Reccomendations on ways to learn how to drive better, books, videos? Options

[Brad Roberts]

Yeah.. they allow it.. in SCCA!!

SCCA has practice days before their scheduled AutoX's. You can get 6-8 runs on practice day and 3 runs timed for $20 or 6 runs for $40 (only the first 3 are timed)

I'd suggest spending some time in Karts also. The reading is good so you can communicate with others about what the car is doing.


B

[DanT]

The reading is good so you can communicate with others about what the car is doing.


B

Exactly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[Crazyhippy]

The ass end is trying to pass me... Isn't that proper terminology?

BJH (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Tobra]

I too went to my first auto cross on Sunday, it was a blast, spent more time above 5000 rpm in a day than I have since I bought the car.

I should have picked the B group though, could have watched first, then drove that way. Well you live and you learn. This season is about done though, fortunately there is an indoor cart track about 20 minutes from my house

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) I only wish that was me, this is about 15 seconds faster than me on my 80 second run

[ConeDodger]

I too went to my first auto cross on Sunday, it was a blast, spent more time above 5000 rpm in a day than I have since I bought the car.

I should have picked the B group though, could have watched first, then drove that way. Well you live and you learn. This season is about done though, fortunately there is an indoor cart track about 20 minutes from my house

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) I only wish that was me, this is about 15 seconds faster than me on my 80 second run

Nope Toby, That was only about 13 seconds faster than you. That is Joy not Steve. Steve has the wildly colored graphics on his helmet, he was also about 18 seconds faster than you. Joy is just plain old white helmet. Still a spanking is a spanking... Joy has become a hell of a smooth driver. Maybe not agressive enough yet but she is very consistent. So much so that she hit the same cone every lap all day but for three laps! Apexed too early on the turn just to the west of the lightpole in the center of the track. If Steve hadn't talked to her about it she would have hit it every time. On one of her last runs she hit it and I saw her use a bad word! I cannot repeat it here but it is spelled much the same as the wheels on Steve's car!

[jhadler]

Tony,

Don't try for the "optimal" suspension right now. You don't know what that is... What I mean is that what works for one driver does not necessarilly work for another. Different driving styles, and car prep will require different suspension settings. And a softly sprung car will give you a much better feel for the weight transitions of the car. Don't invest too much in the suspension right now unless you already have the parts on the shelf.

In so. cal. you'll find LOTS of atuox events year round. I don't know about PCA down there, but many chapters won't allow non-Porsche drivetrains. SCCA events take all comers. You'll either run in X-Prepared or E-Modified. Do not expect to win in either of these classes right away though. What you SHOULD focus on is decreasing the gap between the regular front runners and yourself.

People who show up at an autox with the thought that their gonna be then next Senna or Andretti are invarriably dissapointed when they and their souped up hup-mobile wind up 10-15 seconds slower than some local hot-shoe driving a stock Honda Civic. The first few events will see dramatic gains up the learning curve.

Most definitely look into autox schools from the local clubs. You'll get some really good seat time, for minimal cost.

-Josh2

[grantsfo]

I never had instruction my first couple of years of AX driving. Then around last year Randal and some others instructed me and I still learned a tremendous amount.

Read, but make sure to get the seat time with a good instructor. I knew the physics of driving, but there are little tips that really good drivers are able to offer that go beyond car dynamics.

[carr914]

See if anybody has a copy of Going Faster! The Official Video Textbook of the Skip Barber Racing School you can borrow. I may sound like a shill for Skip Barber (and I do get a paycheck from them), but it starts with fundamentals, and advances from there. It's geared towards road racing, but A/Xing is road racing 1 lap at a time.

T.C.

[Brad Roberts]

Sooo hook us up!! (you get a check from them!!!) I would love to see it.


B

[Thorshammer]

Having crewed for Ronn Langford in the 80's (yes I am that old) I can tell you that his book is far more involved than determining lines. He (and his co author) delve ito the mental preparation of driving which to me is much more informative than any "lines" book. Here's what I know.

Auto X:

Smooth yet agressive in the way you drive. Every foot out is a foot you must come back in, and if the corner is a slower speed corner, than it is better to get the car in and turned even if you sacrifice some speed to ensure your exit is a good one. People that have always been slow to me are the ones that are going to show you how good their brakes are, too bad their corner entry mid and exit sucked so bad.

In Auto X it takes some serious mental preparation, since you have little time actually on the track driving. Here's how I prepare.

