Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster
Agree with you on two day format. I agree that for most novice and intermediate and lower level advanced group drivers , they are re-familiarizing with the course and the course conditions for that event (cold, wet, dry, hot, etc) the first two or three sessions. This is ESPECIALLY the case if one is going to a new track. It's going to take a few sessions to learn the new course.... and the drivers that know the course already will have less of a learning curve. Once the driver has their bearings and is confortable then they can learn more.
As far as the # of days to get to yellow... there is no magic # but I would say 12 days (6 events) is a pretty rapid rise from green to an advanced level. There are simply many concepts to be learned, and then CONFIRMED that the driver knows these concepts...
In my experience.. a person that has developed by attending a single track repeatedly , still has a fairly limited skill set based on the types of turns at that track. Throw in unique corners (multiple apex.. diamond turns.. hairpins) , unique speeds, elevation change (particularly blind corners), walls, armco or fencing etc.. .... and suddenly there is a lot more to learn than what exists at say.. an MSR Houston. Even the difference in elevation change between MSR Cresson 3.1 and say... ECR is significant .. because ECR has no truly completely blind full throttle turns or hills like the entry to the " toilet bowl" on the MSR 3.1.
Finally... it's important to recognize that going to a single track and moving to an advanced level at that one track, does not make the driver an ADVANCED level driver at another track... Typically it's wise to move one run group lower at a track that one is not familiar with, so that you will have time to learn the new course while not being harrased by other drivers that know the track because they have been there 40 times.
Points to Ponder..
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Great post! I based the 12 day estimate on my own experience. Working with Driver's Edge, I was in Green for two weekends, then Blue for two weekends, after which I was certified for Yellow specifically for TWS CCW. It then happened that I spent 3 more weekends in Blue because my next event was TWS CW (for the first time), then the next event was CCW but Yellow was full so no new-to-Yellow students were allowed in, and then I ran CW again -- which earned me Yellow qualification for that direction as well. I've since run a weekend in Yellow in each direction (after which I was promoted to Yellow Solo for CCW), just ran my first Yellow Solo recently, and will be back there on March 1-2 before this event. I have no idea whether my progression is faster or slower than average since I haven't really asked others how quickly they've moved up through run groups, but I'm told by various instructors that Driver's Edge tends to be more hardcore than other organizers. I do appreciate that they always have great instructors, informative classes, corner workers, and emergency workers available. It helps you learn a lot more and stay much safer than not having those things. It also means that insurance coverage is available, whereas open track days you're generally on your own in that regard.
The point about being advanced on a particular track not translating 100% to a new one makes perfect sense. My problem is that being in Austin means that every track except TWS (and the rarely available CotA) is over 3 hours away, which is quite a commitment especially Sunday evening when you're already dog tired from an entire weekend at the track before you even hit the road home. I did run MSR Cresson back in Green once though because a friend wanted to check out the track and that was the event that fit in his schedule. I'm lucky that TWS can be run in both directions, so I get SOME of the benefits of multiple tracks, but of course it's not the same as completely separate tracks. Still, I think the vast majority of participants will be new to CotA anyway simply because there haven't been many opportunities to run it (and most of the available events have been absurdly expensive), so the issue of run group on one track not fully carrying over should affect most participants. I caught rides during last year's CCA event and I'll be studying videos closely in preparation for my weekend, and when I'm there I'll at least have the car control and track awareness skills I've developed elsewhere even if the track itself won't be terribly familiar. But I don't time myself and I'm just out there to have a great time, so I have absolutely no problem dialing it back a bit.
