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Driving/Racing Tips

50K views 116 replies 90 participants last post by  m9s 
#1 ·
Driving.. not drifting.. but driving.. anyways.. As you all know.. on the road, there are good drivers.. and there are bad ones.. And knowing everyone here.. with their 240's, 180's or simply their silvia's, we know how to take care of our precious babies.. but for those of you who dont.. this is for you..

There are good and bad drivers correct? dont you hate it when there's bad drivers everywhere? i do.. so im hoping that this thread makes you a better driver.. if you already arent one.. god knows i hope we all are..

So the basics.. if you havent learned it.. cuz knowing the USA DMV system doesn't know how to make a good driver..


Driving position
Ok for all you little kids out there.. hence the reason why im posting in the beginner section.. don't be 'GaNgSta..' sure you think it looks cool.. but it wont help if you crash your lovely 240 that your mom probably bought you.. As I was saying.. your driving position is imperative. it helps you balance yourself while you balance your car. if the driver cant control his car then god knows how the car will perform..
first.. you should be seated upright.. Don't slouch back so far that you can look out the back passanger windows.. thats just rediculous.. yeah you can see your blind spot better.. but you can't see the road as well as you should..



Ok now your feet.. your feet should be compfortable.. there should be enough room for your legs to move freely without any difficulty reaching a certain pedal.. your left foot should be flat on the dead pedal.. the dead pedal is tehre so you can balance your self while momentum is shifting.. it helps stabilize your right foot with the throttle and such so you dont jerk or bog the car.. learn to love your dead pedal.. dont hold it on the or over the clutch.. for every second you press the clutch.. you kill it 5x's faster.. just a little information..

your arms should be placed at 3 and 9.. whether your racing or not.. despite the whole 2 and 10 crap.. its 3 and 9.. your arms should be free enough to move but not too much that its stretched out.. your arms shouldnt be locked.. try this.. sit back.. stretch your arms over 2 and 10.. the bottem part of your palm and the top of your wrist should be touching 2 and 10.. thts how far you should be sitting back.. ok now put them on 3 and 9.. thats how it should be.. yes.. yes..

also.. when your turning.. your arms should relatively be at 3 and 9.. coming into a turn.. place your hands where you need to so that when you're turning.. they're at 3 and 9.. also.. when you're turning.. you should get into the tendency of pushing.. not pulling on the steering wheel.. i read that its better that way.. may not be comfortable.. but yeah.. i'll get back to you on the reason why its better when i find out again..




NEXT!

shifting

umm...... DOUBLE CLUTCH
is the method of pressing the clutch twice to shift into another gear.. this was a method used in old cars because their transmission synchros were not up to date as today's so you need to clutch twice to actually save it.. average lifespan of a tranny at the time of double clutching as about 80k miles.. you had to change it once in a cars lifetime.. anyways.. heres how it goes...

from a gear...
1. Clutch in
2. drop to neutral
3. let go of the clutch
(you can rev match here if you wanted to if downshifting.. or upshifting.. depending on how bad of a shifter you are..)
4. clutch again
(you can rev match here also)
5. put it in gear..

OMG WTF there you go..
double clutching is not a racing technique.. dont listen to fast and the furious.. bah them.. they're dumb.. vin deisal never even double clutched when he drove in that movie...

REV MATCHING

umm.. simple.. match the rpm of the gear to the speed of the car..
like math..

if you are going 50 mph in 4th gear with 2,000 rpm.. and you wanted to downshift into 3rd gear.. KNOWing that 3rd gear requires 3,000rpm to go 50 mph.. how much do you need to rev?

answer: 1,000 rpm.. this might vary.. depending on car and settings and stuff.. so learn how to do it.. it helps you from jerking the car or jake braking.. or riding the clutch and stuff..

while doing this.. if the car jerks a little.. you didnt rev enough.. if it pulls a little.. you revved too much..

