The one thing you learned/did that made you faster?

+1 - first time in a F2000 type car (small open wheeler), I couldn't get the braking points right (e.g., I hit the brakes waaaayyy too soon and slow and deliberate like a street car).

I still suck at that

 

I agree 100%, actually this is what made me break my pleataeu for a few years. It wasn't until I changed my mechanic, who is an ex-CRG factory driver. When I first worked with him, he noticed right away two things.

1. My hands were moving too much, way to jerky. It was like I was fighting the kart which made it look like the kart was not handling right. So he tells me to slow it down and put less input into wheel.

2. Look ahead. I was always looking right at the nose of my car. So instead of looking through the whole corner, I was looking at the entry, then the apex and finally the exit.

3. When you turn in, stay committed, dont second guess yourself.

 

One of the things that helped me, was to just relax and try and "feel it". Honestly, trying not to think so much, and trying and carry all the momentum and hitting your marks. This lead to me not braking as much, carrying more speed into the corners, being smoother and just all around faster. This goes for both karts and cars too. I can't wait for the racing season to kick off, i'm getting really anxious for some seat time and racing.

 

Peter, flattering will get you no where but if you want me to drive you car I definitely will!

You are right I did think I was a great racer when I won 11 of 13 races in one season racing IT setting track records and winning championships. I saw the World Challenge guys and I was like this is easy. Those guys aren't that good. Uh yes they are. Man that was a huge eye opener. I found I could go fast like them but I couldn't do it for 50 minutes. It took me a couple of years to do this and I am still working on making myself a better driver.

Peter touches on teh data topic. This helps our more than anything when you are working with someone that knows how to make the systems work. Most track day guys use a Traqmate system for its ease of use and its ease of removal. Using data along with a pro/coach riding along with you to get immediate feedback pays tremendous dividends in a short period of time. The return on investment for hiring someone like Peter, Guy Cosmo, myself or any other driver that coaches in their spare time will pay for itself in a couple of sessions. And like myself it helps to not just set one blazing fast lap, it helps you do this lap after lap. At some point this is recommended by just about anyone.

 

The other bene of working with someone who is a driver, coach AND familiar with interpreting data is that if they're giving you your money's worth, they are also helping equip you with enough general understanding so that YOU can begin to identify trends and chart weak points (or "areas for improvement") ON YOUR OWN, in the future.

As an aside, Seth, your comment about pounding it out within tenths or hundredths for FIFTY minutes is key! Anyone with a little talent and a lot of discipline can screw up their courage and focus for three, maybe four laps.

It's that metronomic consistency OVER TIME that allows the actual execution of control inputs to be pushed below conscious action. THEN, there is more time and "headroom" to process strategic decisions and listen to the car's and the tire's condition. It's awesome when you begin to progress to that level behind the wheel.

The key still is making a commitment to continual learning. Right, Seth?

 

Correct, Still learning a lot to this day

 

....Be less harsh on the steering, improved me by quite abit.

 

For people already at 90+% pro skill level, the only way to improve is get a top flight pro as coach at a track and with a car you are familiar with. Then you can learn where that last 5% is. For me what I leared was the amazing ACTIVE CONTROL that a really good FIA GT driver has. There is not a split second where he is not in active control of either the brake or throttle. There is absolutely no waiting for car to "settle down" before going from throttle to brake or vice versa.

 

Keeping my eyes focused down the track instead of the track in front of the car. Learning to drive with your lower peripheral vision is SO critical to being able to process the track faster and anticipate the line you need to take in traffic.

 

Coaching! I have nothing but praise and gratitude for the trackday volunteer instructors, but as others have said there is no substitute for professional coaching. The volunteers are there to keep you safe, not to teach you racecraft or even necessarily to find the very fastest way around the track.

I have had superb experiences with a coach who completely understands the limitations of both me and my car. For one thing, he showed me what my car could do in competent hands. He also got me to make substantial changes in my driving, all of which make me faster. I am much smoother, and I also have stopped trying to out-brake my competition. Instead, he has me doing everything earlier than I had been (and with more finesse): braking, turning, and getting back on the gas. There is simply no way I would have figured all this out on my own. I'm actually planning on driving fewer events but working with him more this season. Seat time is valuable but coach time is even more so.

 

Thanks Ronbo for the great endorsement for what we do!
There's a lot of drivers out there who are late to the party in realizing the value!!

