I'm Back!
 

After a couple years of being away form 986forum, I've decided to post an update.

My first track event was in Sep 2016 and now I've completed 54 HPDE events.
I started instructing for PCA Arizona in late 2017, then also with NASA Arizona around the same time. So now this is my 3rd full year instructing and I just completed MSF level 1 and MSF level 2 instructor certification through the Audi Club SoCal event last weekend at Buttonwillow. So I now also certified instructor for ACNA and will be at their SpringMountain event next spring.

I still drive the same car with the same setup: 02 Boxster S with a track setup. It's been a GREAT car, and still is. I would have to say that the setup I have just feels excellent and I don't feel a need to change it (except maybe a few more HPs ha ha). It is well balanced, neutral handling, is fairly cheap to operate, it keeps up with more expensive cars, and, if the worse were to happen. it would not bankrupt me. That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to move up to a GT4.... lol

I sometimes think about where this is leading me, and I have a partial answer... I think instructing is giving back and I enjoy doing it (most of the time lol). But maybe it's just me getting older, but I'm not super interested in TT or wheel to wheel racing... I find plenty of enjoyment pushing the car and myself on the track in a somewhat safe environment, all the while having a goal for each session, be it focusing on being smooth, nailing heel-toe, improving other techniques, mental imagery etc...

I suppose I'll try to visit more often and give back to this community...

Cheers

glad to hear its working out for you. Kinda crazy that you became an instructor after only 1 year of doing events, but maybe you had prior experience? I'm an instructor for several pca regions in the NE and its very rewarding if not a bit scary at times with some of the new high hp cars.

Welcome back!

It sounds like we're on parallel "tracks". In 2017 I was invited to become an instructor. Have really enjoyed the experience. It allowed me to lean on my work experience of providing computer support to a wide range of users. My work taught me that no 1 canned process works for everyone, you need to figure out how they learn and approach them from that angle. Same is true with instructing drivers - everyone has different experiences and learns differently. Being able to connect with a student and key in how to they learn is part of the fun. Then when the light bulb goes on and they do what you've been telling them is such a cool feeling.

Then in early 2020, I was asked to become one of the club's Chief Driving Instructors. I think the people who asked were expecting to arm wrestle with me to convince me, but I surprised them by instantly agreeing. Once again, I could lean on my past work experience allowing me to stand in front of people and teach in a classroom setting. With COVID hitting, we only had 2 DEs in 2020. I shadowed our main CDI at the first event and was supposed to teach my 1st class in Oct. Unfortunately, our DE was the same w/e as Indy and luckily my club was understanding in me wanting to attend Indy. Can't be 2 places at once. So I taught my 1st class back in May of this yr and it was great. Loved every min of it. We've had 3 additional DEs and I've done the classroom training for all of them.

It is very satisfying to mold the next generation of DE drivers. I've had a wide variety of students that I've instructed and a variety of classroom students. In a typical DE w/e, during the final 2 Sat sessions we generally let our students solo and we'll combine the novice group with the intermediate run group during the final session to give them a bit more traffic to contend with. In our last DE in Oct, I was watching the final Sat session from the grandstand. There were 20+ cars on the track. I started calculating that at least 2/3 of them were either past students of mine or had attended my classroom training. Had kind of a proud papa moment. It is very rewarding to give back to the community.

Looking fwd to the spring and upcoming DE season.

Congrats Husker on your CDI!
Let me know if you're ever in the Phoenix area or SoCal.
Some pretty nice tracks out here in the Southwest, plus the winter is the prime season.

:)

You can say 'hi' to my CSS's engine - it's at EvoSpec being rebuilt from bore scoring. Hope it will be returning to OMA soon but I have no idea when it will be coming home. And I may be in Temecula, CA in late Feb / early Mar, but that will be for golf. We used to do that trip annually but haven't since 2015. More and more ppl I know are ending up in AZ.