HEEL TOE
or a more modern term BALL AND EDGE

heel toe is a technique of braking while rev matching.. thats it.. place your toe on the brakes and heel on the throttle.. now brake.. and just rev match.. thats all.. its a simple technique.. one of the basics.. so yeah.. shut your pie hole.. its not all that great.. it is.. but its not a big accomplishment if its a basic racing technique..

ball and edge is a term used for heel toe.. you basically take the ball.. the part under the big toe.. put it on the brakes and the edge of your foot.. right edge on the throttle.. it consists of less movement of the foot and is easier to do with a more modern car where the pedels are much closer..

braking

umm i can't say much about this.. brake.. use heel toe if you can.. and yeah.. one major thing though.. LEARN HOW TO THRESHOLD BRAKE!
whether or not you have ABS.. threshold braking is a good technique to learn.. it shows how well you know the car's braking limit and such before they lock up.. abs kicks in when they lock up.. so you would want to know how to threshold break so they wont lock up and abs wont kick in.. its a good driving technique.. unless you want to drift.. then take out your abs and lock your tires as much as you want..

oh yeah.. after a race.. when you want to turn off your car.. park the car.. put it in gear.. and dont pull the e-brake up.. by doing this.. your car will be parked and sine the brakes arent engaged.. they can cool down better.. thats only if you dont want them warped..


hmm other than that.. i can't really think of much to say.. um.. the rest is working on your line.. when to hit the apex and such.. knowing when to brake.. when to stop braking.. when to accelerate.. when to not accelerate.. when to turn.. where the apex is.. and so on..

Also.. ALWAYS LOOK AT THE ROAD.. one of the most obvious things.. but you'd be surprised at people when they look at the person in front of them or a bumper or something off to the side..


Common Student Errors
POOR DRIVING POSITION. Check to see that fully depressing the clutch pedal doesn't require maximum leg extension. Check to see that reaching the steering wheel still leaves a slight bend at the elbow. Check the seat belt and helmet strap.
POOR HAND POSITION. Depending on exact steering wheel design, probably about "10 and 2 o'clock." Failure to maintain this hand position once on the track: "crossing over" when making turns and not returning to the steering wheel after shifting.
ABRUPT USE OF CONTROLS: steering, brake and throttle. Smoothness is a basic skill/minimum requirement.
INDECISIVE USE OF CONTROLS:
-getting on and off the throttle unnecessarily
-pumping the brakes," lack of effective, consistent brakes.
FAILURE TO USE ALL OF THE TRACK to get biggest (fastest) radius.
"CREEPING IN" from the edge of the track near turn-in point.
EARLY APEXING
--early turn-in caused by too much pressure/over-driving. ---failure to recognize the "acuteness" of the corner (angle.)
"DROPPED" CLUTCH AFTER TURN-IN POINT. Too late with all the decisions, putting this one after the turn-in instead of before! Big spin risk if the car's near the actual limit.
SHIFTING GEARS WHILE IN A CORNER, unnecessary/risky.
FAILURE TO DO MINIMUM CAR PREPARATION. Basic safety demands appropriate tires, suspension and brake pads/brake fluid for usage. Significant re-checking at track (i.e. tire pressure.
"LATE" TURN-IN. Usually caused by failure to recognize that the turn is (probably) less than 90 degrees. Spin risk as student tries to wrestle the car to the proper apex (anyway.)
BRAKING TOO LATE. Problem is worst when consequences are at maximum! Largest errors are made when the difference between straight-away speed and cornering speed is large. Students tend to enter slow turns too fast (and fast turns too slow.)
FAILURE TO BUILD BRAKING (PRESSURE) SMOOTHLY ENOUGH to prevent "locking" of tires. If the fronts lock first, the student will lose steering control. If the rears lock first, there will be immediate directional stability problems.
POOR USE OF RPM's. Failure to use tachometer to shift neither early or late, missing up or downshifts completely.
FAILURE TO "BALANCE" CAR AT (TURN) ENTRANCE:
-over "rotation" of the car with too much trail-braking and/ or sudden and jerky steering motions. (Oversteer.)
-throttle too soon, no rotation, front "push." (Understeer.)
TRAILING-THROTTLE OVERSTEER
"Dropping" the throttle abruptly when in the corner. This is an all-to-typical reaction to the mid-corner realization of having made an error. Solution: the idea of "temporarily taking a slightly larger radius." Suggest to: momentarily steer "out" with a steady throttle.
POWER OVERSTEER. Too much power applied, too abruptly, with car already near critical grip limits. (rear wheel drive)
FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE MISTAKES. Failure to accept the necessity for full concentration and discipline. Symptom: inconsistency.
FAILURE TO ANTICIPATE/AND ADJUST as speed changes require.


you're welcome to put your input about this.. but this bugs me how people want to learn how to race/drift and they don't even know the basics..

to all beginners.. no one starts on top..
 
