length of HPDE sessions

[track 'bird]

I instructed last weekend @ Summit Point. I noticed that my group 1 student was tiring by the end of each 30 minute session. I would bet this is pretty common. I think a group one student doesn't need 30 minutes to achieve their goals.

I think group one students should get 20 minute sessions, group two gets 25, and group three 30 minutes. What do other regions do?

[jimbow]

It doesn't matter the length of the sessions.

I've instructed using a 45 min session once for HPDE 1

 

Its your job as the instructor to keep track of whats going on with your student.

If I saw a student zoning out our red misting its time to at least pull thru pit road. Have a quick chat, and finish the session.

The next session I'd probably do something different. Like after 10 min pull thru pit road, give them a couple minutes of information and then back out.

 

I know when I was in HPDE 1 the last session of the last day was really long, like 40 min.

When I got to 35 min I said - thats enough I'm going in.

 

Sometimes students have to learn this!

[whoahstu]

We run 20-25 minute sessions in the Great Lakes region, for this very reason.

[Cooper93]

20mins in the SE. Pretty much 20mins for 2, 3, and 4 also.

[ninetyfourintegra]

Typically 20 Min in Great Lakes. The season finale we did a "HPDE Enduro" which was I think 35, maybe 40 min. I was coaching my student in the morning about it and what to expect and what we would do during the long(er) session. When we were in the long session, I was calling out time. "OK we're at the 20min mark, approaching the 30min mark" and it was clear that performance and decision making dropped pretty dramatically. We knew it was happening and started slowing it down and focused on hitting marks, watching the corner workers, etc.

[Sleepy_Steve]

As a student (Ran my first event in Group2 that same event), I really liked the longer sessions on track. It gave me a lot of different opportunities to try different things all around the track in each session as my speed through different sections continued to increase. I was also happy to be able to have a bunch of different chances to play with various ways of rotating the car through the Carousel on every session.

 

Sure my car didn't care for it that much, and I was a tad sweaty when I took my helmet off... But I don't think one overwhelmed student is a reason to shorten the session times for an HPDE / TT only weekend. They pay the same as the other HPDE groups and would probably get the same number of run groups. Cutting out a full hour of track time for the students is a great disservice to them. After all, you should (in my view) be catering to the students who can be a sponge and properly absorb as much information as is provided in each session. Its the task of the instructors to keep struggling students under control.

[99HOSS]

The Fall Finale at Summit Pt was an event without racing, so the HPDE sessions were longer than we usually run throughout the season.

[kbrew8991]

since the time includes outlaps and inlaps 3x20min sessions isn't really the same amt of green flag track time as 2x30mins - something to think about

[08Bullitt0572]

I think some new students tire before the end of the session because they don't know how to drive the line and end up fighting the car in the turns. I know that was the case with me the first time I drove at CMP; I was always turning in too late and my instructor was daydreaming half the time. By the last session of the 2nd day I called it quits 10 minutes in.

 

Everyone learns at their own pace so I don't think the whole should have to suffer with shorter sessions. The student needs to realize his or her limits, and the instructor needs to make the call if the student doesn't have good judgment.

 

RA next month will be my first DE with NASA-SE. I was a little disappointed to see the sessions were short, but it looks like there will be a lot of people to meet and plenty going on to watch between classes and sessions.

[bpanther]

20 - 25 max for HPDE1/2 in RM. We've found that more than that and you loose the quality of what is being learned.

 

We've had long sessions of 45 minutes for HPDE3/4 and found that the majority of cars come in at the 30 minute mark.

[track 'bird]

I'm glad to see that other regions have noticed similar patterns of learning and adjust the sessions accordingly. After doing this for several years, I believe we can achieve our HPDE 1 goals in 20 minute sessions. No offense to the students, but they may not know what is best for them. I promise they will get their money's worth while I'm in the right seat.

On the other hand, HPDE 3 should have 30 minute sessions and occasionally the opportunity to drive as long as they can until recognizing they are tired. Their goals and skill sets are at a much higher level.

[sscguy]

I'm glad to see that other regions have noticed similar patterns of learning and adjust the sessions accordingly. After doing this for several years, I believe we can achieve our HPDE 1 goals in 20 minute sessions. No offense to the students, but they may not know what is best for them. I promise they will get their money's worth while I'm in the right seat.

On the other hand, HPDE 3 should have 30 minute sessions and occasionally the opportunity to drive as long as they can until recognizing they are tired. Their goals and skill sets are at a much higher level.

 

Then HPDE3 should have a higher entrance fee. I've had numerous DE1 students complain or comment on the shortness of a 20-minute session, especially when there's a lot of traffic.