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Summit Point FATT Aug 19
Posted by
davecarama
,
08-23-2011
·
1,327 views
King Rat had a rental on Friday, but the king and queen were out of town this past weekend, so I volunteered to take care of their client at the FATT. I decided that rather than use up my already used up race car, I would drive my 2007 MX5 GT (with Hoosier tires of course) 
.
When I got to the garage to swap tires, I got a call from the renter... his car died on the way up to the track. Fortunately it was right smack dab in front of Summit Point gates so I told him to sit tight, finished mounting the hoo-hoos on the MX5 and went to pick him and the rental car up.
I prepped the car (getting the seat and harnesses ready for the student) and headed off to the classroom for the instructor meeting. That was when things started to get odd. This was my second FATT of the year (not including the instructor clinic in the early spring) and it turns out that the head of the program was not happy with the behavior he had seen in past events. He mentioned not wanting instructors instructing the "Miata Line" that they should instruct the "Summit Point FATT Line" so all instruction would remain consistent. I only teach one line... the one I happen to have been taught when I drove in FATT events as a student... which happens to be the line I drive in racing events... which happens to be the fast way around the track. I spoke to another racer, and he told me the same thing "I never heard of this Miata line... but if it is faster I need to know more!"
To be honest, I think he was speaking about people teaching other "skills" that are not in the FATT curriculum. And I kind of agree. Instructors should stick to the basics in the groups 1 & 2 and work to sign them off to the higher levels (seat time). AND I kind of don't agree, I think all aspects of track driving are important and should be taught while they are still signing up to drive with an instructor. But I think that instructors need to do what the school wants them to do, if it is less than you think... than you should do what they want.
The next odd thing was that there were a LOT of students and not a lot of instructors. 17 instructors and 22 students in each group (3 groups, 1A, 1B, and 2). The FATT program has the ability to call in other paid instructors though, so they did... but I rode in every group, running from car to car for each session. It was hot, and there was no time to re-hydrate.
Enough bitching
The rental was a 1B student. He was a brand newbie (never before on track) and was driving a King Rat SM converted to ITA. He did a great job! He learned the line quickly. With newbies, I start with total instruction... I'm talking Playstation with my mouth to get them around the track! I find that repetition with words and movement = remembering and they say what I am teaching them, and recognize when they do right or wrong. I back off as they start to get it. And eventually they are driving without me saying a word and they are mentioning their own mistakes and how they could fix them... without me prompting them! I swapped with another instructor after 2 sessions and flit finished up the last two with him. I always find that multiple instruction types helps the learning process... but no more than 2 in a day or it gets confusing.
My 1A student was a newbie with no experience either. He was driving a bare bones brand new BMW M3... and it was a NICE car! He did a great job and requested I get back in the car with him... so I guess I was doing OK too
My group 2 guy... HE was GOOD. He was driving a Porsche 944 Turbo. It was track prepped, not a cage, a roll bar, so not race prepped. But gutted and dedicated. He was put in 2 with an instructor, but never been to Summit Point... which I thought was odd, because FATT doesn't promote like that. You need to go through their program to move up. But he grasped the line I was teaching quickly. and he showed very clean smooth driving skills. So I did what I normally don't attempt and I shoulder tapped a sr instructor for a sign off to move up to 2 without an instructor. That instructor said he did indeed know what he was doing, and he was promoted.
I picked up a new student for the final 2 sessions in group 2. He was an older gent in a 80's porsche 911. This was a tough student! He new what to do, and did it great, but he was slow and it was HIM not the car that was slow. He did not know the capabilities of the car, and it seemed was almost afraid to get close. After session 1, I told him that I thought he was a great driver. He knew the line, and knew the form and skills, but it was almost like he was going through the motions. So I asked what his goals were for the weekend? He said he was interested in going to the next level, to be signed off for 2 without an instructor. I knew inside me that I couldn't do it. The red-shirt (sr instructor) would never allow it. So I gently mentioned that I would likely not be the right person to sign him off, so he could grab another instructor, or continue with me and that I would like to push him a little harder to explore the limits of the car and he agreed. (shew) So we did just that.
He was the type of guy that would accelerate to 4kRPM when the redline is at 7.5kRPM and his brakes were nowhere near threshold and his entry speeds were well below where they should be for a group 2 student and he was VERY uncumpfy with pass anywhere with a point. So those are what we worked on.
I repeated gas gas gas gas gas until the brake zone when I let him know when to brake and brake HARD. He followed instruction VERY well and I think he liked being pushed! (shew) Later he mentioned he really appreciated the new perspective and enjoyed the instruction (shew). I am relieved because programs like FATT are all about ROI Return on investment. The track puts out the time (investment) and the students are happy and come back (return). If this guy wanted to say I was an asshole, I'd likely be fired. But I wasn't, and I had fun!
About me!
