201X challenge driver training

I heard a lot of comments last weekend about people wanting to learn better driving/AutoX techniques.

What if the AutoX course was left up for Saturday and the Pro Drivers did classes and ride-alongs to teach better driving. An alternate would be to setup the course on Thursday afternoon and start Friday morning with group classes and course walks with the Pro Drivers. We could do chalk talks describing different aspects of getting a quick lap and also walk through the course describing where to brake, turn & accelerate and why our way works.

I might be able to bring enough cones down with me to do the setup. If enough people wanted there might be demand & Thursday could be an all day AutoX school for the participants. There might have to be a fee offsetting the extra day of site rental...Per?

Alan

And at the end of the day could be the Texas A&M BBQ cook off?? I'm all for an autox driving school.

I'm in.

Word.

I would love this....need to get out to the garage ASAP

Great idea.

An alternate would be to attend local autocrosses throughout the summer in your daily driver or challenge car, and learn before you arrive in Florida.

In reply to Zomby woof:

But consistently doing the same wrong things over and over doesn't make them any better.

I would be surprised if you couldn't find local fast guys to ride with you, and help you out every week. It would probably help a lot more than a few runs just before race day.

In reply to Zomby woof:

That may work where you are, but the closest "local" autocross to me is a 2-3 hour drive (in all 4 directions).

Pretty tough to do regularly when it includes 6 hours worth of driving just to show up.

Zomby woof wrote: An alternate would be to attend local autocrosses throughout the summer in your daily driver or challenge car, and learn before you arrive in Florida.

I plan I doing that but extra time with different instructors always helps.

I love the idea.

I would pay for this.

DrBoost wrote: I would pay for this.

Me too.

One thought... Alan, you looked pretty wasted Saturday morning. You gonna have the energy for something like this?

i'm in.

SVreX wrote: In reply to Zomby woof: That may work where you are, but the closest "local" autocross to me is a 2-3 hour drive (in all 4 directions). Pretty tough to do regularly when it includes 6 hours worth of driving just to show up.

then you could attent 4 different autocross schools

I highly recomend attendng any schools in your area, I've attended one evolution school and 2 local schools and I'm still learning. The schools generally give you a season worth of seat time in a single day with little to no work depenging on the school. I doubt GRM is wanting to begin drivers schools but if they did I'd attend

If they guys want this and Per supports it I will make it happen.

FYI, Resume in brief: I've been teaching AutoX & DE schools since 1984. I have worked for Track-time, Skip Barber & several automotive special event companies. I was trained by the military in the early 80s to write lesson plans and as a podium qualified instructor. My current job title is Training Specialist with a Government contractor.

One option for this is would be to have a classroom chalk talk going on near the registration room on Thursday night.

This sounds like an excellent addition to the 20XX challenge to me.

In reply to admc58:

Alan

Numbers- I know you are not talking Evo kind of school here, but having done educational days, you can't really do 30 drivers to 2 instructors (as an extreme).

What kind of instructor/student ratio would you be looking for? Thinking of this early will help you gather enough teachers, since it already appears to be a popular idea.

The other "issue" is seat time. Back in the day, our club did a school for a national convention that went pretty well- it was 5 or so stations that people would move around in small groups so that they could do enough "reps" to really learn. Any thoughts on how you would do it so that even if you have 30-40 drivers, you could get them all enough seat time to make it work?

I know you quickly suggest a chalk talk, and if that's all you can get, then I would suggest doing a web page primer that the most interested can read and study, so that when they do get to your class, they have a bunch of questions that they can ask.

Funny- I ask these questions assuming you are going to have it while it's still a suggestions...

Based on all of the "feedback" posted here, you will make the challenge an incredible event with this! Good thinking!!!!

I'm in for driver training from a pro

I wonder if they could get the Hollises to come out for this. I attended one of their Cone Clinics they used to do before National Tour events, and found it helpful.

You can always learn more, and I have plenty of room to improve, count me in

Silly question.... But would this be using the Challenge cars again?

I would be all about some more instruction, willing to pay, but not sure how much i could take away driving a challenge car. (Mine in particular.)

Car choice would be up to the participants...dd, challenge, Avis...etc.

Would love this! Thanks for stepping up Alan. I wonder if GRM could secure the facility for Thursday as well. I realize that's an extra day for folks, but it would give the driver clinic a day to itself.

I wonder if GRM is gonna start offering their own drivers schools.....