NASA Great Lakes Region HPDE Instructor Program

Welcome to the NASA Great Lakes region Instructor program page!

2026 NASA GL Instructor Driving and Experience Requirements:

-A minimum of 4X driving in NASA GL HPDE 4 run group events or equivalent*

-6 or more total NASA GL events or equivalent*

-A minimum of 3 or more tracks/NASA GL events at different tracks*

*Or at the discretion of NASA GL Chief Instructors

The path to becoming a NASA Great Lakes Instructor includes the 15 steps below. We call new instructors "Instructor Candidates". Instructor Candidates take an on-line certification (MSF level 1), an e-Classroom, perform on track role play practice (usually in April at Mid-O), attend several of our instructor morning meetings and interface with a senior instructor or "mentor". Mentors are more experienced senior instructors and often MSF level 2 or 3. Our entire program is about giving you small bites of instructor education and information over several months so that when you are evaluated at our ITS (Instructor Training School) you are very well prepared, confident, and ready to instruct. This program is unlike anything currently offered in North America. Typical study time for our program is 40 hours or more if you like to frequently review our materials.

Please read the following steps below and follow the process. You'll see that you'll be notifying me once you complete your on-line MSF Level 1. This is step 2 below. You'll want to plan on following ALL the 15 steps below. Ready to go? You can start by getting that MSF Level 1 certification and get that back to me as soon as you can. Take initiative and start the program today----you'll be a better instructor when you start early and begin studying and learning our process.

NASA GL Instructor Candidate process:

Step 1: Read Ross Bentley's Instructor Manifesto and immediately afterward take the MSF Level 1 certification. There is a one time fee of $50 for this payable to the non-profit Motorsports Safety Foundation (MSF). You'll need a MotorsportReg account for this. Follow the link above which will guide you through the level 1 process. Level 1 is a Nationally recognized certification. It is your link to being seen by other NASA and other HPDE organizations as a certified level 1 instructor. See link above for more details and taking your level 1. Note that when you sign up for Level 1 using MotorSport.Reg you'll need to wait up to a few hours for your quiz password. Didn't get a password or forgot your password? Please contact MSR Registar Chuck Tucker. He can be reached at: registrar@motorsport-safety.org

Step 2: Submit your completed MSF Level 1 certificate to Eric Meyer. This action formally gets you into our NASA GL instructor program. I wil record your certification in the database and direct you to the next steps (see below).

Step 3: Join our NASA GL Instructor facebook group and the 4,000+ member HPDE Instructor facebook group. These are fantastic resources and a great way to connect to your fellow NASA GL Instructor team members. Here is another good fbook page for safety information and industry news: https://www.facebook.com/MotorsportSafety

Step 4: Once in HPDE 4, you can receive an Instructor referral letter from Eric Meyer to get your feet wet instructing with other non-NASA GL organizations. Jeff Henderson and I want you to go out and get your feet wet instructing. This is not a requirement but rather an opportunity to practice instructing and learn something before our required 2026 Audit weekend and ITS. Get your MSF L 1 and I'll help you get instructor experience---not education, experience. If you need more info on this, email me. ericmeyer@nasagreatlakes.com. You need only to ask me for this and I'll write one up. You will not get an instructor referral letter unless you ask for one.

Step 5: Sign up for the NASA GL Instructor e-Course ($150) and be ready to learn. The better instructor candidates will take the e-Course in the Winter months and then refer to it often before our 2026 ITS (Instructor Training School). When you've completed the e-Course, email me a copy of your graduation certificate.

Step 6: Receive your Instructor Candidate handbook The handbook is a 3 ring binder that is frequented revised and updated with a continuous improvement philosophy. You'll get this from Eric in the mail. The instrucotr handbook is your guide to success. Study it well and bring it with you to both the Winter Meetup, the Audit and our ITS events. We are an OPEN BOOK program and you will refer to this handbook often during your time as both an Instructor Candidate and also as an offical NASA Great Lakes Instructor.

Step 7: Be prepared for an informal Zoom video calls in late winter and early spring (no dates yet). This is an informal way to meet your instructor brothers, get some information on the program and answer any questions you might have. Here you will learn even more about our program and the upcoming ITS.

Step 8: Be prepared to attend one of our two Winter Instructor meetups with training, fun and to meet our team. You are welcome to attend both if you like. They are February 21st 2026. This will likely be in Indianapolis (not confirmed yet) where we will do some driving SIM instructing.