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#3 ·
Buddyworm said:
I agree 100%. Good writeup. Although personally, I like to pull the wheel in the direction I'm turning. I find I'm more precise that way. I just wouldn't call "Ball and Edge" modern. I heel-toe just fine. And I'm 5'11 with decent sized walkers.

B-Wurm :D
haha well its what most people do now.. when i started heel toe.. i did the ball and edge technique.. just because my pedals were so close that i could do it.. i got bored.. so to challenge myself.. i started doing to the full heel toe technique.. ive gotten a liking to that..

also.. i like to pull also.. but ive been getting into the habit with pushing.. your pulling is more accurate because you're used to it.. when i push.. its more accurate.. but im way too used to pulling =]
 
#4 ·
Another mistake a lot of beggining drivers make is not looking far enough ahead. If you look farther ahead you tend to to be smoother, as it is natural that the body/control inputs will follow the eyes (remember little league: "keep your eye on the ball").

I don't think the hand postition (9-3) thing isn't written in stone. IMO it depends on the person's build, the wheel's size and placement, what kind of corner's you're taking (i like to move my hands closer to 12 for faster corners and lower when more lock might be needed), and just comfort level. You'll probably be a lot faster driving with your hands where you're comfortable with them (and I don't mean resting on the shifter) than just planting them at 9-3 cause that's the rule. Thats just my opinion though.

As for the push don't pull steering thing, I find it's easier to control the steering wheel as it centers itself. Also, in a left turn for example, it's a lot easier to move your right hand from 3 to 9 than to move your left from 9 to 3 (or vice versa for a right hand corner). So if your pushing you can add or remove lock with out relying so much on your "inside" hand, requiring less focus on coordination. Again, that's just my reasoning/theory/experience though, there may be entirely other reasons.
 
#5 ·
What is the MAIN reason for the 9 & 3 placement instead of the 10 & 2 these days?
Awnser...airbags. If the airbag deploys & you have your hands @ 10 & 2 they will go UP & back from the airbag deploying & can cause serious injury like broken arms from your face hitting them, not to mention damage to your face from them hitting your arms. At 9 & 3 they go outward.
Plus BURNS. You wil see MANY people with burns on their arms from airbag deployments. The main cause is improper hand placement.


Just a little more info.
 
#7 ·
gabe30 said:
umm...... DOUBLE CLUTCH
is the method of pressing the clutch twice to shift into another gear.. this was a method used in old cars because their transmission synchros were not up to date as today's so you need to clutch twice to actually save it.. average lifespan of a tranny at the time of double clutching as about 80k miles.. you had to change it once in a cars lifetime.. anyways.. heres how it goes...
url="http://www.answers.com/topic/manual-transmission said:
The first synchronized transmission system was introduced by Cadillac in 1929. The modern cone system was developed by Porsche and introduced in the 1952 Porsche 356; cone synchronizers were called "Porsche-type" for many years after this. In the early 1950s only the second-third shift was synchromesh in most cars, requiring only a single synchro and a simple linkage; drivers' manuals in cars suggested that if the driver needed to shift from second to first, it was best to come to a complete stop then shift into first and start up again. With continuing sophistication of mechanical development, however, fully synchromesh transmissions with three speeds, then four speeds, five speeds, six speeds and so on became universal by the 1960s. Reverse gear, however, is not synchromesh, as there is only one reverse gear in the normal automotive transmission and changing gears in reverse is not required.
The problem was not primitive synchro's, it was a total lack of them. The lifespan of the transmission is an interesting figure, as well, any resources on it?

from a gear...
1. Clutch in
2. drop to neutral
3. let go of the clutch
(you can rev match here if you wanted to if downshifting.. or upshifting.. depending on how bad of a shifter you are..)
4. clutch again
(you can rev match here also)
5. put it in gear..
double clutching is not required for any reason on upshifts, the input shaft and counter shaft will slow on their own from friction. Not rev-matching on downshifts totally defeats the purpose of double-clutching.

