technique, skills and drills

[alex.s]

... should I pull the fuse at the track?

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by alex.s

... should I pull the fuse at the track?

Probably not, figure out what's happening first and learn to drive the car as it is first.

It's highly unlikely the ABS is slowing you down or causing any weirdness based on what you describe, if anything it might be saving your ass.

[Azzudien]

No

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by alex.s

thanks! i'll read that book. any other book suggestions?

Lots more where that came from: https://speedsecrets.com/

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by alex.s

I come from the world of 2-wheel racing where all anyone ever talks about is technique, skills and drills and the mistakes we make / why we make them / how they effect us / how to fix it... but i'm trying to find similar threads here... maybe they're just lost in the forest of posts? am I missing a skills & drills thread directory? wrong forum?

The motorcycle world makes it VERY clear, from the top down, that skill trumps all. A prototype is not faster than a production literbike, with equal riders and prep, but a good rider will completely school a novice, regardless of bike.

Unfortunately, that doesn't carry over to cars; a production car has very little in common with a Prototype (think F1, LMP, etc., vs a Corvette or Ferrari). Even worse, a driver's skill cannot make up for as much in a car as with a motorcycle.

Next, the consequences of a mistake on a bike are much greater than on a car. One mistake can leave you dead on a bike, whereas with a car, you're likely to walk away with little to no lasting consequence.

Thus, it leaves everyone with the mentality of "make the car faster" or "buy a faster car".


Case in point: A pro on a 200/250/300 will lap Laguna tens of seconds faster than I can on a 600/1000. A pro in a Miata/FRS/Civic will lap tens of seconds slower than I can in a Corvette/Porsche/Ferrari.

Folks who ride are much more willing to admit that their skill is the primary limiting factor, than folks who drive a car. The most common excuse you'll see in the car world is "my car is not fast enough" or "my car needs more prep/parts/work/power".


If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask, and I'll answer to the best of my ability.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by alex.s

people keep saying this... i feel like this is part of what i'm not understanding... when it does kick in, i can definitely feel abs. it kicks in about a second after a lockup... you can feel the pulsing in the brake pedal right? you can feel it grab traction again.. pretty obvious when abs kicks in i think normally isn't it?

when i'm going for a hard braking zone and do a nice smooth transition onto full brake and then hear a rear tire sliding, and feel no pull from that side / rear gets super loose... and i don't feel abs kicking in... what is going on in this situation? i'm obviously not locking a tire... its just sliding... maybe it's not a braking problem but an engine braking problem? i feel like i'm ok at heel-toe and try to blip on down shifts... maybe i need to take some video of my feet

You're trail braking. You're not locking up; you're breaking traction laterally.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by alex.s

... should I pull the fuse at the track?

Pedal dance is your friend.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Case in point: A pro on a 200/250/300 will lap Laguna tens of seconds faster than I can on a 600/1000. A pro in a Miata/FRS/Civic will lap tens of seconds slower than I can in a Corvette/Porsche/Ferrari.

Thanks for all your feedback.

i used to race 250s at local club races. they're a ton of fun. for track days we would ride B group because they're kinda slow, so you wind up passing everyone through the corners and then they go flying by in the straights. not unlike the 86 actually. kinda funny, really.

I have been completely amazed at how little consequence there is to making mistakes in a car. even when you really screw the pooch. I've crashed bikes almost 15 times... it really hurts... but you screw up in a car, spin the car, something that on a bike would probably high-side you... and it's like, oh whatever. if you don't hit anything you're fine. no big deal. it's amazing. but anyway, yeah... driver skill is #1.

[alex.s]

is there a difference between 5seconds on the trac button vs pedal dance?

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by alex.s

is there a difference between 5seconds on the trac button vs pedal dance?

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25494

[alex.s]

very interesting. i was just using the 5-second trac button. i'll use pedal dance from now on.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by alex.s

Thanks for all your feedback.

i used to race 250s at local club races. they're a ton of fun. for track days we would ride B group because they're kinda slow, so you wind up passing everyone through the corners and then they go flying by in the straights. not unlike the 86 actually. kinda funny, really.

I have been completely amazed at how little consequence there is to making mistakes in a car. even when you really screw the pooch. I've crashed bikes almost 15 times... it really hurts... but you screw up in a car, spin the car, something that on a bike would probably high-side you... and it's like, oh whatever. if you don't hit anything you're fine. no big deal. it's amazing. but anyway, yeah... driver skill is #1.

Let me know if you're interested in coaching. It'll dramatically accelerate your learning curve while reducing risk and reducing consumable use.

[alex.s]

I would love and absolutely take any chance for coaching or advice. My next track day will be july 9th at buttonwillow, not sure if you'll be around. I'll have more cameras and i'll be recording data so i think things will be more obvious in video then too. I've actually been watching some of your videos. they're really good. great driving.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by 14stu

Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley

Originally Posted by Icecreamtruk

Ultimate Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley

holy shit. book just got in. what a gold mine! thanks. really great suggestion!