Things your Driving Instructor told you at speed...

Ok you asked for it!!

Look ahead! Unwind, squeeze the power, GO! GO GO! Brake... NOW!

The usual stuff

I've always loved you.

It was too long ago to remember anything specific that he said, but my dad happened to be the driver ed instructor in our school so I imagine he yelled at me a lot.

"You can go faster, dont lift, dont lift, dont lift, good job if you would have lifted we would be in the weeds."

Turn one a Lajunta balls out in the 400+ hp Saleen. Three laps later I cooked the brakes and went off at turn 7.

"Good job. You went both feet in, kept the car straight and didnt kill us. Toss some real brakes on this thing and it will be fast. You are almost ready to go racing with those loud knuckle draggers and should fit right in."

That pretty much sums up the conversation siting in the weeds waiting for the corner workers to give us the ok to get back on track.

My first instructer was a Porsche 911 racer and really likes the Saleen.

Good times.

In the rain, going sideways facing the guardrail at VIR in an HPDE. My instructor: "Hehehehehe, weeee!"

And then I saved it, at which point he said, "Nicely done!" He later confessed when I asked him about the laughter "aww hell, I saw you were gonna save it before you ever had a clue."

He was actually a very good instructor. I had him again another time and he nearly pounded the dash for me to go faster. Not typically what they want in a HPDE instructor but he also knew when to rein me in. I wish he could see me now as a racer. Haven't crossed paths with him for a couple years.

"Oh E36 M3!!" as we approached the tirewall off turn 17 @VIR.

"Dude, you really need a driving instructor" (Voice in my head as I'm bombing around the the Gainesville Raceway Test Track without a clue)

Something I told a friend of mine while instructing him on the finer points of a manual in my wifes' Cooper S "And this is what happens if you have too many revs and get off the clutch too quick"

Nice burnout ensued, and then I owed the wife new tires because apparently the ones on the car were on their way out anyhow, and took an early vacation on my way home from said shenanigans.

"Can you hear me ok?"

I think they've all said that...

Approaching Turn Two at Mosport (an off-camber down-hill turn with blind apex) "Don't even think of braking!"

Conversation

Me: "You see that concrete wall over there"

Student: "Yeah"

Me: "Well, were going to hit if if you keep taking the turn without braking."

Next lap

Student: "Oh, braking does help..."

Going about 90 mph sideways into 10a at Road Atlanta (In the E30!).

Instructor: "Oh E36 M3, we're gonna hit the wall!"

Me: "No."

I ended up correcting it (I even stayed on the line!). After the session, he said "Thank god you have quick hands, that's one of the few times I've actually been scared."

I was instructing a kid in a BMW at an autocross (his first) who seemed to think that EVERY time he touched the brake that he had to clutch.. and I mean EVERY.. and of course if hes on the clutch, he might as well change gears...

I refrained from asking WTF during his first run, had a conversation about it waiting for the second run..

Halfway through the second run..

"You just clutched, get your damn foot over to the deadpedal and PUNCH the gas!

talking to him later he told me he felt like he learned a lot, seems when he was learning to drive a stick someone put it in his head that decel through the clutch would blow the trans.. umm, no..

"You've got gentle hands."

And yes, that can be taken the wrong way, but I've never been attracted to Al that way.

Apexcarver wrote: I was instructing a kid in a BMW at an autocross (his first) who seemed to think that EVERY time he touched the brake that he had to clutch.. and I mean EVERY.. and of course if hes on the clutch, he might as well change gears... I refrained from asking WTF during his first run, had a conversation about it waiting for the second run.. Halfway through the second run.. "You just clutched, get your damn foot over to the deadpedal and PUNCH the gas! talking to him later he told me he felt like he learned a lot, seems when he was learning to drive a stick someone put it in his head that decel through the clutch would blow the trans.. umm, no..

I wonder just how prevalent that myth is...maybe MythBusters should take it up.

You took that corner very well. But since this isn't a race, next time go slower.

Ignorant, now that's funny!

After a spin and the formula car high centered on a curb, I heard this behind me:

"Who's stuck" "The fat guy"

I felt real good. :)

I took Drivers Ed in school, and we had to drive in groups. So 2 people were always in the back seat waiting for their turn to drive. In my group was a nervous kid. As we were crossing a set of train tracks, the instructor casually said, "Watch for the train" meaning you were supposed to give a glance each way to check for trains when crossing tracks.

This nervous kid paniced, slammed on the brakes and screamed "TRAIN?!?! What train??" as we came to a stop right on the tracks.

I was getting towards the end of a long downhill straight. I hit the brakes and there were none. I pumped, which helped little. I down-shifted, and then used the parking brake. The whole time my instructor is yelling "Stop, Stop Stop!!!!!". I was a little too busy to explain what was happening, which didn't help his yelling in my ear. I got it slowed down enough to slide it around the corner and then explained to him what happened.

Another time I had a really nice instructor that was also quite huge. I had a CRX-si with a turbo, but it still wasn't a race car, and the extra weight was noticeable. After doing a few laps he says to me - "I really wasn't the best pick to instruct in a CRX. I'm just slowing you down. Pull into the pits". Then he got out and I never saw him again.

"you have great car control, too bad you have to use it"

"you already know what your doing, I dont need to tell you anything"

After a GTO spun in front of me coming out of 2 at Summit Point

"I've never seen any car to car contact at one of these things, but that's as close as I want to get. Good job!"

I can't remember what the other one told me after we coasted to a stop in turn 1 with a rod through the block.

I was doing a drivers school at Roebling Road and it had been raining hard for all the sessions. I'm trying to keep my car on the track on very old A008R's and they just keep letting go with no warning. After a few big spins my instructor says "would you just go buy some new goddamn rain tires...and while you're at it disconnect your sway bars"

$800 in Hoosiers later with rear sway bar link disconnected and I'm passing much more powerful cars in the turns. Of course immediately after that session the sun comes out and the track dries up and we have to set everything back to how it was...