it helps you from jerking the car or jake braking.. or riding the clutch and stuff..
http://or.essortment.com/jakebraketruck_raio.htm said:
The Jake brake completely changes all this, redefining what the valves do as each piston moves up and down. With the fuel flow terminated, the upward moving first stroke still compresses the air to very high pressure. As we said above, this transfers mechanical energy into heat as the air becomes highly compressed. If nothing else were done, most of this energy would be recovered, except for frictional losses, as the cylinder moved back down and the compressed air expanded. The Jake brake, however, opens the exhaust valve just as the air reaches maximum compression, dumping all of that energy in an almost instantaneous explosive release. The result is a very effective slowing of the vehicle as mechanical energy is converted to heat and then dumped. The Jake brake effectively transforms the internal combustion engine into an air compressor.
Jake braking is like anti-VTEC, and has nothing to do with double clutching.

unless you want to drift.. then take out your abs and lock your tires as much as you want.
locking the brakes is also bad for drifting, since every 240 i've driven locks the fronts first in a straight line, and the bias problem is worse when turning. Locked up front tires = understeer.

oh yeah.. after a race.. when you want to turn off your car.. park the car.. put it in gear.. and dont pull the e-brake up.. by doing this.. your car will be parked and sine the brakes arent engaged.. they can cool down better.. thats only if you dont want them warped..
Based on how disc brakes function, the pads are still touching the rotors, it makes absolutely no difference. No additional area is exposed to promote heat transfer to the air, and no heat is being generated since there is no friction.

I stopped reading after that. G'day.
 
#8 ·
HS13 said:
Based on how disc brakes function, the pads are still touching the rotors, it makes absolutely no difference. No additional area is exposed to promote heat transfer to the air, and no heat is being generated since there is no friction.
Yes, but there is a difference between the brake pads touching and being pressed firmly against the rotors. using your e-brake while the pads are still hot and the rotors arent rotating (ie the car is at rest) CAN warp the rotors.

I still don't like the idea of leaving it in gear to keep the car from movnig as much as just driving the car long enough for the rotors/pads to cool off.
 
#9 ·
****** said:
Yes, but there is a difference between the brake pads touching and being pressed firmly against the rotors. using your e-brake while the pads are still hot and the rotors arent rotating (ie the car is at rest) CAN warp the rotors.

I still don't like the idea of leaving it in gear to keep the car from movnig as much as just driving the car long enough for the rotors/pads to cool off.
There is no air circulation either way, and heat is being transfered to the pads the same either way.

Your 2nd idea is correct though, the best way to avoid uneven cooling is to drive until they are cooled off.
 
#10 ·
HS13 said:
There is no air circulation either way, and heat is being transfered to the pads the same either way.

Your 2nd idea is correct though, the best way to avoid uneven cooling is to drive until they are cooled off.
"based on how the pads function.. they are still touching"

you're pads are still touching the rotors.. when you move.. even though it is not gripping, it's still causing friction and generates heat. not really cooling it off.. might be slightly.
 
#11 · (Edited)
ok and a correction.. you're right.. its not to save synchros.. its because they didnt have any.. and double clutching was used in the fact that they didnt have any.. i was thinking that in my head when i wrote this.. and i dont knwo why it didnt come out right

and yes.. double clutching is only for downshifting..

when i was thinking about drifting, i was thinking of the rear locking up..and yes front brakes locking=understeer.. but my point clearly gets across


i learned the whole "putting it in gear" at driving school.. you shouldnt drive it to cool it down unless your pads are barely gripping your discs.. otehr than that.. majority of the time it will just cause more friction and heat

almost all of the information i learned was from driving school when i was in LA.. but anywho.. yeah i know this isnt a reliable source but yeah.. take it as you wish.. thanks for the correction
 
#46 ·
What's the advantage of double clutching over heel-and-toe (on the downchange) or just holding the clutch down for longer (on the upchange)(which is effectively what H&T is too)? As I see nothing, it just wastes time. Isn't neutral just there so you have a "gear" to put it in when you don't want to move (i.e. stopped)? Holding the clutch down creates the same effect surely?

when i was thinking about drifting, i was thinking of the rear locking up..and yes front brakes locking=understeer.. but my point clearly gets across
Why would you want the rear to lock up?
 
#12 ·
HS13 said:
There is no air circulation either way, and heat is being transfered to the pads the same either way.

