It's certainly no secret that Kinser has been my "Jedi Master" since I jumped into league racing a couple months ago, but rather than ruin his good name and reputation, I'd chosen to remain publicly silent about it until I could demonstrate a little bit of success.
I had a lot of success at my debut in July, and I had hoped to repeat it right away so I could make a stronger case for my mentor. Unfortunately for me, competition was fierce in August, so my cars felt a little less impactful. But in reality, I still saw some improvement on July's times, so I'm still proud of this second outing. (Actually, had I checked with him first, I may have avoided a rookie mistake in reprep and perhaps finished even better.)
Luckily, I'm not his only case study anyway. I would never ask who else is or has been mentored (and Chris is very respectful of our privacy), but note those who have publicly acknowledged his mentoring (in this thread and elsewhere). Then take a look at where those guys are finishing each month. Pretty compelling case.
Of course, there are no guarantees; I think results will vary from builder to builder based upon ability to learn and willingness to put in the work. I would be willing to guarantee that at a very minimum, Kinser mentoring will save those willing to listen and heed advice a LOT of time, money, and wasted effort (more than what you've paid him, I'll bet).
To be clear, mentoring does NOT equal spoon-fed dictation from a national champion. No true mentor worth his salt would ever feed you a few tips and tricks for a quick payoff. That kind of advice may only carry you for a race or two anyway. A true mentor teaches you to think, and I feel that I've been trained to think like a PWD builder/racer.
It's been awesome to be mentored by a legend in the game. I consider myself very fortunate that the first Pro I ever talked with was a guy with the integrity, humility, patience, and genuine concern of Chris Kinser - and it's my great honor to call him a real friend.
Thanks brother!
