[old worker]

Just got this from a friend....Ross Bentley is a guy that can make it work!!! Link to follow.



Motorsport Safety Academy HPDE Credential Program


























The Motorsport Safety Foundation (MSF) today announces the creation of a groundbreaking new High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) instructor certification program, which provides a level of safety and accountability that the industry has been asking for. HPDE has never had a singular, industry-wide minimum standard, and critically needed an organization to help bring together best practices. For this reason and in collaboration with a number of instructors, drivers and organizations from the industry, the Motorsport Safety Academy HPDE credential program was formed.

The Motorsport Safety Academy has set two targets and purposes:
•Individual High Performance Instructors: Establish and set national standards for the selection and training of high performance driving instructors.
•Organizations Running High Performance Driver Education Schools: Establish and set minimum standards for the curriculum and operation of its training programs.

Both targets support MSF’s overall mission of defining standards for operations of HPDE schools and instructor training programs to provide a safer and better quality experience for performance driving students.

“So many industries require strict certification to ensure high quality and safety, but this is something that has not been fully defined in the HPDE space,” says Scot Elkins, Chief Operating Officer of the Motorsport Safety Foundation. “With the creation of this certification program, students and instructors alike will have confidence and know that the program they’re attending places an emphasis on safety and a high level of quality.”

Certification consists of six levels, from an online training program (Level 1) to certification for remote instruction using data acquisition and video (Level 6).

After completion of Level 1’s online certification, candidates then must successfully complete a hands-on Certified Instructor Training Program conducted by a certified organization to gain a Level 2 certification, which allows the candidate to begin in-car instruction with students on track. From Level 3, a candidate can become certified for additional skills that pertain to HPDE instruction.

It should also be noted that the standards as initially set out are meant to be the minimum, and will be adjusted over time with further input and feedback from the industry.

Annual dues for the Level 1 Certified HPDE credentials is $50, and includes a hard card, unique helmet stickers and listing in a national database of certified instructors provided by MotorsportReg.com, the premier online registration system for HPDE events.

Those that have been instructing for years, can be “grandfathered” in, though completing Level 1 certification is recommended to become accustomed to the language, definitions, and approaches that the Motorsport Safety Foundation has created.





LEARN MORE









Contact: Scot Elkins, scot@motorsport-safety.org




















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[Scuba]

Originally Posted by old worker

Those that have been instructing for years, can be “grandfathered” in, though completing Level 1 certification is recommended to become accustomed to the language, definitions, and approaches that the Motorsport Safety Foundation has created.

As an outsider to the realm of high performance driving instruction, for me this statement completely destroys the validity of the safety measures they say they're intending to implement.

A mandatory requirement that all instructors complete the training in order for an organization to be "certified" by MSF after some have period - say within five years - would carry more legitimacy.

I realize most instructors are volunteers with little compensation for their time, and the burden of completing the training to retain their instructor status is quite large. But, what problem is being solved by waving a magic wand and grandfathering all long time instructors?

If the problem is a proper baseline of instructor competency, grandfathering defeats the quality assurance of the certification program. Unless the grand plan is a generation's worth of attrition to an end state where all instructors nationwide have completed the training?

If the problem ISN'T baseline competency - then what's the point? Bureaucracy? Warm fuzzies?

[trytryagain]

Remote instruction, stickers, grandfathered in, $50 annual fees, wtf?

[BlackTalon]

I suspect it will be more for non-car club organizations.

[N0tt0N]

Originally Posted by trytryagain

Remote instruction, stickers, grandfathered in, $50 annual fees, wtf?

To be fair, it doesn't take much to set a industry-wide minimum standard.

[Dr K]

I thought it looked interesting until I saw the $50/year fees. What exactly do those feels cover? A hard card and helmet stickers (<$1.00)? Computer database (um...Internet??). This sounds like a way to try to make money for the organization. It reminds me of what is going on in Medicine with "Maintenance of Certification" where the American Board of Internal Medicine is reaping in huge amounts of money and doctors are very much up in arms (and many have formed a new "Board" to avoid those fees).

[old worker]

From my perspective, this is the start to a "national" approach to HPDE. Some of the Clubs do a great job at training members within their reach / region. But the high demand for instructors leads to " coining " of students that may be good on track but lack the education / understandings to teach. Frankly they are fast, but have limited understanding of track design and track operations. These coined instructors end up instructing at our club events because event chairs have to beg for help to make enough money to fund operations. I think Ross has always suggested we needed common terms & practices as a baseline for building instructor training programs. With hobby driving at HPDE growing, average cars getting faster, nannies, more tracks and instructor shortages a national base line is needed. Many of you remember that HPDE was influenced by club racers, some of you were there! Those racers had a different understanding of high speed driving. HPDE has changed....we just need to keep changing with the new demands. One of the major needs.... open dialog on a every subject?
Club racing has enjoyed influence and guidance from other national club racing programs. I don't see where a national monitor would have a negative effect on HPDE. Might be time?
Yes I too dislike worthless rules .... but I dislike a select group withholding information from those that might benefit from it, more!
Disclaimer: ..... I hung up my communicators a few years ago. Only left seat for me.

[racer]

If PCA has its own program, and I assume BMW has its own program and SCCA has its own program.... and blah blah has its own program... this just sounds like one more program. Not saying its a bad idea but not sure I see the benefit, unless it becomes another clause in the Insurance underwriting that all instructors must pass "standard x" with this being the new standard. Or that non marque specific groups that decide to run DE events use it as a way of filtering out those who claim to be instructors and those who actually are instructors.

MSF, to me, is MOTORCYCLE Safety Foundation.. Not, "Motorsports Safety Foundation" so already, there could be confusion.

[N0tt0N]

Its a starting point. Do the math, how much service would you expect to get for $50/year? An hour of someone's time. I applaud the effort as a starting point.

Its not that relevant for PCA given how much they already invest in the instructor program. But, for others, and for consumers of 'instructor led' HPDE events it might be very useful. Especially if they eventually introduce additional credentials as I expect they will. For instance, for our existing instructor corps we'd need some fairly specialized credentialing...

Vranko - Certified High-performance Instructor Capable of Achieving Wet-on-both-Ends Ontrack with Women (CHICA-WOW) with a Best Instructor Ever oak-leaf cluster

[vranko]

Originally Posted by N0tt0N

Vranko - Certified High-performance Instructor Capable of Achieving Wet-on-both-Ends Ontrack with Women (CHICA-WOW) with a Best Instructor Ever oak-leaf cluster

That program is going to be way more than $50/year