Your 2nd idea is correct though, the best way to avoid uneven cooling is to drive until they are cooled off.
Turn a burner on on your stove and have a fan blowing towards the burner. Quickly drag one hand after the other across the burner for one second with no pressure on your hands. Now turn the fan off, take one hand and press it firmly against the burner with out removing it for an entire second. Tell me what fucked your hands up worse (after your one hand heals enough or you to type). The burner represents the pads, and your hands are the rotor, and the fan the difference between you air circulation when you drive and when you park. Maybe you can grasp it now.

How is there no more air circulation to your brakes when you're driving as opposed to parking? This is so retarded I am not even going to bother arguing this with you.

And for gabe to say your brakes will not cool down when your driving is also retarded, again I don't even think I have to get into why.

Also most disc brakes I've ever worked on DON'T have the pads touching the rotors even when the brakes aren't in use. You can usually slide a thin piece of paper between the pads and rotors when the car is at rest.
 
#13 ·
unless you have a crappy tranny thats on its way out, i dont think you ever have to double clutch. not even down shifting. not far a car that is made in the 90's. most of your information is close to accurate. the only thing i would stress more then a good seating position, is looking ahead. everyone has a really awful tendancy to stare 6 feet infront of the car or at the back bumper of the car infront of them. always look ahead , look at the horizon use your peripheal vision ... and when you get into a hairy situation dont look at the tree/curb/car next to you/light pole/fence/kid... you will hit it every time.. try to look for an open spot an escape route. your body will follow your eyes. its amazing how your hand speed will increase when you are acctually looking in the right direction when you do lose control of your car, or are trying to get out of a problem or avoid an accident. jsut pay attention and look ahead.
 
#82 ·
I can't stress enough on how true that is, I was driving to school a couple months ago and hit a huge ice patch at around 70 mph coming into a corner that with dry pavement it's a stretch at 60 let alone being icy. I slide sideways straight at the harsh ditch but instead of staring at the trees I looked at the barely big enough gap to fit my truck in. I have never had a vehicle straighten out in the direction I was looking so fast in my life, in a matter of probably a quarter second I went from a harsh flipping position to making it safely in the ditch in the open area and neither me nor my vehicle were harmed. Always look for the best way out.
 
#14 ·
I like the whole write up, and most of it matches everythign i have learned from race car drivers and class room sessions at HPDE's, but overall, nothing can replace seat-time. But for overall better stability and such on street driving, this is a very good writeup.
 
#15 ·
xXSil80ZinXx said:
can you give me an example in 1st 2nd 3rd gear rev matching? please lol
this isn't based on real cars

Let’s say you're driving in 3rd gear and you want to go down to second. Your 3rd gear rpm is around 3k.

1. Clutch in put shifter in neutral
2. Press the gas pedal rev it up to 4k
3. Put shifter into second and release the clutch
 
#43 ·
This thread is pretty good stuff!!


this isn't based on real cars

Let’s say you're driving in 3rd gear and you want to go down to second. Your 3rd gear rpm is around 3k.

1. Clutch in put shifter in neutral
2. Press the gas pedal rev it up to 4k
3. Put shifter into second and release the clutch

Is it necessary to put the car into neutral for double clutching? Can't it be done in one smooth execution? Depress clutch and downshift while matching rpms? Look at this video, it's not a 240 but they do heel toe.
 
#16 ·
Seating position is very important, a poor seating positions can result to less control.

The steering wheel is where you will be receiving most of the cars feedback so make the best of it. Proper hand positions are 3 & 9 because u have a greater range of motion as opposed to 12 & 3. Because when your turning fast you always want to have two hands on the wheel, and pushing the wheel does gives you more control because your wrist is in a more firm position.

People often complain that their cars setup is not up to task, when in fact it may very well be the driver's skill that lacks. The purpose of road course racing is to ring up the lowest possible times by sustaining the highest speeds though the twisys and the key is smoothness/consistency, purpose of this smoothness is to maximize traction.

Of course there is more to driving quick on a track then what i posted but I'll try and keep this post as close to the actual thread topic as much as possible. I just wrote what I thought can be practiced on the street, so that when u do drive on a track your that much prepared
 
#17 ·
hah, before I ever became a "racer", my friends used to tease me because I DIDN'T drive gansta style. I always drove with two hands on the wheel, 9 and 3, and sat upright with plenty of freedom for leg and arm movement. Lol, I guess I was a natural before I knew it.


