High Performance Drivers Education
Encyclopedia
The High Performance Drivers Education (HPDE) refers to driving school
s held on dedicated race track
s designed to teach drivers proper high speed driving techniques. HPDE events are held by various automobile enthusiasts' clubs at some of the most renowned road-course tracks around the world. Participants include both students and instructors. Students are grouped according to their ability and experience, with "Novice Group" students being the least experienced,"Intermediate Group" being more experienced and "Advanced Group" drivers being the most experienced and capable of driving the racetrack without a ride-along instructor
. Mandatory classroom instruction contributes to the overall learning experience and allows peer-group discussions of on-track performance and analysis of track characteristics.
HPDE events are not racing
. Cars on-track operate under strict "rules of engagement" which minimize the likelihood of dangerous encounters with other cars. Occasional off-track excursions into the grass are normally controlled stops, with track personnel and on-board instructors supervising a safe re-entry onto the track. Passing among participants is facilitated only within defined "passing zones", and then only with clear hand signals and instructor confirmation.
HPDEs encourage participants to drive within their ability and improve their car-control skills with each event. Instructors and staff evaluate each student's progress throughout the weekend, and make recommendations on the student
's advancement through successively higher skilled driver groups. It is extremely important for Novice drivers to learn the basic safety measures of the sport first such as the blend line, flags, corner worker functions etc. It is also important to start by mastering basic car control skills and the basic racing line first and not worrying about how fast you are going. Speed, "safe speed" is developed by "learning" how to drive and understanding the proper racing line first. The truly fast driver is safe and competent. High Horsepower does NOT make you a fast driver. It only makes you a driver with a fast car.
Some basic things for all Novice drivers to learn include:
Although the majority of participants utilize a performance vehicle, students are allowed to drive virtually any vehicle that has been deemed safe by a qualified mechanic
and is known to have adequate handling characteristics for track use. Most schools require convertible
s to have an approved rollbar
. Some factory installed rollbars are not approved for track use. Factory-installed 3-point seatbelts and approved helmets are the minimum safety restraint system allowed. Safety Helmets with a Snell Memorial Foundation
rating of "M" (motorcycle
- not fire retardant
) are required for some schools but most will require "SA" (speciality application - fire retardant) ratings, with the helmet specification being no older than 10 years (example: Rating SA-2000 helmets would normally be valid for HPDE events through the year 2010). The Snell Foundation normally releases upgraded helmet standards every five years.
Some HPDE events also include a "Time Trial
" segment, usually conducted at the end of the day, where advanced students who have been "signed off" to drive without an instructor compete for fastest lap times. Time Trials are also conducted under strict rules which maximize track safety.
Requirements for HPDE events vary greatly from organization to organization. Some being more strict than others regarding safety equipment, evaluation of driver skill and vehicles allowed to participate.
Driving school
Driving school may refer to:* A school that teaches driving training and road safety; see driver's education* Driving School, a 1997 docusoap which was broadcast on BBC One...
s held on dedicated race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
s designed to teach drivers proper high speed driving techniques. HPDE events are held by various automobile enthusiasts' clubs at some of the most renowned road-course tracks around the world. Participants include both students and instructors. Students are grouped according to their ability and experience, with "Novice Group" students being the least experienced,"Intermediate Group" being more experienced and "Advanced Group" drivers being the most experienced and capable of driving the racetrack without a ride-along instructor
Instructor
Instructor may refer to:In education:* Professor of a technical subject like dance or civil engineering at a university* A teacher of a specialised subject that involves skill**flight instructor**drill instructor**Physical Training Instructor...
. Mandatory classroom instruction contributes to the overall learning experience and allows peer-group discussions of on-track performance and analysis of track characteristics.
HPDE events are not racing
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
. Cars on-track operate under strict "rules of engagement" which minimize the likelihood of dangerous encounters with other cars. Occasional off-track excursions into the grass are normally controlled stops, with track personnel and on-board instructors supervising a safe re-entry onto the track. Passing among participants is facilitated only within defined "passing zones", and then only with clear hand signals and instructor confirmation.
HPDEs encourage participants to drive within their ability and improve their car-control skills with each event. Instructors and staff evaluate each student's progress throughout the weekend, and make recommendations on the student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
's advancement through successively higher skilled driver groups. It is extremely important for Novice drivers to learn the basic safety measures of the sport first such as the blend line, flags, corner worker functions etc. It is also important to start by mastering basic car control skills and the basic racing line first and not worrying about how fast you are going. Speed, "safe speed" is developed by "learning" how to drive and understanding the proper racing line first. The truly fast driver is safe and competent. High Horsepower does NOT make you a fast driver. It only makes you a driver with a fast car.
Some basic things for all Novice drivers to learn include:
- Track Safety
- HPDE terminology
- Proper seat and hand position
- Straight line braking
- Brake point
- Turn in point
- Apex
- Track out point
Although the majority of participants utilize a performance vehicle, students are allowed to drive virtually any vehicle that has been deemed safe by a qualified mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
and is known to have adequate handling characteristics for track use. Most schools require convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
s to have an approved rollbar
Rollbar
Rollbar is the name given to several different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Rollbar first appeared in the 1987 range as part of the Autobot Throttlebot team, similar to the Decepticon Battlechargers in which they were pulled back and then...
. Some factory installed rollbars are not approved for track use. Factory-installed 3-point seatbelts and approved helmets are the minimum safety restraint system allowed. Safety Helmets with a Snell Memorial Foundation
Snell Memorial Foundation
The Snell Memorial Foundation is a not-for-profit organization created to provide a high quality standard of safety for helmets. Founded in 1957, SMF is named after William "Pete" Snell, a popular sports car racer who died in 1956 of head injuries he received when the racing helmet he wore failed...
rating of "M" (motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
- not fire retardant
Fire retardant
A fire retardant is a substance other than water that reduces flammability of fuels or delays their combustion. This typically refers to chemical retardants but may also include substances that work by physical action, such as cooling the fuels; examples of these include fire-fighting foams and...
) are required for some schools but most will require "SA" (speciality application - fire retardant) ratings, with the helmet specification being no older than 10 years (example: Rating SA-2000 helmets would normally be valid for HPDE events through the year 2010). The Snell Foundation normally releases upgraded helmet standards every five years.
Some HPDE events also include a "Time Trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
" segment, usually conducted at the end of the day, where advanced students who have been "signed off" to drive without an instructor compete for fastest lap times. Time Trials are also conducted under strict rules which maximize track safety.
Requirements for HPDE events vary greatly from organization to organization. Some being more strict than others regarding safety equipment, evaluation of driver skill and vehicles allowed to participate.