 

1972, following Kenny Roberts off of turn 9 at laguna, I noticed that he was sliding the front wheel on the way into the corner, and using the rear wheel sliding to straighten the bike up on the way out. I had been running 1:23s before that and once I started using his technique (not as well), I dropped 3 seconds a lap, enough to put me within one second of the pole that year. That and looking further down the track, all helped to make me competitive.

Art

 

starting my racing career at Skip Barber... the coaching I received is what propelled me into the driver I am today. Now I'm coaching there to help aspiring drivers reach their goals as a driver.

 

going slower sometimes get's you faster results, oh and do not use traction control in certain cars..

in the 360 modena, if you turn on sport mode the traction control doesn't really do anything, you have to basically completely lose control or hit a oil slick for the traction control to work.. which is how "sport mode" should be in a sportscar

but other cars and they are all different will really screw you up

my m3 I have to turn off traction control because with it on it constantly steals power from me and compeltely messes up my driving skills..

I got in the m3 did 2-3 runs this morning with sport + traction on.. then got in the modena after being used to the mess that is traction control and wipedout almost getting slammed by a 911 turbo..

After that mess I disabled the TC in the M3 and just drive the car as I usually do.. feel the grip at all times and modulate throttle/brakes etc. as you should..

What I love about the modena is it uses the traction control in normal mode fairly often if it feels it's needs to.. but the sport mode as well as changing the shifting/suspension also gives you plenty of breathing room on the track while suppling you with a (very) little security also. Not as awesome as the "race" mode in the 430 but it's very good..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGwCWqC1XwY

here is the embarassing video hehe

that being said it was my only wipeout of the day in any car ..

 

it did respond normally yes.. basically i felt the rear end slip, then i hit brakes instead of autocorrecting since i thought a tap on the brakes then autocorrecting would do it but there was too much momentum, the slip was caused by me #1 not apexing well and in the m3 TC on mode frame of thought

 

Smoothness

 

1- Use as many VARIOUS coaching sources as possible. No two drivers, pro or otherwise, do things exactly the same way. Some you will understand and relate to better than others. I've been to Pilota, Barber, BMW schools, etc. and you always get a good variety of instructors at these programs. I always find that there will be one or two sessions that will really stick out in my mind afterwards as having taught me a new skill, simply because the instructor showed me something in a different way than I'd learned it before. I often ask them why their method is different from a different instructor. Sometimes they have a reason, other times "it's just the way I do it". Either way, you always end up with more tools in driving toolbox. If you always drive with the same instructor (or friend that has more experience than you), you will quickly learn what they are looking for and your rate of progress will slow down. And of course, it's probably already in this thread somewhere, the fastest drivers are NOT NECESSARILY the best coaches. Yes, you can observe what they are doing to go quick, but the best coach for you will be the one that can explain everything in terms that you can relate to.

2- Take advantage of motorsports simulations. Not a direct substitute for seat time. However, the two primary benefits I have found are 1) track layout learning, and 2) training of instinctive responses, such as counter-steering. A lot of new drivers are afraid to push the limits of their car and induce oversteer because they are not confident in their ability to react to it. After a few hundred simulated laps, you will instinctively counter-steer, without having to "think" about it.

 

I agree, I was given that advice along time ago, it paid dividend's instantly, screaching tyres = loss of time.

 

Thing that helped me most was learning

SMOOTHER IS NOT FASTER



Now, I am ready for the heat of 10,000 flames . but it's absolutely completely totally true.

It is not possible to be at the upper limit of what the car can do, and be driving smoothly.

It is very possible to be driving way below the limit, but think you're near the limit because you're driving erratically.



For those who disagree, take a ride with a top level racer... someone who makes a (very good) living as a race car driver. Watch their hand and foot movements. The furthest thing from smooth you will ever see.

 

The one thing that I learned is: I went to as many turns on the course to learn the correct line, brake and acceleration points of the fastest drivers. It made my lap times come down immediatly. Seat time is everything at a track.

 

Agreed, however I think that when properly referenced, "smoothness" has more to do with the attitude of the chassis and less to do with a visual observation of the driver's inputs. For example, inside the cockpit, the driver may be continually making adjustments to steering, brake, throttle, etc. When observed from the outside, however, the car will appear to be tracking a "smooth" arc through each turn (i.e. minimal yaw).

As you say, driving a car to the limit entails actually exceeding the grip available and "catching" the car many times over and over. The best drivers are able to dance along this edge all day long, while to onlookers the car seems to be always well within the limits of traction.