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SATT Shenandoah Circuit 4/16
Posted by
davecarama
,
07-18-2011
·
2,585 views
I have not been instructing much this year. Mainly because whenever there are events close by, I have had other commitments. But this event fell right at a time when my wife would be out of town, and I had nothing else to do besides mow my lawn! (and I can skip mowing my lawn for track days, right?)
Shenandoah is one of my all time favorite tracks. Even though I have an under prepped car, and it has a motor with 170K abused miles, I feel fast on that track! It is notorious for being one of the hardest tracks to instruct. 21 turns within a 2.2 mile track. Just to bring this into prospective, that is 2x the number of turns within the same distance as the main circuit. Even VIR with 3.2 miles only has 17 turns. So this track is BUSY!
When Shenandoah first opened, I was invited with NASA to come out and learn it so I could teach it. We talked the track, we walked the track, we discussed theory behind the track, and finally we drove the track. We had a full day to discuss the track, turn by turn, and learn it in and out... and I loved it from the first minute!
My strategy for instructing the track is to be WAY before the student. Rather than tell them where we are, you need to tell them where we are going. With FATT/SATT, they require the instructor to take the first 2 laps in the student's car to show the line. I think this is a HUGE help. Showing the line at a slow pace, saying the terms you will be using around the track helps the student learn quicker than if you plop them in the power seat and let them have at it.
My first student was in a BMW M3, and it was very nice. He had one track day under his belt and had never been on Shenandoah. I showed him the 2 laps, and he picked up on the line quickly after that. We had fun and I was able to help tweak his line making him quite a good driver.
My second student was in an Elise. This was his first track event besides a Lotus Experience school in Vegas, not even autocross prior to this event. He took a bit longer to get the line, but his input on his controls was a little off. I think he would have benefited with having a "ride-along", unfortunately, my car only has a drivers seat, so I tried to hook him up with another Lotus guy. I am not sure if that ever ended up happening though.
My third student was a woman in a Subaru STI. THAT was fun. She had just enough line knowledge, and just enough car control, that I could tweak her line and make her FAST... when she could get past the fear and do what I asked. hahaha! I grabbed the wheel once to show her "the Hook" and that was a true "Ah-Ha" moment for her. The next lap she did it correct and the lap after, she lost the skill, I grabbed her wheel, and she almost drove off the track fighting me
It was VERY funny and we both laughed about it. I also taught her a different theory for braking. Here it is:
Anyway, she got it when I explained it to her, unfortunately, she got to use this new knowledge only one lap before her final session ended. But we still had fun!
My fourth student was in the exact same car Subie STI, he and the woman before were sharing. He was fast and understood car control well. His line was off (mainly because of how the other instructors were teaching him), and since my line is the BEST line
I fixed that and made him even faster!
What about me? (there is no evil grin smiley)
I had a blast. It is tough switching between HPDE and racing. Passing is completely different. But for Miatas, or any car that is... for a lack of a better term... slow, you need to learn how to set up passes so that you are in the perfect position to execute the pass right when you want it. Otherwise, the moment you lift your foot off the go pedal, you will not be able to catch back up with the other car and will not get that pass. Sometimes, that means lifting well ahead of that passing zone so you can get a run on that car ahead of you coming OUT of the final turn before the passing zone (see, you can learn stuff from HPDE that will help in racing). Fortunate for me, I am pretty quick on Shenandoah. I try to find someone and catch them, then find someone else and catch them, etc. Our first session was 50 minutes... enough time for me to drive, pit, refuel, drive pit, get a drink, drive and end.
Our second session was 30 minutes, but there is a 10 minute session for ride along instruction. When I pulled off from the instruction session, I was told to "pull around" Ugggg... I just assumed I was in trouble for doing something stupid on track... So I pull around, and it turned out they wanted me to pull to the front, and they put another Spec Miata prepped car right smack behind me. It was me, and Alan Olson from Weekend Warrior Racing http://www.weekendwarriorracing.com. (you should like them on Facebook BTW WWR Facebook). I think that was some of the most fun I have had on track in YEARS. We were nose to tail for the entire session. We swapped positions a few times (I think he was just being nice to me) and then we pitted in when the session was over. I think we both had fun, I know I did! I will remember that session for a long time!
When we got off track, he told me how much my car sucked... not that I didn't already know!
He asked when we were putting a motor into it. Well, I have no money for something like that, so it looks like I will be a mid-pack driver for a while longer.
Next track weekend? August 20 & 21 with NASA. I will be driving in Time Trials. The hope is to win some more tires so I can have fresh rubber for next season as opposed to somebody's take-offs! Fingers crossed!
