Slipstream - June 2020

High Performance Driver Education: The Unsung Heroes
by Craig Janssen, Chief Driving Coach
When most people think of a
Maverick PCA HPDE Track Day or
a PCA Club Race, they think of fast
cars, fast driving, and fun.
And all of this is true. But it’s the
people behind the scenes that make
these great club events possible: the
team of people keeping drivers safe
on the track.
No racetrack event can occur
without the help and hard work
of corner workers. This committed
Thank you to all our corner
workers. We look forward to
seeing you again at the track
when this crisis has passed, and
we can meet again safely.
and diligent group of people arrives
early in the morning and spends the
entire day standing at the corners
of the racetrack at their flagger
stations. Rain, sun, hot or cold,
they are the driver’s safety net.
They warn drivers when there is
a slippery patch out on the track.
They let us know when a car has
had an off-track excursion after
overcooking a corner - and is now
easing back onto the track. They
are the wielders of the dreaded
black flag, telling you to come into
the pits to explain why you were
driving a little out of control. And
they are the first people on the scene
if you get into trouble.
They are the most important
people at a track event - they truly
are our safety net.
Covid-19 has completely shut
down PCA track events in our
region and we won’t be on track
again until the fall. This means that
the income that some of the corner
workers rely on has disappeared.
David Hodges is a volunteer on
our Maverick HPDE Track Day
coaching team and is also the cochair
of the Maverick PCA Club
Race team. He realized the impact
this crisis was having on our corner
workers and reached out to a
couple of our volunteers to suggest
that we establish a Go Fund Me
fund raiser to thank our corner
workers for their deep commitment
to our program. The Maverick
PCA track driving community
was eager to show support of our
corner workers, and we raised
$7,265.00 in a little over a week.
Bill Kruder (Maverick PCA Club
President) had been following what
we were doing and let us know the
Club would like to also help. We
closed out the fund raiser last week
with $8,500.00. It was incredibly
encouraging to see the generosity of
our PCA driving group!
But then the generosity
multiplied. A number of the corner
workers asked us to give their
portion to others in the corner
worker group who they felt had
greater need - genuine community
in action.
A special note from the editor:
Six years ago day after tomorrow at
Pennington Field, according to a photo
I’ve saved to commemorate, I tried my
hand at my first autocross and scared
the life out of some corner workers
after I mis-read the cones and headed
toward them instead. My instructor
gently suggested that I readjust and
crisis was averted. I’d like to take this
opportunity to apologize and thank you
for your professionalism. Thank you.
Top to bottom: Beth Hartmann, Beth Hartmann,
Dustin Barnes , Alex Cardona
28 May