"WRXforScience" (WRXforScience)
12/19/2019 at 11:55 • Filed to: None
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"WRXforScience" (WRXforScience)
12/19/2019 at 11:55 • Filed to: None | 7
| 13 |
I spent the last couple years becoming an instructor with just about all the local trackday groups (all but 1, but their events nearly always conflict with at least one other group’s and I can live with only instructing with: SCCA Time Trials, Porsche Club, BMW Club, APEX Academy, Park Place Events, Edge Addicts, and Eagles Canyon Raceway). So, for 2019 I was ready to do some serious track time. At the beginning of the year I mapped out the different schedules for the groups I coach with and counted up the events: 30 trackdays , about 11 autocrosses, and 3 Street Survival s chools (teen car control clinics) . I was going to be busy.
The beauty of instructing/coaching is that your entry fees are waived (or significantly discounted), so for 30 trackdays I only had to pay about $1000 in entry fees. Of course, coaching at event involves considerable work so you’re just paying with sweat equity instead of money. M ost groups assign you 2 students, an intermediate and novice for the day so you are driving in one session and riding for 2 more, during a trackday you get 3-6 sessions (typically 20min each but some events use 30min sessions and our “Enduro” Time Trial had a 45min endurance session but that one didn’t require instructing). A typical trackday means getting to the track before 7am and leaving around 5pm, the days are long and tiring.
I hate adding up all the consumables and what it cost me, but as a recap and for educational purposes:
2.2 5 sets of track tires (last set will carryover to 2020) at $7 00 per set - $1700
1 set of autox tires - $800
1.5 sets of front brake rotors at $300 apiece - $45 0
4 sets of front brake pads at $175 each - $700
1.5 sets of rear brake pads at $150 each - $225
and about $40 in gas per event (including driving to the events) - $1200
So, even with a couple of miscellaneous wear items the whole year cost me about $6 000 total or $5 000 for just the trackdays which puts me at $175 per day (I switched tires mid- season to one that lasts much longer which would knock my tires from over 2 sets to about 1.5 sets, which would save me $10 per trackday).
I set new Personal Bests at every track and configuration that I run (3 different tracks with 8 unique configurations), and won 8 out of 9 of the Time Trials I entered . I had a ton of fun and plan on doing even more events next year (30-40 trackdays, another 8-10 autocrosses, and 2-3 Street Survival schools). I don’t have another event until January 11, which is just a couple of days shy of a month without an event (December 15th was my last event of 2019). Luckily, I live in Texas and the weather is nice enough in the winter to keep running events (as long as it’s near or above freezing without any snow or ice we can run).
See you at the track!
vondon302
> WRXforScience
12/19/2019 at 13:08 |
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Gota admit that's damn impressive.
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WRXforScience
> vondon302
12/19/2019 at 13:12 |
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Thanks, I was a bit intimidated at the start of the year. I only did 22 trackdays in 2018, but once I started doing them and got used to being at the track most weekends I really only noticed how tough it started to get to wait more than a week or two between events.
I also double up on weekends, a one day event on Saturday with one club and another with a different group on Sunday (only the PCA and BMWCCA do 2 day events).
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vondon302
> WRXforScience
12/19/2019 at 13:19 |
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That would be impossible up here in Michigan. Just curious how long did it take to get up to instructor level?
CompactLuxuryFan
> WRXforScience
12/19/2019 at 13:58 |
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Damn! I might do that!
... once I retire...
Poor_Sh
> WRXforScience
12/19/2019 at 14:03 |
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I did my first ever track days this year, 6 total. I’m hooked and trying to make time and money for more (I have winter though also) but one thing I absolutely decided is that I want to instruct. Could you give some advice on what it took to get to that level and what you might suggest to do now that you have the experience?
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WRXforScience
> Poor_Sh
12/19/2019 at 14:24 |
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The requirements vary from club to club, but the general things they all look for are:
1) Driving - you are safe behind the wheel, you can give and take point-bys and passes without significant loss of pace, and you can drive off line when needed without losing pace or composure. You need to have mastered car control.
2) Communication - you need to be able to demonstrate that you can clearly and concisely tell someone what to do in the car and explain to them before/after a sess ion how to improve. You also need to be able to encourage the timid students and reign in those who drive beyond their skills.
3) Feel - y ou have to be able to ride in a car and tell what it’s doing and be able to read the line and feel of a car you are riding in.
4) Knowledge - you should be able to describe the racing line, proper technique, and how to fix common errors.
It’s a good idea to do the Motorsports Safety Foundation level 1 training (an online course offered through motorsport reg.com) and inquire with your local clubs what other training requirements they have. Some just require a reference or two and check ride, others have a training course they require.
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WRXforScience
> vondon302
12/19/2019 at 14:34 |
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I was a competitive autocrosser for 6 years before I started going to the track. I spent 2.5 years learning and translating my autox skills to the track before I started instructing with anyone another 8 months before I felt like I was a full fledged instructor.
My first year I did 6-8 trackdays, the second I did 11-14, then 16, then last year 22 and this year 30 (I started tracking at the end of 2014/beginning of 2015). Autox let me skip the first level or two of learning to drive on track. My first event I started as an “intermediate” driver and didn’t have an instructor until the 3rd event I attended. I was in the ‘advanced’ groups with all the local clubs by the time I had done 10 events.
I was doing 30+ autox events a year before I started going to the track and spent plenty of time as an autox instructor, so I was developing most of the skills I’d need before and in parallel to learning how to drive on track.
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vondon302
> WRXforScience
12/19/2019 at 15:09 |
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Cool. Thanks I didn’t expect such a detailed response. I was just curious. Obviously your fast. Lol
I’ve done a couple of track days but no autocross might have to change that this summer.
Btw great post! Keep em coming.
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WRXforScience
> CompactLuxuryFan
12/19/2019 at 15:29 |
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I’m a High School Physics teacher, racing is on the weekends (all of them!).
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> WRXforScience
01/13/2020 at 16:48 |
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Please tell me you use racing theory/dynamics as examples in the classroom.
One of the best physics lessons I got from a trackday instructor was that each tire has only
“1 rubber” to give. You can use your whole rubber going straight, or you can use it all
turning, or you can use it all
stopping, but once you start mixing any
of those those two, something’s gotta give...
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WRXforScience
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
01/13/2020 at 17:20 |
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I do use racing examples in my Physics classes. When we learn about torque I take the kids out to the parking lot and show them how to change a flat tire. During our unit on circuits, we go learn how to jump start a car. The Newton’s laws and circular motion units are mostly racing examples. And, when we learn about energy, work, and power we learn how far and how much it’d cost to run your car on Big Macs, the theor etical 0-60 times for all sorts of cars, and their actual efficiencies.
Half our labs involve Hotwheels.
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> WRXforScience
01/13/2020 at 17:30 |
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Fantastic! I would’ve loved having you as a teacher (and wish you could be my kids’ teacher). Got a YouTube channel...?
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WRXforScience
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
01/13/2020 at 17:39 |
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Just the one in the posted video (it only has racing, no teaching stuff).