Once my older kids got their license, they each also got a basic gift: One
full season in the race car beginning with the first event of the year
and extending through Nationals.
My ulterior motive, not so much to turn them on to motorsports (mostly they
cannot afford it [but hell, neither can I!]) as the belief that it is
advanced driver's education. I should mention that of the three I have sent
through this program, one was my natural daughter who grew up with it, the
'other two were stepkids who arrived both about age 18.
The daughter "knew it all," and got the car up on two wheels the first corner
she hit, but is easily the most aggressive of the trio and the only one who
still does it occasionally. She drove my Mirror Khana after not doing an event
for two years, took 2nd in a 5-car GS with her street-tired Mitsu Eclipse
Turbo. GS, not GSL. Good drive!
The stepson, for all his macho ways, sort of gently worked into the game. It
showed an uncommon intelligence on his part. the odd thing was, coming from
such opposite ends of the driving-style spectrum, both were fairly competitive
with each other in my car (a Prepared Spitfire).
the stepdaughter, who did hers a couple of years later, was basically afraid
of the car. I spent a half-hour with her getting her to drive 100 feet in a
straight line without lifting, So for her, confidence level -- "you can do it,
it is Just A Car" -- was the primary focus. By the time she reached Nationals
she was nowhere near quick, still isn't, but was to where she was having fun
and not just terrified of it any more. Not surprisingly, she is still the one
with the worst accident record, but she's been clean the past three years now.
advice? Being quick, setting times, etc. is totally unimportant. Let them be
comfortable, let them learn to be comfortable at speed, or what they perceive
to be "at speed" (see stepdaughter above). Teach that good driving technique
is essential for doing a good job of driving, and that it carries over to their
street driving. Teach that they should practice these techniques every time
they drive anything -- and of their too-cool friends rib them about a two
hands on the wheel style as "driving like my grandmother" the response is "No,
like a grand prix driver." Don't be a daddy/coach always on the kid to improve.
If they like it, they will ask how to improve. Teach by example. One thing
about this game, it gives us loads of opportunity to teach by this example: "I
screwed up that far turn; what I should have done was...". You'd be surprised
how well that plays to a teenager, to whom parents often seem the Imperial
Authority. Encourage them to compete against themselves, the only time they
want to beat is their own previous run. Everyone else's is irrelevant (again,
if they have fun and get the competitive urge, everyone else's times will
becoime relevant in their own good time -- it's nothing that needs to be
pushed). And if the daddy-coaching ever seems too intense, do one of two
things: Either just turn it off and let the kid go out and drive, or put him
with someone else not emotioinally involved. Which are both good things to do
anyway. And above all, whatever the kid does out there -- blazing speed or
crawling around -- when he comes off course he's done great! Be proud. If he
tries something that failed spectacularly, well we all have and we applaud
the spectacularness of it. If he's afraid of the car, or of hurting it, or
of being out of control in a corner, then maybe just getting through the
course (even slowly) was an accomplishment. Be proud.
Oh, one other thing (especially since mine is a Prep car). I told my kids to
be gentle with the car in the pits, but on course to drive it hard. Every Prep
car breaks now and then, and if it breaks when they are in the car, they
probably just finished off something that had already started to go when
I was driving it. I expected them not to break it doing something stupid in
the paddock. If they break it on course, the broke it doing what was supposed
to be done with it. the key here ... don't give them a reason to feel guilty
for something that likely would have eventually happened anyway.
And after that First Season? Kid, you wanna drive my car, you rent it like
anyone else would have to. and you pay your own entry fees. And your own
SCCA membership (except, I kept them on Family membership as long as they were
under 21).
--Rocky Entriken
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
>From Rocky Entriken, Salina, Ks. Ikke sa Hurtig Racing
R.Entriken@mcimail.com #4 DP Spitfire [Old Fartz #001]
Phone: 785-827-5143 Freelance Motorsports Journalist
FAX: 785-823-0213 <If I said that, I misquoted myself>
|| "Solo Stats", the archive of the Solo II Nationals, now updated to 1998 ||
|| Yours for $40 shipped, including Your Personal Record ||
~~~~~~~ also selling Formula V Traction Treatment, $39/gallon shipped ~~~~~~~
|