Fun and learning at the track

[Jim Bassett <jimbassett@xxxxxxxx>]

>*Jim and others, this is not a cut.*
>I find the emphasis at many driving schools are to have fun.
>Little or no classroom instruction and enough in-car instruction so
>you don't kill yourself out there.

Hi Steven,

No cut taken. I think the level of instruction varies from chapter to 
chapter, and from group to group (there's a couple of groups I run with 
where "school" is used very loosely :-)). By far the best are CCA schools, 
and I've been fortunate here on the West Coast that the main goal is 
SAFETY. Lots of classroom instruction, and students are never soloed before 
they are ready (and, except for O'Fest, all of my CCA schools over the past 
3 years have been with Golden Gate, LA, SD, and Sin City chapters. And for 
the most part, these chapters use the same pool of instructors so there's 
consistency throughout).

My comment about "having fun" was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek way of 
indicating that despite the risks and the hard work involved, you should be 
having fun doing drivers schools. Forget about work or family problems, 
bring a willingness to learn, and you can't help but have fun. Basically my 
way of telling a novice to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy yourself.

>Unfortunately some people are
>soloed before their time as it is a right of passage. Maybe for the
>sake of having more fun. I have turned down solo opportunities for
>more instruction. Maybe I'm just a slow learner. <g>

Oh, I ALWAYS take the solo opportunity, for one session at least :-) Then I 
haul a new instructor into the car and say "Teach me something new" :-)

>The fun part for me is the instruction and feedback from an instructor.
>So Chris, learn something out there. It may save your life.
>I think it got me out of a bad situation. I totalled my car on a
>country road but walked away without a scratch.

Agree 100%, Steven. Having done a bit of instructing, it's very rewarding 
to see a student "get it", whatever that may be for that particular 
student. And there's definitely a lot to learn by going to drivers schools, 
but if you're not having fun learning it, IMO, you shouldn't go.

My 2 cents,
Jim Bassett - full-time student, some-time instructor, part-time Club Racer
1998 M3/4 - handles the first two tasks
1988 M3 - a friend's car that handles the third task (the best kind of race 
car, "not mine" :-))

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