Keith Robinson
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A more detailed/colourful report you say is needed? OK let's see first of all; to have driver training or not have driver training, that was the question confronting the RDC/SCCBC executive? As we had fundamentally the same organizing group as last year which ran a successful school then the answer was yes! RDC Chairman Gary Kwong, ably assisted by Pam Stec, Rod Davison and myself arranged registration of 24 students. A two day format was used again having the classroom early on Saturday morning preceded by a track walk. We had 12 instructors so there were no groups on course even close to Bonnie's mandated 10! The 'classroom' was held under tents in the pre-grid area with proper 'distancing', a TV screen, a course map and a white board. Chief instructor Ray Stec introduced RDC members who presented the various sections of the Driver Training Manual. Driving techniques, seating position, smooth acceleration and braking, car preparation, personal fitness, flags and safety equipment were instructed by Ray, Al Harvey, Norm Shaw, Alan Baker, Gary Kwong and Pam. After the classroom; red, green and yellow groups (8 students in each) were sent onto the track to do the tried and true exercises 1, 2 and 3. 1-Students are instructed on how to enter, apex and exit turns 1 & 2. Instructors observe each student individually and give feedback on each pass accordingly. 2- is the slalom course on the main straight which involves slaloming through cones while watching for a flag which, when lifted means you have to miss the next gate. The idea being to get the driver to watch the cones while using peripheral vision. 3- Similar to exercise 1 but in a much tighter corner. Upon completion of the exercises a driver's meeting was held to explain the 'lead/follow' protocol currently used in the RDC/C19 training. Gary Kwong then brought his green group (8 students) to pre-grid to line up behind their respective instructors With two students behind each instructor green group proceeded on track for slow lapping. While instructors led their students 'on the line' around the track additional RDC members observed their progress from different locations. Red, yellow and green groups all had two sessions on track before Saturday ended with a debrief meeting in pr-grid.
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