Step 9: Buy a communicator. There are two prevailing and great quality communicators. One of them is more popular and is offered by our Track Vendor: Track First. This is the SPEEDCOM Unit. They always have spare headsets for sale at the track and batteries should yours go dead. Please try to offer them your business as they are trying hard to support us at track events. The link to the comm system is here: https://track-first.com/communications-systems-auto-sport/p/speedcom-scc-2mpi-2-person-intercom Keep in mind that you'll need both a headset for yourself and one for your student, Buy some extra AA batteries just to have them around. Bring your communicator to the April Mid-Ohio event. Don't wait to the last minute to buy a communicator because most instructors do wait and supplies go zero balance/out of stock. Buy one today. Bring it to the April Part 1 HPDE 1 Audit program. The other communicator to check out is the Trac Com. Both are very good. AVOID the Chatterbox at all costs--cheap quality and bad speakers that aren't loud enough.

Step 10: Sign up for Instructor Program Part 1 (2026 date TBD). This has you attending a Friday on track session with a mentor in a 4 passenger or more vehicle. This exposes you to what good instruction looks like. You will use your obtained knowledge from the e-Course and the Instructor handbook to practice instructing on track. You will NOT be evaluated. This is practice before the real ITS (Instructor Training School). For Saturday you'll be in the HPDE 1 classroom all day taking notes and following a form that will be in your 3 ring binder. On Sunday you can drive for free in HPDE 4. This cost of this audit is $25 total for all 3 days. This 2 day audit presents to you our HPDE 1 Instructor process. You'll be very busy your entire Friday and Saturday. You do not need a track car unless you want to drive in HPDE 4 on Sunday. A $25 registration fee covers Friday and Saturday and if you want to drive in HPDE 4 on Sunday that's fine. You can also go home if you like after Saturday. Your choice. This Audit is a one time effort and allows you to understand how our HPDE 1 classroom is aligned with your on-track instructing efforts. As an instructor, you are an extension of the classroom. Friday is excellent practice for your upcoming Friday ITS where you will be right seat instructing for the entire day---6 role plays. Bring your communicator.

Step 11: Part 2. Sign up for the ITS (Date and location not yet determined). Sign up for the NASA GL future ITS (Instructor Training School) AND Instructor driving in HPDE 4. Contact Eric Meyer if you have any questions as this is sometimes a bit confusing for the first time Instructor. This cost is either $349 for all instructor candidates and $50 for existing NASA Instructors. You will need to provide a 2 seat (or more) HPDE 1 car for this May event. This vehicle is the responsibility of the instructor candidate. No SUV's or trucks. No loud race-cars. Passenger cars are best. See Eric for details.

Step 12: Instructor Candidate Zoom call #2. May 2026 TBD. Zoom call link: TBD

Step 13: You will be assigned one HPDE 1 student for your first event Sat and Sun weekend. You will find in your Instructor Candidate education 3 ring binder that you'll need to reach out to your assigned student via email BEFORE the event and then follow up with a phone call. Plan to use the TOP 11 Interview 4" X 6" Cheat sheet on your lanyard. Instructions for this will be in your 3 ring binder that I will mail to you. All of the above info is easy to execute once you have taken the e-Course and read the Instructor Handbook.

Step 14: Successfully complete the Friday one day ITS. That same weekend you'll have one HPDE 1 student on Sat and Sun! Total training time for the program: approx. 40 hours.

Step 15: I will forward your name and info to the Motorsport Safety Foundation. MSF will activate your MSF Level 1 account so that you can pay the $35 Level 2 fee. This earns you your Level 2 Instructor status and puts you into a National database. This database tells other Chief Instructors and event organizers that you have completed the Level 2 requirements and that you are a legit HPDE instructor. This Level 2 certification requirement allows you to be considered by several organizers and instruct with them/for them. Please understand that each club and organization does things differently and your Level 2 status does not automatially earn you entry into their program. It gives you a certified credential but not an automatic entry into thier program. Each region and club is different. Most prioritize your certification over other visiting instructors who do not have this cert. Additionally, you will receive your NASA National instructor license ($0). Your NASA National instructor license can get you into other NASA region events.

Congrats! You are now an MSF Level 2 certified and NASA GL Instructor!!! Register for all the future events you plan on attending ASAP! Do you have more questions? Check out our FAQ page here.

MSF Level 3: Once you achieve 22 instructing days or more, contact Eric Meyer for Level 3 details. This is an intermediate Instructor certification that requires an on-line test, a verbal role-playing exam and some classroom.

NASA GL Instructor Resources and tools you should be familiar with: