Skill Level Instruction Program™ reference chart

Instructors choose the description that best describes the student's performance of each skill. SLIP is for use with Driving Evals only.

SLIP Level	L1: Novice	L2: Lower intermediate	L3: Upper intermediate	L4: Experienced	L5: Advanced	L6: Expert	L7: Über
Looks ahead / widescreen vision	Focused immediately ahead of car.	Intently watches next upcoming reference without regard to rest of turn.	Focused on next upcoming reference point. Fails to scan with widescreen vision.	Beginning to look past upcoming reference point. Beginning to see with widescreen vision.	Looks through corners and well ahead. Anticipates problems ahead. Sees combination turns as one.	Scans track sections with widescreen (simultaneous central & peripheral) vision. Attention solidly ½ step ahead of approaching reference point.	Simultaneously watches deeply ahead, with widescreen (simultaneous central & peripheral) vision, even in heavy traffic, while keenly aware of car’s position and cars in immediate proximity.
Situational awareness	Doesn’t know flag stations. Doesn’t see beyond car ahead. Doesn’t see obstacles.	Sees flags and understands them. Solid pit-in and pit-out.	Sees flags and problems ahead, but may not anticipate foreseeable problems.	Anticipates problems ahead, even in distance.	Anticipates problems ahead. Mentally keeps track of other cars in close proximity.	Keenly aware of potential or hypothetical dangers. Never surprised by cars in mirror or at side.	A racer’s vision and instinct to anticipate problems before they occur.
Knows & drives the line	May not know the track at all or know where to position car for corner entry.	Drives a basic safe line, but inconsistent and imprecise without continuous instruction.	Solid, basic line. Understands early / late apex. Uses all track width. Flustered when off-line.	Drives school line and experiments with alternatives. Always drives own line. Has driven off-line intentionally, but conservatively.	Comfortable on traditional lines. Drives off-line substantially below the car’s limit.	Drives school and alternative lines. Comfortable and fast off-line.	Enters turns faster and earlier than typical instructor.
Brakes at proper time & intensity	Abrupt, too soft, very early. Unintentionally trail-brakes. Brakes when frightened.	Consistent but conservative.	Relatively smooth.	Hard, steady, timely. Developing trail-braking.	Proficient trail-braking. Uses release to control rotation. Optional left-foot braking. May slightly overslow the car. Can brake right to apex if needed.	Expert trail-braking. Brake release skillfully timed to rotate car without overslowing.	Later and less than typical instructor, expertly initiating rotation.
Apexes tightly & consistently	Wide and inconsistent. No understanding of early / late.	Generally late, but when early may not realize it. Inconsistent.	Fairly consistent, but conservative.	Consistent and tight to benign curbs.	Consistent and tight even to intimidating curbs.	Pushes for that last inch, sometimes kisses benign curbs.	Uses as much curb as the car’s suspension will allow.
Uses track width	Crabs in. Fails to track out fully.	Crabs in when tense. Tracks out, but leaves excess room.	Does not crab in. Tracks out, but leaves excess room to a wall or berm.	Initiates turn from very edge of track. Tracks out comfortably, even to walls and berms.	Positions car precisely at turn-in. Tracks out comfortably. Unconsciously unwinds to prevent scrub.	Aware of track surface, elevation, and geometry. Consistently throttle steers to very edge of track.	Skillfully places car anywhere on track without overslowing.
Corner balance & throttle steering	N/A. Insufficient speed to require balance.	Delays throttle to avoid understeer.	Crude balance with throttle.	Experimenting with controlling rotation with brake release. Aggressive but not greedy with throttle.	Balances car proficiently with feet. Feels for grip with hands at peak of slip angle curve.	Expert at balancing the car with feet and hands throughout turn.	Applies full throttle earlier than typical instructor.
Makes smooth up and down shifts (Use N/A for auto/SMG)	No heel-and-toe. May be rushed or awkward.	Smooth upshifts. No heel-and-toe but smoothly slips clutch.	Smooth, unhurried shifts. Attempts heel-and-toe with at least marginal success.	Quick but not rushed. Solid heel-and-toe.	Quick. Heel-and-toe with little brake pressure release.	Extremely fast & smooth. Seamless heel-and-toe. No brake pressure release.	Second nature and automatic.
Throttle	Abrupt and/or tentative.	Squeezes throttle, but little feel or knowledge of effect on car balance.	Understands effect on balance. Starting to develop sensitivity.	Sensitive and controlled but occasionally too greedy.	Consistently uses throttle to steer. Can use abrupt lift for mid-turn rotation, if needed.	Analyzes turn for optimal throttle application. Always searching for last few RPM of exit speed.	Aggressively uses throttle in corners.
Steering	Nervous, jerky, inconsistent. Hands not at 9 & 3.	Smooth but inconsistent turn-in. Saws a bit at the wheel. May require reminders for hand position.	Relatively smooth and consistent, but may correct course later than optimal due to lack of foresight. Solid 9 & 3. No shuffling unless appropriate.	No shuffling unless appropriate. Few unneeded corrections. Quick countersteer if needed	Precise and refined. Relaxed and sensitive grip.	Analyzes turn geometry and surface for slight optimizations.	Master at car control.
Consistent lap-to-lap	Highly inconsistent. No two laps alike.	Inconsistent.	Relatively inconsistent. Mistakes vary in each lap.	Fairly consistent. Focuses attention on specific corners for improvement.	Highly consistent when trying. May experiment and push in certain corners	Capable of stringing together a series of fast consistent laps.	Capable of pushing hard without sacrificing consistency.
Pace	Very slow.	Full throttle on straights, but may lift early when approaching challenging turns.	Full throttle to braking zone. Corner speed just starting to exhibit slip angles.	Able to flow with advanced and instructors cars, perhaps as a slower car.	Solid instructor pace. Uses good slip angles.	High instructor pace.	Exceeds instructor pace.
Poise	Anxious.	Anxious in turns and traffic, otherwise reasonably calm.	Anxious in heavy traffic.	Fairly poised and comfortable in heavy traffic at speed. Gives and takes late point-bys.	Very poised and comfortable in heavy traffic. May be anxious side-by-side in corners or braking zones.	Very poised and comfortable, even in side-by-side situations.	Highly alert, poised and comfortable. Keenly focused when required.
Understanding / self-diagnosis	None yet.	Limited. May not know when a corner is entered too fast or turn-in is too early.	At least crude self-diagnosis (e.g. knows when they are early or too hot).	Moderate self-analysis. Understands not just what happened, but why (root cause) and knows this before corner is completed.	Advanced self-analysis. Understands event and considers all possible root causes.	Highly developed self-analysis. Can develop and test strategies for improvement.	Highly knowledgeable and perceptive. Routinely challenges assumptions and tests alternatives.
Student's overall performance	Novice	Lower intermediate	Upper intermediate	Experienced	Advanced	Expert	Über