Mentoring

#1

This post was moved over from a thread that went so awry that it had to be put down. This post is a good thought tho so it was worth rescuing.

To kind of derail the discussion a bit, an idea I was pondering…

I kinda stole this idea from the NHL, but to go back to some of the original discussion as to the why of incidents happening, and leading to driver skill.

What if there was some way to have a mentor program. Perhaps along the line of new drivers/new to series are paired up with a more senior driver for the season. This senior driver would then spend time after a race reviewing video/notes from the race one on one.

I know many people say that this somewhat happens now in all classes, but its not consistent. For me, my first season, I would have loved to have had a more senior driver I could go to and discuss with them what happened on track during the race, ask if I reacted the correct way, and get some outside POV.

In our local sanctioning body (ICSCC) we sort of have something like this in the Novice program/Novice only races, but it’s for only 3 races and there is not he one-on-one mentor to help. I think this would help “clean up” some of the drivers on the track from both ends. The younger drivers would gain the experience of the older drivers, and the older drivers, knowing they needed to set a good example would possibly take a step back.

Thoughts?

#2

I think that it would be terrific to have a relatively formal mentoring program. For example, each newby that did not have prior racing experience gets assigned a mentor for a year. Mentor would, among the million other useful things they could do, discuss, show, would sit down with newby and watch their race videos with them. It could be a very useful hour of pointing out screw ups, missed opportunities, etc.

I lost my first engine because I had no idea that we should run extra oil and I’d never even heard of a crankscraper or baffle. Most of us here have been doing this for a while. It’s easy to forget that when we were newbies we didn’t know a goddamned thing. It’s easy to miss the fact that most newbies today are the same as we were then. Not as good looking sure, but…

I’d be happy to set this up for the SE, but there are things I can do all by myself, like be parking Nazi, and things that require a lot of dedicated participation from other folks that are all busy with their own families, jobs, and mistresses. So in order to do this mentoring idea, other veterans would have to commit to help and they’d have to follow thru with the time investment.

Someone want to step up and be the Mentor-in-Chief? Compensation is you drink for free. In fact, all newbies will be made to understand that all mentoring discussions are triggered by the placement of a beer into the mentor’s right hand. For MidAtl purposes they can substitute a nice Chardonnay.

#3

As an aspiring newbie to racing and spec e30, I think a mentoring program would be very helpful.

#4

As a somewhat recent graduate, I felt fortunate to get mentoring from Ranger, JLevie, Fish, Greg Moberg, RPatton, and Don Stevens just to mention some. I feel lucky to have more than four SpecE30 drivers as an instructor sitting beside me in my time coming up in HPDE as well. I hope I can help the newbies now as well at this point.

#5

Can mentoring or coaching from someone in the spec e30 group be done during the HPDE 3/4 phase before comp school?

#6

Upstate01, as far as I’m concerned mentoring can be done in the shower. There’s no formal system. You in the SE?

Ok, maybe the shower wouldn’t be the best idea. But by all means hang out with some of the veterans. Once you’ve ID one that you can get along with, hand him a 6pack of beer and tell him that he’s your mentor.

Don’t mention the shower to him. He might not understand the reference.

#7

So, more gas, less brake, and don’t drop the soap.

#8

Finding a mentor during the DE 3 phase would be the perfect time. You have probably been driving solo for quite a while and you are now pretty fast. Get someone in your car now so they can help you break all those bad habits you’ve aquired driving solo!

Don’t know if you are in the SE region but myself and many others are also instructors. We can’t be your instructor during a race weekend but that doesn’t mean we cant got for a ride!!

#9

Try to get someone that is willing to stick with you right through your first season. This way, you will feel comfortable with going to them about any questions, even if you are a little embarrassed. Sometimes, it’s hard to ask that question of other racers when something happens on track and you are involved. Directly related to another longer thread, if you perhaps end up in a bad situation in one of your first couple races, it can be hard to ask other drivers what you could have done differently. IF you have a mentor that you have worked with before and possibly for some time, it may be easier to ask them to review your video, and give you some feedback on what happened.

One of the key’s to being a good racer is confidence. Confidence in your ability; including the ability to react correctly in a bad situation, and if someone feels embarrassed to ask for guidance, they may never gain this confidence. Make sense?