PCASDR Autocross “Track Walk” vs “ Parade Laps” Poll

[martinreinhardt]

What I'd really like to see is the return of the traditional morning "track walk" instead of the newer "parade laps" ! - The parade laps are an embarrassment and I think we tried it for long enough to know that it doesn't work. From my understanding, nobody in the Zone runs "parade laps" at autocross events. I certainly have never seen it in the 15+ years autocrossing.

The autocross "track walk" offers many benefits over the "parade laps" such as: sweeping the track, removing debris, marking unmarked cones, camaraderie, socializing, morning walk, studying and comparing different driving lines with your fellow drivers, finding the better pavement to drive on, finding braking points, etc.

[jbrennen]

I don't know if this was a feature of any previous track walks other than at the PDS, but if we go that route, PLEASE have an official novice track-walk coordinator. This should be an instructor with a loud voice and the knowledge of how to talk to novices about what they should take away from the track walk.

When I started with the Washington DC SCCA region, I really got a lot out of the novice track walks. In fact, I kept tagging along on the novice track-walks long after I was no longer a novice.

The point is, it should be an integral part of the morning preparations, with something like: "meet at the starting line at 7:50 for the novice track walk" being included in the event description and being announced on the PA system. Not every newbie is going to step up and ask for assistance or advice, but they will probably willingly follow an "expert" around with their eyes and ears open if it's just presented as part of the morning activities.

[ttweed]

This should be an instructor with a loud voice and the knowledge of how to talk to novices about what they should take away from the track walk.

I don't think I'm the only one thinking "Keith Verlaque" while reading this.

[marcus981]

Sorry, what's the embarrassment exactly?

I think last time Mark took a show-of-hands poll at an AX, there were more in favor of driving the laps. Keep in mind that you biased the outcome of this particular poll with your initial post, and that the forum is also much more likely to have experienced drivers reading it and voting on it rather than newer drivers who aren't eagerly monitoring the forum. All of the students that I have talked to seem to get more out of driving the laps. I like that the instructor is already assigned and is in the car with the student. They can then tailor their comments during the laps specifically to the student's car, driving experience, learning style, goals for the day, etc.

I certainly appreciate aspects of both, but I'm certainly not sure what's embarrassing about driving the laps. I'd personally like to see them progressively speed up a little bit each lap, so drivers get more of a sense of the dynamics.

[martinreinhardt]

Sorry, what's the embarrassment exactly?

I think last time Mark took a show-of-hands poll at an AX, there were more in favor of driving the laps. Keep in mind that you biased the outcome of this particular poll with your initial post, and that the forum is also much more likely to have experienced drivers reading it and voting on it rather than newer drivers who aren't eagerly monitoring the forum. All of the students that I have talked to seem to get more out of driving the laps. I like that the instructor is already assigned and is in the car with the student. They can then tailor their comments during the laps specifically to the student's car, driving experience, learning style, goals for the day, etc.

I certainly appreciate aspects of both, but I'm certainly not sure what's embarrassing about driving the laps. I'd personally like to see them progressively speed up a little bit each lap, so drivers get more of a sense of the dynamics.

Just look at the traffic jam it generates and all this at snail speed . How can it possiblbly help to learn the track as much or replace the track walk? Even F1 drivers walk the track with a notepad in hand. It is common sense.

Jack made some very good points above.

[Robert Joe]

Why not have both?
Didn't we use to do both back in the early 2000's?
My memory is foggy, but I do remember Track Walk and Parade Lap then when I came back in 2012, there were no more Parade Laps.

Martin has spoken to the Pros of a Track Walk and I agree with them. The Pros of Parade Laps are If I have a student, I can instruct them at slow speed and you get multiple laps to do that and fix their mistakes. There are many fundamentals of Autocross that are easier to teach in the car.

The problem with the Parade Laps is it is too slow. It was the slowest it has been at the last event and it did really bunch up before the finish. Since we started this, I have never been behind a car that drove the correct line. A better way would be to make it a Lead and Follow session. First establish a speed we want to take these laps at. It is still going to be slow, just not as slow as it is now. Take drivers that are normally in say the top ten BRI and send one out with 5 cars following. Then wait 10 seconds and send the next batch. Now you should have cars driving and learning the correct line.

[marcus981]

I really like Robert's suggestion of breaking up into smaller groups and using an experienced lead driver for each group and allowing them to drive a little faster.

