Poor driving at the track...

Way over his head,
seems to be on worn out tires.

 

That is terrible. Everyone ditches on occasion but when it is apparent that on his second wipe out he wasn t too far ahead of the BMW, I was feeling sorry for the dude. At least he kept trying though and I wasn t anywhere near him LOL! ;-)

 

I've never driven a car on any track and I've never played a race car driver on tv. However, it would seem to me that you would know when your car was going to break loose say after I don't know maybe the 2nd time. Driver is very lucky he received no damage from his excursions.

 

Either that or he needs some tuition.

 

First, I would not say that he is a *terrible* driver but it seems to me that he is making the same mistake in the same corner over and over. Without seeing the track and being in the car, it is hard to tell but two things seem apparent to me: there must be some level of unpredictability for the guy as he is constantly losing it in the same corner which makes me think that there is probably a changing condition with the car, most likely tires. The tires could be worn or, more likely, just plain old. That said, he really cannot figure out how to correct any of these slides and mishaps and for some reason he seems afraid to get on the gas mid corner to help keep the car balanced.

I raced karts when I was younger and have messed around in formula cars but the only things I'm good enough to race professionally don't have motors so take its for what it's worth.

 

Could one of the many track guys here please analyze the video and try to explain what he keeps doing wrong? I don't get it. Seems really random, his wipeouts, but clearly isn't. Thanks in advance.

 

At some of the corners he seems to be letting off the throttle at the apex and that is causing the oversteer. He needs to be stable at that point not letting off the gas. Maybe slow in and fast out will help him stay on the track.

 

He also seems to be far too way off the steering wheel. Adjusting the seat a bit closer should already help a bit but still a long way to go though...

 

On most of the corners entry too hot, then misses apex, tries to save it by "pinching in" at exit which causes the spin. On at least one he did back out of the throttle ( again entry too fast) causing the dreaded trailing throttle oversteer.

Terry

 

I'm shocked they left him out there. 1st spin would be a talk with the evil eye pointed at you, 2nd spin you'll be told no more lone driver, 3rd spin your going home.
He's badly positioned in the corners, entry position and speed are way off and when he realises he can't manage the corner he lifts off the pedal. Needing some instruction!!

 

Yup. Those are the rules at the NCRC as well.

Kai

 

Downshifting way too early for the same corner over and over and getting too much engine braking causing the car to loop.

 

I actually enjoyed watching that. Yeah is keeps spinning, but he's learning the car. Seems to me that his car is a little bit high centered, and could use some height adjustment. Maybe even a good corner weighing, and a change in camber adjustment.

I'm no track driver, but I can tell you that after I lowered my 348 the handling improved. Before I dropped it, I spun it a few times going around corners a bit too hot. But now with the front and rear dropped it's much more manageable. That and dialing out the negative camber seemed to give it a more neutral feel. At least to me anyway.

Anyhow, that was an entertaing clip, I did enjoy it.

 

I think is a mix of things here. The car not been what it should and the driver way above his head ... loved the video though, thanks for sharing !

 

He is at Mt. Fuji, which is a super hard track, and killer on tires. I think the wt. transfer is catching him on that corner, and he has way too much speed going into the corner.

I give him kudos for keeping on... I'm assuming he was "talked to" at some point who knows how they do it in Japan. in all those constant radi turns there is a lot of weight transfer happening, & seems easy to over stress the tires.

 

You know how many people who criticise the 348s handling may have driven cars with 20-year old suspension bushings? Is it possible this car needs some suspension maintenance?

I've driven a low-powered mid-engined single-seater powered by a large motorbike engine on a track. Actually, I did spin it... but just the once. It was a case of going into a corner far too fast, getting on the power far too soon, lighting up the rear tires inducing a slight power-slide, panicking and getting off the throttle completely, realizing I was about to have a lift-off oversteer moment a tenth of a second too late, slamming my foot down (belatedly) back on the throttle, and disappearing on a huge cloud of tire smoke as I exited the corner exactly on the racing line... backwards. Not really a proud moment. Happily, I didn't damage anything (except the life of the rear tires) and having found the limits of the car with me behind the wheel, I didn't repeat the same mistake and it was my only major mishap that afternoon. I would like to get out on a proper track again, but would really like some professional tuition to make the most of it.