We get 2 sessions. Our first one is 50 minutes long... which is long... The MX5 is not fun to drive on track. It is SOFT and it LEANS. people actually pointed and laughed at me. Since I was having no fun, I cut it short and that was that.
That was all for the FATT
.When I got to the garage to swap tires, I got a call from the renter... his car died on the way up to the track. Fortunately it was right smack dab in front of Summit Point gates so I told him to sit tight, finished mounting the hoo-hoos on the MX5 and went to pick him and the rental car up.
I prepped the car (getting the seat and harnesses ready for the student) and headed off to the classroom for the instructor meeting. That was when things started to get odd. This was my second FATT of the year (not including the instructor clinic in the early spring) and it turns out that the head of the program was not happy with the behavior he had seen in past events. He mentioned not wanting instructors instructing the "Miata Line" that they should instruct the "Summit Point FATT Line" so all instruction would remain consistent. I only teach one line... the one I happen to have been taught when I drove in FATT events as a student... which happens to be the line I drive in racing events... which happens to be the fast way around the track. I spoke to another racer, and he told me the same thing "I never heard of this Miata line... but if it is faster I need to know more!"
To be honest, I think he was speaking about people teaching other "skills" that are not in the FATT curriculum. And I kind of agree. Instructors should stick to the basics in the groups 1 & 2 and work to sign them off to the higher levels (seat time). AND I kind of don't agree, I think all aspects of track driving are important and should be taught while they are still signing up to drive with an instructor. But I think that instructors need to do what the school wants them to do, if it is less than you think... than you should do what they want.
The next odd thing was that there were a LOT of students and not a lot of instructors. 17 instructors and 22 students in each group (3 groups, 1A, 1B, and 2). The FATT program has the ability to call in other paid instructors though, so they did... but I rode in every group, running from car to car for each session. It was hot, and there was no time to re-hydrate.
Enough bitching
The rental was a 1B student. He was a brand newbie (never before on track) and was driving a King Rat SM converted to ITA. He did a great job! He learned the line quickly. With newbies, I start with total instruction... I'm talking Playstation with my mouth to get them around the track! I find that repetition with words and movement = remembering and they say what I am teaching them, and recognize when they do right or wrong. I back off as they start to get it. And eventually they are driving without me saying a word and they are mentioning their own mistakes and how they could fix them... without me prompting them! I swapped with another instructor after 2 sessions and flit finished up the last two with him. I always find that multiple instruction types helps the learning process... but no more than 2 in a day or it gets confusing.
My 1A student was a newbie with no experience either. He was driving a bare bones brand new BMW M3... and it was a NICE car! He did a great job and requested I get back in the car with him... so I guess I was doing OK too
My group 2 guy... HE was GOOD. He was driving a Porsche 944 Turbo. It was track prepped, not a cage, a roll bar, so not race prepped. But gutted and dedicated. He was put in 2 with an instructor, but never been to Summit Point... which I thought was odd, because FATT doesn't promote like that. You need to go through their program to move up. But he grasped the line I was teaching quickly. and he showed very clean smooth driving skills. So I did what I normally don't attempt and I shoulder tapped a sr instructor for a sign off to move up to 2 without an instructor. That instructor said he did indeed know what he was doing, and he was promoted.
I picked up a new student for the final 2 sessions in group 2. He was an older gent in a 80's porsche 911. This was a tough student! He new what to do, and did it great, but he was slow and it was HIM not the car that was slow. He did not know the capabilities of the car, and it seemed was almost afraid to get close. After session 1, I told him that I thought he was a great driver. He knew the line, and knew the form and skills, but it was almost like he was going through the motions. So I asked what his goals were for the weekend? He said he was interested in going to the next level, to be signed off for 2 without an instructor. I knew inside me that I couldn't do it. The red-shirt (sr instructor) would never allow it. So I gently mentioned that I would likely not be the right person to sign him off, so he could grab another instructor, or continue with me and that I would like to push him a little harder to explore the limits of the car and he agreed. (shew) So we did just that.
He was the type of guy that would accelerate to 4kRPM when the redline is at 7.5kRPM and his brakes were nowhere near threshold and his entry speeds were well below where they should be for a group 2 student and he was VERY uncumpfy with pass anywhere with a point. So those are what we worked on.
I repeated gas gas gas gas gas until the brake zone when I let him know when to brake and brake HARD. He followed instruction VERY well and I think he liked being pushed! (shew) Later he mentioned he really appreciated the new perspective and enjoyed the instruction (shew). I am relieved because programs like FATT are all about ROI Return on investment. The track puts out the time (investment) and the students are happy and come back (return). If this guy wanted to say I was an asshole, I'd likely be fired. But I wasn't, and I had fun!
About me!
We get 2 sessions. Our first one is 50 minutes long... which is long... The MX5 is not fun to drive on track. It is SOFT and it LEANS. people actually pointed and laughed at me. Since I was having no fun, I cut it short and that was that.
That was all for the FATT