F1 drivers are a lot different than our typical autocross drivers. I understand that advanced drivers are focusing on things like surface conditions and subtle camber changes and they can appreciate the different sensory perspectives that you can get while walking a track, but I think those things aren't really absorbed and applied by less experienced drivers. I believe they benefit more from additional time to learn the track by driving it in slow motion (but not too slow) with their instructor guiding them and having the chance to explain their reasoning in real-time.

I also thought Keith's track walks were informative, but they take a significant chunk of time, and it's hard for most people to see the track in a herd of 50+ people, so they aren't getting the full benefit of the track walk. The AX team has also been handling the cone chalking and sweeping ahead of time, instead of relying on a track walk to do those things

I would love to have the option of both, but I don't know how the morning schedule would allow it. Maybe on days when we can set the course the day before, people can walk the track quickly right before the driver's meeting starts once safety approves the course. But for events where we set up the morning-of, we're still fine-tuning the track until the driver's meeting starts, and we can't have people on the course while that's in progress.

[martinreinhardt]

I don't understand why we have to keep fixing what worked well for many years. There will always be a contrary opinion, but I disagree with yours. Novice drivers absorb more than you credit them for.

[cag4]

I'm so old school I think driving a car built before computers existed is still cool... so take this with a grain of salt

I enjoy the track walks for a couple of reasons:

1. The exercise
2. The tactile sense of the course, viewed from several angles
3. The carmraderie (get it? Esprit de Car?)... god help me, I actually think I miss Keith with the Bull Horn talking the track.
4. The tradition. Drivers have walked the track since before I could walk. And they still do... modern F1 drivers certainly don't need to, they can just fire up the uber-playstation... but they still do.

Now last event was a bit of an anomaly -- since it was a Zone 8 event, we had something like 116 drivers... looked like the 15 at rush hour, on a Friday. Its not usually that bad.

But, if time allows, I think we should try a good old fashioned track walk of one of these new, more open track layouts -- perhaps it would help folks not get so lost?

Charles

[Gary Burch]

We used to do a track walk, then each run group did a parade lap before actual runs started

[JayG]

We used to do a track walk, then each run group did a parade lap before actual runs started

That sounds like t would be the most beneficial and most useful as well as addressing all needs.
Especially if there was a parade lap before your timed runs

Depending on which schedule and what run group you are in, it can be hours between your last practice session and your timed runs
for example in the last schedule, in yellow you had over 3 hours between practice and timed runs, in orange it was over 4 hours!
With that much time between practice and timed, it is easy to forget the track.

[EricMarc-Aurele]

I benefited quite a lot from the track walk at PDS. More time gave the instructor the chance to explain each corner in depth. Throughout the whole day I was trying to put into practice all the nuances and gas points Mr. Duncan pointed out.

In the parade laps the instructor has to rush through their suggestions on each corner and has less time to talk about how the corners link up. However the track walk took quite a lot of time, and might make for a late start.

[jenniferreinhardt]

The Parade Lap does somewhat help. However, the Track Walk does a more complete and efficient job of providing the opportunity for learning in different Learning Styles. Educators are taught to teach in these 4 Modalities.

The 4 Styles/Modalities of Learning
1.Visual
2.Auditory
3.Tactile
4.Kinesthetic.

We should ALWAYS have the Track Walk, and if there is time, have the Parade Laps to best serve everyone.

Ways to save time in the morning...
1. Cut down the lengthy Driver's Meeting. I suggest emailing all the talking points of the Drivers Meeting to each Driver and require acknowledgement of receipt. (This can be part of the MotorsportReg Registration Process). Then, the meeting could more briefly touch on cone calling, corner working and safety, announcements, etc.
2. Go back to our 4 laps in the practice sessions, (instead of 5). This also is a better indicator of what your tire temps will be during the 4 timed runs we get.

[auxxcay]

Gary Burch wrote:
We used to do a track walk, then each run group did a parade lap before actual runs started

I thought the first lap of timed runs was your practice lap? Did that change too? I thought the first lap was practice and then you had tree runs to get your best time?

[Gary Burch]

Gary Burch wrote:
We used to do a track walk, then each run group did a parade lap before actual runs started

I thought the first lap of timed runs was your practice lap? Did that change too? I thought the first lap was practice and then you had tree runs to get your best time?

parade lap was before first runs of day for each group
no practice lap in timed runs all 4 count