..and then he screamed..MORE THROTTLE!!

The first time I drove the 360 was when we had to switch out cars after my 355 was having issues due to the lack of love it had with stop and go freeway traffic. Oh yeah Babeeee! Loved it! Long story short-it became mine and Hunny Bunny got a 430. (I’m afraid to test drive that-well, maybe my banker is more afraid for me to test drive it, but that’s a story for a different day).

Anyway-I decided I would like to have a little more skill in high speed driving, panic braking, and everything else that can crop up when you have a lead foot and the horsepower to accommodate it. So I signed up for the Porsche Club/BMW Club’s Driver’s Skills Class (since the Ferrari Club doesn’t do one) at Bremerton Raceway.

It was brutally cold, raining, and incredibly windy. My 360 was warm inside, but I had to attend a drivers meeting and could not enjoy the luxury of the heater. Okay- I was nervous and excited. I was the only Ferrari there and several people seemed quite excited by that, but all I could do was stare at the track and wonder if I could actually KEEP it on the track during the various drills. I was most terrified of the…SKID PAD. Just what was the skid pad? I know it sounded ominous and all I could think of was that my car was about 2.5 inches off the ground (exaggeration...a little) and sliding off into the slick, wet grass would no doubt leave me waiting for a Formula One crane to hoist me out and back into the pits. :/ I could only pray that I would have the opportunity to do other things first and get a real comfortable relationship built with her like the one I have with my SL55.

The schedule was set that there would be three skills to learn in 3 hours of the morning, we break for lunch, then 3 more skills to learn in the afternoon followed by a grand autocross for those who wanted to stay and test everything they had learned.

You went to each skill based upon what group you were in. I was in group 1. First group up was to do the skid pad. <insert scream here> We were instructed as to what would occur-the race track “Zamboni” (water truck) would be hosing down the skid pad-because apparently torrential rain and wind was just not good enough. An instructor would ride with you and give you instructions. They even said that once you had done it 2 or 3 times, the instructor would then hold the steering wheel for you – once you were comfortable - while you got the feel of how to control the car with just the throttle. This would be the time for my inner voice to say “I will NEVER be THAT comfortable.”

I should explain that there were two circles set up with cones and you would take one of your experiences going clockwise, and one counterclockwise. So there were two cars on the two skid pads out there simultaneously. My first go round was counterclockwise. My instructor and co-pilot was the “Mr. Rogers” of instruction. Knowledgeable, calm and soft-spoken. I did pretty good, no spins, got the feel of the differences in pavement, and left the pad unscathed, and kinda-sorta-prepared for the next time knowing I would need to go faster. I learned a couple of things: the car wants to “right itself” when the rearend starts to step out, I learned to “unwind the wheel” without letting go and I learned that driving around and around counterclockwise makes me a little dizzy. <pauses for the blonde jokes to be thought about>
Turn number 2 on the skidpad- CLOCKWISE! The instructor that jumped into my car this time pretty much started yelling “MORE THROTTLE” repeatedly from the very first half of the very first lap. I think it may have been the third lap <need to review the videotape> when I finally spun out to a complete stop. I didn’t know it at the time, but the instructors watching cheered! Not sure if it was because their aim was to teach you how to handle that, or if it was because it was the Ferrari. Either way- it was actually incredibly great to get past that fear factor of the “out of control” spin and know what it would feel like and then learn to correct it.

I did it again - faster-better-with more confidence! In hindsight-which I had probably by lunch that day- I could not have started with a better skill. Doing what I feared most first was exactly the right formula for me. Your mileage may vary.

The next skill was panic braking. What they wanted you to learn was that your ABS allowed you to brake and turn at the same time. This was one of the toughest skills of the day. First, you had to drive fast up to a wall of cones and brake when the instructor said BRAKE! Well first of all the distance was not enough to allow me out of 2nd gear, so as soon as my foot came off the throttle, it dramatically slowed and the braking part was kind of a non-ABS-non-event. I actually had an instructor grumble at me that my brakes “were too big for this track.” Sorry buddy, but it is what is. After the first braking point, you made a u-TURN and headed toward another set of cones that had a person standing behind them with a flag. There was a lane on the left of a wall of cones and a lane on the right. At the last possible moment the person with the flag (the one standing behind the flimsy wall of cones) would point the flag in the direction that you’re supposed to turn after slamming on your brakes. I cannot begin to describe how counter-intuitive it is to drive full bore toward a human being. Perhaps if I had a mother-in-law… But I digress.
I actually did pretty good with this one in that it was natural for me to brake then turn. But my big brakes didn’t let me feel the ABS … until the last time. The instructor yelled FLOOR IT!!! Was it the same “More throttle” guy from the skid pad? I don’t remember. So I did. I pictured the guy behind the cones as a friendly IRS investigator and put pedal to the metal. When he threw the flag toward the left lane column of cones I slammed on the brakes and felt the chat-chat-chatter of the ABS activating under my little Italian brake pedal. The instructor was so happy he patted my knee saying, “Oh Yeah! That’s it!” Succees at last.

Exercise 3- the slalom. Straight line, uphill, in and out of cones. Teaching you to look ahead, set up, know where your car is and where it is going. I left many cones still standing my first try I am proud to say…and by my last try they let me do it without an instructor in my car and I felt like “The Stig” and it was good. All cones survived.

LUNCH- Brats-well it was 2 German car clubs I had participated with, so except for the missing German beer, what would you expect.

After lunch we broke back into our groups again and the first task was the oval and learning apexes and when to brake and when to turn and when to accelerate. This, other than the panic braking was probably the most useful skill to learn for local I-5 driving. Oh just watch me take that HWY 16 to I-5 interchange now!!!

Next was a modified autocross. Around cones through the center in a figure eight more cones…fun. Especially fun was watching a yellow Porsche Boxster hotdog it way too fast (he was trying to prove something methinks) right off the track and into the grass, a foot from the brick wall. Thank goodness it wasn’t me.

Last, the Grand Slalom. This was where the cones were set up like lanes and you had to place your car just right to swerve from one side of the track to go through the cone lanes to the other side of the track between the cone lanes.

Apparently, they also expect you to do this whilst leaving all the cones standing.

I don’t want to say this was hard-but the instructor I had on my second try at this said, “Okay, good job, but next time, try to do it without killing some of the cones.” And I did.

Then there was the big finale autocross, and I actually rode as a passenger while an instructor drove my car through it- that says a lot considering I need valium to be a good passenger in anyone’s vehicle driving at moderate speeds-and then I did it myself. WooooHOOOOO!!!!

In closing- the whole day, including renting a Snell helmet, cost me $60.00. I can tell you, it was at least worth $500.00 for the fun, and another $500.00 for the knowledge and skills. The Ferrari Club should seriously consider booking a day to do this. I would rec. to anyone and everyone, in any car, in every car. You will really come away a much better driver. At least a much more aware driver.

 

It was absolutely awesome...I really liked that it taught you what to expect from your own vehicle. I want to eventually do it in every one of the cars I drive.

But I will say the Porsche and BMW people were very excited to see a Ferrari out there. Very friendly bunch of people!

 

Thanks- there was a dad out there the day I was and he had his two teenage sons bring their cars. They seemed to have a blast and I'd venture a guess they learned alot. I bet Dad felt better about their driving afterwards.

 

http://www.motorsportreg.com/

I think our Ferrari club should organize one of these for next Spring...even if people want to bring other cars!