/winter so next year I can really enjoy it and maybe get some foreign tracks in.
I can book tuition and guess I could go down the route of having someone for the day or a morning/afternoon, or just an odd session with more itme out on my own. But what is best? My initial thought was the more time with an instructor the better, but can you find yourself relying on them and almost using them as a crutch? I'm not sure if that makes sense!?
I'd quite like to get my skills up over the autumn/winter so next year I can really enjoy it and maybe get some foreign tracks in.
You really need to find an instructor you get on well with. The very first one I had nearly put my off track driving completely - he was trying to give me too much information too quickly, I couldn't take it in and wasn't enjoying myself at all.
Unless you know the circuit already, IMHO the instructor shouldn't be telling you much to begin with - just showing you the lines then having you drive to make sure you've picked up on that. Only then would I expect them to start actually coaching you for braking points, turning in points, apex, etc. And from experience its best to only tackle a few corners at a time.
A good instructor will bring their own camera gear and possibly intercoms too and send you data and/or video after the event together with a resume of what you've achieved and what there is left to do.
Unless you know the circuit already, IMHO the instructor shouldn't be telling you much to begin with - just showing you the lines then having you drive to make sure you've picked up on that. Only then would I expect them to start actually coaching you for braking points, turning in points, apex, etc. And from experience its best to only tackle a few corners at a time.
A good instructor will bring their own camera gear and possibly intercoms too and send you data and/or video after the event together with a resume of what you've achieved and what there is left to do.
Regards coming to rely on the instructor - yes, that's possible. I am only just getting to the stage that I'm quicker on a circuit without the instructor sat next to me (he's very light). Its all about confidence in the car, in the grip available and in realising how much further you can push it without it going pear-shaped.
I would also recommend taking some specific grip limit tuition - this will add to your confidence too, equipped with the knowledge of what the car will do when it does get away from you and what you're supposed to do to correct it. I'm not suggest you should be aiming to drive at ten tenths and be on the tyres' grip limits, but there will come a time when you encounter an unexpected surface change.
I would also recommend taking some specific grip limit tuition - this will add to your confidence too, equipped with the knowledge of what the car will do when it does get away from you and what you're supposed to do to correct it. I'm not suggest you should be aiming to drive at ten tenths and be on the tyres' grip limits, but there will come a time when you encounter an unexpected surface change.
I think the real answer is that 99% of tuition will help to some extent but I agree with a lot of what has been said above, in particular that you need to gel with your instructor to get the full benefit, especially on longer sessions.
If you feel that you are over-reliant on the instructor after a full day then that's probably a warning sign that either he isn't doing his job properly or the two of you just aren't communicating very well.
For a lot of drivers, just a 20 minute session is enough to give them some tips and things to practice over the day without turning on too much pressure for what after all is supposed to be a fun hobby..............
If you feel that you are over-reliant on the instructor after a full day then that's probably a warning sign that either he isn't doing his job properly or the two of you just aren't communicating very well.
For a lot of drivers, just a 20 minute session is enough to give them some tips and things to practice over the day without turning on too much pressure for what after all is supposed to be a fun hobby..............
I would book two sessions of instruction on your next track day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Explain what you want to get out of the instruction and ask the instructor to be critical. It's no good them sugar coating anything for you. I would also video yourself and then review your driving and be self critical too.
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