Quote:
Originally Posted by LostSalad
I'm really glad I went to Red Star first. Zwartkops is convenient for me, being based in Pretoria. However, Red Star really put Zwartkops in perspective for me.
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I'm worried about snap oversteer
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So this post makes me sound like I worry a lot  . I'm just saying that I will definitely approach Zwartkops with a fair amount of caution lodged in my mind, whereas at Red Star I really gave it a good go even for my first time. |
No, you're not a worrier - it's a very real risk, and even after 800+ track laps, I'm still very careful at Zwartkops. Here's my advice for what it's worth. Take it or leave it, and many will disagree with me...
Switch your traction control fully off at Red Star, Midvaal (once you know the track), and on the skidpan. These places are where you can relatively safely practice managing oversteer, drifting, and improve your oversteer recovery skills.
Leave your nannies fully on at Zwartkops and Kyalami whether wet or dry and don't succumb to peer pressure. You can do quite fast laps with them on. I can run in the 1m18s with a passenger on board at Zwartkops with the nannies fully on and without triggering them.
As you know, it's very obvious when they interfere. That tells you that you're asking your car to do something it can't do. Have them on, but try to never cause them to kick in. Driving just within your car's capabilty is what you want to learn. Only once you get much better will you gain time by switching them off, but obviously you'll have more risk. Take another look at Jacques' Red Star video. You won't see him drifting or sliding around. Smooth = quick, and sliding isn't smooth.
Having said that, the nannies are just an aid. There is no cure for defying the laws of physics. If you go into a corner at a speed that your car is incapable of handling, nannies or not, you're going off - QED. But they might or are even likely to catch some silly mistakes and allow you to learn from that without breaking the bank.
I'm susceptible to distraction, especially when chatting to a passenger, and it takes very little distraction to make a big mistake. I will always keep my nannies on when I've got a passenger on board. During the past year they've saved me twice when I've had a passenger and made a stupid mistake. In one instance especially, I would probably have hook spun into the wall on T9 at Midvaal, and thrown my car away. I'm very glad that didn't happen.
YMMV