After that, I've raced go-karts - think 70mph on the straights here - a on two stag parties (my own and one for a friend). The small size, low momentum, and very forgiving nature of go-karts makes learning how a vehicle behaves at the limit quite easy. Many F1 greats have also started out in karts. I found it rapidly gave me a newfound appreciation for car control when I got back into my normal car... which came in handy in the snow last winter. In short, I'd highly recommend a proper racing kart (not the 25mph ones at adventure parks) as a positive learning experience.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Hello?????

You never herd of drifting?

LOL

 

Wow, this guy has some issues.

I have been instructing for many years, with a bunch of organizations on the east coast, including the Ferrari Club. I have many miles instructing is 355s, and I just recently joined the ranks of 355 ownership. My regular track car is a 93 MR2 Turbo which, being mid engined has many of the same strengths and weakness of the 355.

A mid engined car has a low polar moment of inertia, in other words, it has a tendency to spin easier. The upside is that such cars can change direction faster - i.e. better handling - up to a point. But the biggest issues with our gentleman in this video is weight transfer. It appears he enters the turns a bit too fast, and as the car starts to get light he lifts of the throttle. You can hear the revs dropping. What he is lacking is rear end grip. By lifting as the car starts to get squirrely he is transferring weight forward, off the rears and onto the fronts. This exacerbates the problem, since the more force pushing down on the rear the better in this case. He should have gently but quickly added throttle to try and settle the rear end.

If this was my event I would not let this guy out solo again until he had proven himself with an instructor. I am not of the school that believes you learn the limits by constantly exceeding them. We all have our moments on track, and I have had a few high pucker incidents, but repeatedly doing the same thing badly means the driver is not learning, and much more importantly, is a hazard to the other cars on the track, and ultimately all of us track folks (in the way of more expensive event insurance if there are a steady number of accidents).

So, what can be learned from this video?

a. Slow in - fast out. When you approach the corner do not overdrive the car. You should be driving the car, and not holding on waiting to see of the car drives you to the correct speed and location. When learning a new curve, start by braking early, and note your position, Then move the braking up incrementally until you have the car on the verge of threshold braking. And unless you have skid pad or similar training, do all your braking in a straight line. The trail braking technique of intentionally letting the rear come out to turn the car more quickly is great, but a car like a 355, with only your foot as a traction control device requires practice best not done on a street or a track with traffic around. A skid pad is ideal for learning.

b. If the tail stars coming around, get on the gas, but not so much as to break traction and spin the rear wheels. Transfer the weight to the rear.

c. Don't give up until the car is 90 degrees side ways - then lock them up and put in the clutch.

d. Always look where you want the car to go, not where the car is going. If you stare at the wall you are heading towards I guarantee you will hit it.

e. I encourage everyone to get out on track - in a Miata. Learn how to drive in a low horsepower momentum car, so when you make a mistake in the corner your slow speed down the straightaway will be like a dope slap to the head. A Ferrari is such a good car that is masks many mistakes of the uninitiated. I once rode in a 355 at Watkins Glen driven by a nationally ranked Spec Miata driver - we were passing 430 like they were standing still - as we came out of the corners. They caught up by the end of the straights, but couldn't dream of matching the 355 in the turns. It was 100% driver.

That's what I saw from this video.

Happy driving

 

Hey.... at least the starter works well!

 

+1 off camber downhill corner is the corrupt at fuji. hes no rookie doing tank slappers. like most mid engine cars... tough to dial back in the rear once it gets rotating down hill. i see nothing drastically wrong with his driving just exploring the limits at an open trackday.

like they say spinning off the outside of the corner no big deal... spinning inside of a corner is an hugh driving error.

my 2 cents

 

Nope Ernie...the car is an advanced excercise. His problem is FUTTOS

 

I know this track and it was a real pain in the butt driving it the Gran Turismo for PS3. By the way I do track air cooled Porsches only, not a pro, always learning. Looking now for a 3*8 model and it will visit the track.

 

LOL thank you for the link and as Sabine Schmitz would say: 100% talent free

Having driven lots of sports cars on the track I would say hs problems are primarily, wrong turning points, no idea of the weight transfer/ balance teansfer he is doing to the car, no idea of where the racing lines are and where he should be going, and finally and most importantly zero feel for what the car is about to do - because he is " talent free"

Anyway thank you for the video and thanks to the guy for compilating a 'worst hits' lol

 

I blame the 355 power steering