The HPDE is a sucky way to learn racing IMO, dont get me wrong there are some good teachers there, but not many, and its luck of the draw, you could just as easily get a guy that couldnt drive his way out of a wet paper bag, I started in HPDE, it sucked but one great teacher got ahold of me, I was lucky.
Happy hollidays everyone!!!!! Drink a beer for me YOU know I will be drinking some for all of you...
I think HPDE is pretty good for starting out. With NASA, you can go from HPDE1 to HPDE4 which is almost like w2w - i don't think NASA SE requires a point by in HPDE 4 but i'm not sure. Then, after HPDE 4, you can move to TT. The problem with HPDE4 (and HPDE3 for that matter) is that you are thrown on the track with vette, GT3RS, M3 so it is a bit dicey in terms of the speed differences at end of a straight. After HPDE4 and TT you can go get comp license and do w2w. At this point you should be pretty experienced so the school should not be a problem. So I think HPDE is good way to increase your experience in a relatively structured manner. But you are correct about the track day instructors. Like anything in life, some folks are much better than others. Also, some people like instructing and others don't. You could find someone who "could" be an excellent instructor but they simply just don't want to be instructing - they are only there to save track fee money. I think you just have to be patient, ask around and eventually you will find one or two folks who can help you a lot at track days. But I still plan on getting a real coach - he is a pro driver and seems very nice.