Trackday Instructing

I had a ton of fun helping out a new rider at a trackday last month and now I've been contemplating doing some instructing between races. Are there any incentives for instructing or control riding? Or do you do it for the love of the sport?

 

Primarily for the love of the sport. There may be some small incentives such as getting to ride some the same day but if you are really doing your job properly you will find very little time to ride for yourself on the days you are instructing.

 

Most schools you do it for the love of the sport, very very few will pay you. Some may offer limited help with expenses, such as an occasional set of tires, but for the most part, you're doing it for the love of the sport, and the free track-time you'll get.

 

What Dave said....

I have seen many coach's come and go the last 13 years.... Many think that coaching is just free ticket to ride.. Yes you get to play in the groups your not helping , However you need to abide by all the rules for that group if its not Advanced. You need to be a great communicator and be willing to go above and beyond when coaching... If there is 1 Novice up on the grid and its 34 Dgree's and raining.... You have Slicks on.... Guess what... Head up and go coach... You will find yourself spending a ton of money on tires, gas, oil , Pads ect on a average season... I choose to only coach 1 event a Month... This has helped with the expenses and has still allowed me to do a few races a year. If you get accepted to be a coach and you sign up for every event week in and week out if it is a well known or large company you will burn out Quick..... Moderation and Dedication are the keys... I love taking the new guys from Deer in the Headlights look to smiles under the visors and the end of the day.... But then again I am a people person... Many are not... Good Luck....

 

What they said, it's very rewarding when you see something you told the rider clicked and they're riding better. That being said when I was using an R1 I seldom got past 3 gear, and unless they had some speed I could easily teach on my 400 or an SV.

 

I have coached a fair bit one-on-one, including Elena Myers (nee' Court) on her first "big track" day. I was only quicker than her up until lunch.

For me, I would much rather work with a wannabe racer, than a wannabe track day rider. There is a level of dedication that stands out in the former, and they seem to be more sponge-like and open to advice. Having taught the AFM NRS for four or so years (K@TT) back in the early/mid 2000's, I had a LOT of riders come through the class. You could always tell just from the simple level of attention paid and questions asked sitting in the classroom who was going to shine, and it pretty much always translated to on-track performance.

BUT, you really have to be into it. Not just there for track time. I did it for the love of the sport and because I wanted to see more racers, well ... race.

Yes, I was paid, and paid quite well. And yes, I got a lot of track time. I think I still have somewhere in the region of nine track days left in the bank. I am however 1600 miles away and without a trackable bike. At least I'll have something to pass on when I croak.

-jim

 

I loved my volunteer experience teaching at the VRRA race school. I did it for the love of the sport. It was very rewarding indeed. Altough I did my best to calm down the future racers, I was quite dissapointed when I saw one of my pupils get overexcited and end up in the dirt after overshooting a corner on their first race and quitting racing right after. But most of my students became good racers and some of them can kick my ass now

 

It's the easiest thing to teach in the world- you're either on the gas or on the brakes! Duh

 

If only it were that simplistic.

-jim

 

FWIW, my one-on-one new racer instruction typically started a week before.

* What to bring with
* Study the track map
* RTFRB
* Watch onboard videos
* Hydrate and eat well
* Make damn sure the bike is good to go with good tires
* Sleep well the night before
* Meet me at place x at 7am with all your gear and NOT hung over (added after I had a student show up an hour late and half dead)

At the track, I'd simulate a race day. How to set up the canopy and pits. How to sign in, tech and what to bring along. How to listen for race calls.

All the little shit that intimidates a new racer. At the end of the day after all was said and done, I'd teach them how to drink beer.

-jim

 

I have been coaching at track days for almost 10 years, although I have never held myself out as a coach. It started out with giving a few tips here and there, but I was surprised how many people come to the track and have ZERO idea about the basics that allow you to go fast. Such as what is a line and what is a reference point.

