MDTC - An Advisor and Parents Perspective

21 November 2016 / Article: Tammie & Warren Hotz Photos Grant Webber

A day in the life of Driving Advisors and parents of a “P” Plate driver.

We arrived at Marulan Driver Training Centre on Sunday to see so many new faces eager and nervous to have their first go driving on a purpose built circuit. Each participant had limited experience in this environment and took comfort that the advisers were there to build their knowledge and skills over the course of the day.

This track thing is not as easy as it looks some said and it’s a bit scary but with the Advisers by their side and doing some demonstration laps for the first 5 minutes of the session we showed how the car reacts to late braking, cornering, how to use the cone markers to identify where you need to be on track to be fast. You don’t need fancy telemetry, gauges or shift lights, you just need to listen and get in sync with your car.

For me, I have volunteered at previous MDTC training days, for Warren this was his first Adviser day. We had a conversation about the day when we arrived home and we both agreed that all the first timers demonstrated noticeable confidence each time they completed a session. By the end of the 3 Adviser sessions the first timers had built confidence, knowledge and skills. This is invaluable to being a better driver both on the road and on a track.

Our son Blake also participated in the first timer group. He would like to start doing the club track days but as parents we wanted him to experience the Driver training day to prepare him for being on a track with others all the while driving at speed, braking, understanding the apex, how quickly the car can react to over driving, braking too heavily which can in turn result in a spin and what to do or not do if that happens. As it was he did have quite a big spin trying a different line which unsettled the car while braking and he spun off the track. He didn’t cause or have any damage but he now understands that incidents can happen very quickly and when it does you have no control. As I have told him when the car is spinning its clutch and brake flat to the floor till the car stops.

Even if a first timer learns “one” thing from a driver training day, then it’s been a Good Day!!!
It’s not just a Boy thing, Girls can do it to.

MDTC is the perfect facility for great day in a safe environment to get to understand your cars capability. The facilities are perfect to bring to whole family along to, there is shade on the veranda, great food and coffee and the owners and staff are friendly and share the passion for motorsport.

See you all next time

Tammie and Warren Hotz

More photos by Grant: HERE

More photos by Rob: HERE