When you are invited to instruct at an event, yes even an autocross, you might allow your self to think about what you are getting your self into. This was the first in a series of five events that is being sponsored by a multi brand dealer network that is looking to get people out into the cars and really enjoy them. I would say that over 40% of the participants were first timers. The cars were a combination of air and water cooled examples of Porsche that have been on my what if list for ever.
Having been in this situation, occasionally in the past, I am up on the drill. Start with a group course walk. Then when you are one on one, take an inventory of what they have done and when if ever they did it. Then you ask the first of a series of $64 dollar questions. Can I show you how the course flows? Some times they stay in the drivers seat, sometimes they invite you to drive the car. What I have learned is they are not looking for you to unleash their car. I short shift into second and focus on reinforcing what I had said during the course walk.
After they get back into their car and getting a couple of laps in the drivers seat I offer to give them a lap in my car. Based on their advancement, I can tailor the lap to reinforce or show them how thing look at an increase in speed. My car is an E Street Miata. That today gave me a shot at the Atom. This was one of those cases were the owner had made a number of runs solo and I was staying in contact to gage his advancement from outside the car. To be honest, I had not asked to go as a passenger. I have a car with a 5 point harness and know how long I take to get into and buckled in. That and with an average of 7 cars to shepherd per run group I had to manage my time. But I did get him into my car. And with that run I was able to identify and build a reference for his future runs.
Then at the end of the day, the last run of the event he insisted I drive his car. Wow. I have driven open'ish cars, I have driven cars with lots of "go", but in this combination I was having a "Top Gear" moment. I might be shorter and rounder than the owner but I have learned a few tricks to getting settled in a car like this, as long as the seat still moves. Get the belts tight, then move the seat as close to the wheel as you can. In this car the seat is laying back, the steering wheel is small and the slow speed steering is stiff. Yes one run, but I will feel it tomorrow.
But so what, I got to drive an Atom. I looped the Atom. I did not stall the Atom. I did not hit the cone in the slalom that I looped the car around. I did get to rev limit in second on the up hill leg in the Atom. And at the end of the run I stayed in the car and we talked about this run and his during the event. What I have learned, stay put in a car like this and savor the experience. That and you might not have your sea legs back after a run like that and you never want to let on to how jacked up you are and fall down. Ever.
David