I enjoy seeing people improve. It is one thing to show someone something, but when you explain the "why" behind the technique, it is very rewarding to see them "get it." I've never been paid for it, but I have been given the opportunity to ride at track days for free, or at very reduced cost, in exchange for control riding and eventual coaching.

It's interesting to see when someone has the ability to go fast right out of the box, but has no idea why they are going fast. It happens rarely at the track day pace, but I have told people in the past that they are beyond my help, I can only take them so far and they need to go to a school and get a professional coach. After all, I am still working on my own riding!

 

Don't forget "If you ain't first you're last!"

 

I've never done any control riding since I know I wouldn't have the patience for it.

Last time at the track I had a friend who it was his first time on a 600 since selling his r3 and was in the novice group. Those control riders didn't give 2 shits about helping. I would be watching for a tower and there would be 2 or 3 control riders knee down all by themselves. Mind you my friend and certainly others had asked for a tow. Really upset me because they were just about the free track time.

 

Then you went to the wrong track day, plain and simple. The providers set themselves apart on attention spent. No attention, little gain.

-jim

 

I don't know about your organization, but the track day that I attend is NOT a school. it's a track day. Control riders are usually available to help out, but depending on the group, they are primarily there to do the lead follow sessions, or police passing rules.

New people are terrible about asking for help, so I often take it upon myself to follow someone for a few laps, then I'll find them in between sessions and ask if they want some help. Haven't been turned down yet! Maybe it's dumb, but this sport has given me a lot, so this is how I try and give back. Hopefully some of these guys will step up and race one day....increasing grid sizes is what is best for ALL of us.

Typical track day is about $225- what's the cheapest school around? $1,000 a day? If you get someone to follow you for a session and give you some tips, I think that's pretty good!

 

When I was "just there" for some track time I'd always get there early while people were setting up, wander the whole paddock and see if anyone needed help until it was time to go help tech. Reaching out early is key. It also helped relax people knowing someone was there, and tech always made sure riders knew someone was.

They weren't the cheapest, but they made good money and are still going strong.

-jim

 

1 other thing I forgot to mention was that you can't control stupid..... Shits will happen regardless of how the orgs day will be run... Unfortunately I have witnessed first hand people making their last laps of their lives... It's part of the sport...

 

You really do it for the love of the sport. It costs you a ton of money in travel, wear and tear on your bike + consumables. I love teaching and the sport so it was very rewarding when someone got it. I've taught quite a few people on their first track days that went on to become very fast racers. To do it right takes a lot of time off the track so don't plan on riding a ton yourself. Yes you will get to ride yourself but to go that extra mile there is not a ton of time to ride on your own. There would be days I got so into teaching that I'd not even take the bike out on my own, other days I rode every a session. Really depended on the day and students (and other staff). Once again to do it correctly you will also spend a lot of time with the stuff we take for granted like pit set up, proper hydration, general bike stuff, helping folks with simple stuff like set up of controls, etc etc. if you are not careful it will burn you out, which is what happened to me. Plus it made me way slower at race pace as it would take me a while to adjust to the perception of speed when moving faster. Some guys can just flip a switch, I couldn't.

 

I've been there as well, days I'll never forget especially when you've taught someone 5 or 6 weekends and you developed a bond and would go out with them when they moved up to the I group. Had one that's stuck with me for a while, not because I blame myself but because he was having so much fun it sucks he couldn't ride more and have more fun.

 

As an FYI, there is a HUGE difference between "Control Riders" and "Coaches". Damn near anyone that can easily run an Advanced pace can be a CR, but it takes someone special to be a truly good Coach. A Coach has to be able to put ideas/methods/fundamentals into words that are easy to understand and logical to even the newest of riders. Just because someone is fast, that doesn't mean they will be a good Coach.

STT has Coaches...and I've been on the Staff since 2009. Like they said, it is something you do because you enjoy it and truly love helping others improve. I don't need the free track time; I could pay for TDs if I wanted to. I coach because it is a passion for me.

I was also on the Speed Academy Staff through the 4 years it was active. That school was much more in depth, getting deeper into the finer details of motorcycle control and performance riding.