I show up late: I like some of the last runs, I get to watch all day, or at least part of the day.

I make sure the car is prepared the best I can. I WILL NOT SUFFER THE CARS POOR ABILITIES. If the course has a slalom, I may dial in a bit less over steer, especially if it has some speed to it.

I watch the course, from the start and then my next vantage point and so forth. And I watch more than one person drive it. Usually the guy that is fast does not look fast, because the car is smooth. You want to drive with fast and slow hands, Now I know you may think this is an oxymoron (or I am just a moron) but what I mean, is your hands must be quick to react, yet deliberate in the way you move them, and above all the way you turn the wheel on and off (starting and ending your turn must be smooooooooooooooooooooooooth) Like a babys ass.

For you scientific types, If your car can do an amount of work (corner). It will also have a limitation of time. If you reduce the time to load the the car, (reducing the time ) you will exceed the workload the car can do. So by spreading out the workload you can do the work limit. Am I making any sense.

Seat time, is just that seat time, without correction to your driving habits/problems, you may only reinforce the same problems.

I suggest a professional driving school. And start off with good habit from the start.

Also some LB (local boy) can help you (BRAD) and most of these guys really are fast, and have a alot to impart.

Erik Madsen

[914forme]

My local club does a Novice walk before the drivers meeting at each event. Usually done by Crissy or Ken Weaver - both are National Level SCCA drivers. They walk the course talk it out, point laugh, have a great time. They show the transitions, the lines things that will bite you, etc... Very nice for the novices, I tried to sneak into the last one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/alfred.gif)

You can also get on the list to setup, or sweeper for the course. It is a good way to go out and get an early look on the course, but best of all you are helping put on the event you will be running in. That goes a long way toward getting time with the top dogs, and that also helps you get the insider scoop. Bring some java, and share it, I don't even drink that black tar of death stuff, but others do, so I bring it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) it goes a long way first thing in the morning. But lik all of us have siad time and again seat time.

This summer I ran 3 auto-xes in 2 days, had fun runs after the night one, until 2:00am, back up at 6:00 am and ran all day long. I got about 30 runs in that weekend. Not sure if your local clubs do this , but Myautoevents.com is a great way to find local events with in a radius of your home, and plan your weekends.

[carr914]

Ever since the new owners bought out Skip, it's hard to get anything @ a discount, (I could not get my son a discount to a school), but the senior instructor and I shamed them into a discount on the video. I've been with Skip Barber since 1988, so my copy is in VHS. Obviously they are now on DVD and I can get them for $27 plus actual shipping from my house if I can get 9 people to join in on a group buy (I would be getting 1 for myself).

T.C.

[groot]

Tony,

Hook up with Cal Club Solo2. They used to have a auto-x school once a year (at least they did when I lived in your neck of the woods). They've got some great drivers there that are willing to help out newbies.

Cal club Solo2 website

Hmmmm..... 2 practice days coming up this weekend.....

[Crazyhippy]

Here's the pics i got of Tony's car.. i have cropped them a bit, and shrunk them a bit, so if you want the origianl, send me an e-mail... Bhipskind@gmail.com

It could use a bit stiffer sways (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[JoeSharp]

Tony, is that how you broke your door handel, draging it in a corner.

:PERMARIN: Joe

[TonyAKAVW]

No, the door handle broke from simple, unexciting fatigue. Still haven't fixed it. Maybe I'll make it electric and forget about it forever. Of course that would blow my 1889 lbs weight (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

-Tony

[Aaron Cox]

hey tony, i ordered the solo driving book...

you are welcome to borrow it when im done (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[DanT]

there you go Aaron.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Randal]

hey tony, i ordered the solo driving book...

you are welcome to borrow it when im done (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I have a signed copy that I'll be glad to let you borrow.

BTW a signed copy will end up making you go faster. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Joe Ricard]

After I figured out I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I got a hot shoe co-driver to teach me what fast looked like.
My 1st ride with him in my car was like "holy shit" his hands were moving in a blur his feet were even faster. He was also saying "holy shit" with this car is faster than he was.
So when I drove with him riding he just said Gas gas gas BRAKE turn gass gassssss . I learned through his voice inflection how much of what I was supposed to do. Hardest thing I had to get over was when the car got loose I was supposed to give it more gas.

Watch some of my videos on SCCAforums.com

Recording my runs on camera has been a big help in keeping "online" and where I thought I was wide open I really wasn't etc.
We are still getting faster