Shenandoah is one of my all time favorite tracks. Even though I have an under prepped car, and it has a motor with 170K abused miles, I feel fast on that track! It is notorious for being one of the hardest tracks to instruct. 21 turns within a 2.2 mile track. Just to bring this into prospective, that is 2x the number of turns within the same distance as the main circuit. Even VIR with 3.2 miles only has 17 turns. So this track is BUSY!
When Shenandoah first opened, I was invited with NASA to come out and learn it so I could teach it. We talked the track, we walked the track, we discussed theory behind the track, and finally we drove the track. We had a full day to discuss the track, turn by turn, and learn it in and out... and I loved it from the first minute!
My strategy for instructing the track is to be WAY before the student. Rather than tell them where we are, you need to tell them where we are going. With FATT/SATT, they require the instructor to take the first 2 laps in the student's car to show the line. I think this is a HUGE help. Showing the line at a slow pace, saying the terms you will be using around the track helps the student learn quicker than if you plop them in the power seat and let them have at it.
My first student was in a BMW M3, and it was very nice. He had one track day under his belt and had never been on Shenandoah. I showed him the 2 laps, and he picked up on the line quickly after that. We had fun and I was able to help tweak his line making him quite a good driver.
My second student was in an Elise. This was his first track event besides a Lotus Experience school in Vegas, not even autocross prior to this event. He took a bit longer to get the line, but his input on his controls was a little off. I think he would have benefited with having a "ride-along", unfortunately, my car only has a drivers seat, so I tried to hook him up with another Lotus guy. I am not sure if that ever ended up happening though.
My third student was a woman in a Subaru STI. THAT was fun. She had just enough line knowledge, and just enough car control, that I could tweak her line and make her FAST... when she could get past the fear and do what I asked. hahaha! I grabbed the wheel once to show her "the Hook" and that was a true "Ah-Ha" moment for her. The next lap she did it correct and the lap after, she lost the skill, I grabbed her wheel, and she almost drove off the track fighting me
It was VERY funny and we both laughed about it. I also taught her a different theory for braking. Here it is:- The first one I call Granny Braking, or Streat braking. This is when you get closer to that stop sign, and as you get closer you brake harder. So that when you get to the sign, the car jolts to a stop, and everyone in the car flys forward and bangs their head on the seat when they fly back. This is the WRONG way.
- The second one I call the right way (I also call it my way, but it is understood that my way is always the right way/best way when I am instructing... right?) This is when you approach that stop sign, and you brake hard at the beginning of that zone. They as you approach the sign, you slowly lift your foot off the brake so that when you are at the sign, you are stopped and nobody even feels the car come to that stop. This is the RIGHT WAY
Anyway, she got it when I explained it to her, unfortunately, she got to use this new knowledge only one lap before her final session ended. But we still had fun!
My fourth student was in the exact same car Subie STI, he and the woman before were sharing. He was fast and understood car control well. His line was off (mainly because of how the other instructors were teaching him), and since my line is the BEST line
I fixed that and made him even faster!What about me? (there is no evil grin smiley)
I had a blast. It is tough switching between HPDE and racing. Passing is completely different. But for Miatas, or any car that is... for a lack of a better term... slow, you need to learn how to set up passes so that you are in the perfect position to execute the pass right when you want it. Otherwise, the moment you lift your foot off the go pedal, you will not be able to catch back up with the other car and will not get that pass. Sometimes, that means lifting well ahead of that passing zone so you can get a run on that car ahead of you coming OUT of the final turn before the passing zone (see, you can learn stuff from HPDE that will help in racing). Fortunate for me, I am pretty quick on Shenandoah. I try to find someone and catch them, then find someone else and catch them, etc. Our first session was 50 minutes... enough time for me to drive, pit, refuel, drive pit, get a drink, drive and end.
Our second session was 30 minutes, but there is a 10 minute session for ride along instruction. When I pulled off from the instruction session, I was told to "pull around" Ugggg... I just assumed I was in trouble for doing something stupid on track... So I pull around, and it turned out they wanted me to pull to the front, and they put another Spec Miata prepped car right smack behind me. It was me, and Alan Olson from Weekend Warrior Racing http://www.weekendwarriorracing.com. (you should like them on Facebook BTW WWR Facebook). I think that was some of the most fun I have had on track in YEARS. We were nose to tail for the entire session. We swapped positions a few times (I think he was just being nice to me) and then we pitted in when the session was over. I think we both had fun, I know I did! I will remember that session for a long time!
When we got off track, he told me how much my car sucked... not that I didn't already know!
He asked when we were putting a motor into it. Well, I have no money for something like that, so it looks like I will be a mid-pack driver for a while longer. Next track weekend? August 20 & 21 with NASA. I will be driving in Time Trials. The hope is to win some more tires so I can have fresh rubber for next season as opposed to somebody's take-offs! Fingers crossed!
- RacerX likes this