Something I want to add to your write-up: target fixation. Target fixation is, for lack of better definition, when the driver's eyes and mind fixate on a certain object (cone, dirt patch, wet spot, curb, etc.) that they don't want to hit, but they keep staring at it and their body subconsciously pilots their vehicle towards that object.

A lot of making your car do what you want it to do involves not looking at your steering, pedals, shifter, but rather feeling it out and letting the car and it's geometry become an extension of your body. Keep staring at that cone that you don't want to hit and you'll find yourself moving towards it. Aim where you want to go instead, and you'll find the body helping you move there. I find this very helpful especially when your car has "lost control" and you are trying to regain control or not hit something or just make sure the car is piloted to a safer destination than where it was going.

 
#19 ·
Praise for the write up and about DC'ing...

Great write-up - only begs the question of wanting more (And please, all of you who get such an urge - act on it: research and practice! You won't regret it!).

As for double clutching, it isn't bad for your clutch or flywheel, in fact it generally decreses stress on your gearbox and, in some opinions, provides for a smoother ride. The synchros in modern cars are supposed to eliminate the need for double clutching, mating the speed of the engine (rpm) to the speed of the car (mph) according to the gear you're selecting. However there are instances where double clutching is still more efficient, for example when up or down shifting drastically (like from 5th to 2nd) or when the road is wet. If the road is wet and you depended on synchros alone to make that shift from 4th to 3rd (for example), downshifting for power, you are much more liekly to have the tires lose traction then if you double clutched and lined up the rpms accordingly. This would provide a smoother shift, less change in speed for the wheels, and therefore less chance you'll lose traction.

Oh, and thank god somebody made fun of those no-racing stick shakers. Gansta lean my ass - drive your damn car!:nono

-Dave
 
#20 ·
good writeup, now my $0.02

take as much driving school as you can afford, and i dont' mean like, sears academy drivers-ed shit, i mean Skip Barber or something like that. it's not cheap by any means, but if you're going to sink $10K into building a 500hp race-suspension'ed out monster, you'd be very well advised to spend a few grand extra to learn how to drive it properly. a web forum can give you some solid basic ideas, but there's nothing to compare with having a pro riding shotty.

plus you'll clean up on track days :D
 
#21 ·
bump time

Look ahead, but be specific, don't just watch the road in general. Focus on your next critical move...brake or shift point, apex, exit point, and only start worrying about the next one when you pass the first one. If you focus exactly on where you're going you'll get there a lot easier than trying to do something like apex while you're actually paying attention to your exit. Yes, it takes a lot more and faster thought to process a corner piecewise like that rather than try to handle it as one unit, but (at least for me), that's one of the pleasant challenges of driving.

Seat position...I find in an s14 with stock seats, the best back angle is when the back of the headrest is vertical. It is more laid back than in a family car, but sport seats are like that, you can recline deeper with your head and shoulders still more upright and supported appropriately.
 
#22 ·
I liked the write up myself. Although Ive been past the 'basics' for years now, I don't think I've ever 'double clutched'. Takes too much time, and especially when autocrossing or road racing, it adds to the time needed to shift. If you are running around with a transmission designed for all out racing with no syncros, you learn how to let off the gas a little, and just feed it into the next gear. I can do it on my 240 with syncros, I've done it on other nissans, BMWs (albeit if you dont do it right nasty expensive gear crunching sounds result).

I revmatch as much as I can around town, on the highway, anywhere. For a car that has 185k on it, Im doing everything I can to preserve the clutch and the syncros. That doesnt mean that I go rocketing around town as fast as I can to get that 'sky high, awesome redline tingling downshift' like so many hondas do around here. I was taught to downshift and/or revmatch at the lowest rpm possible, as this reduces the chances of still overloading tires and spinning out, even though you matched gears and rpm perfectly. The point of rev-matching, as a few people stated in this entire 10 page thread, was to keep the car at or approaching its limits, without disturbing the balance. If you downshift and just let the clutch out while hard on the brakes, there is a good chance the rear wheels will want to make passionate love to the front wheels, and around they come...and usually results in you losing control, hitting something or someone, and at the least, making you look like a dumbass.

Anyone that wants to read deeper than this thread should check out 'Secrets of Solo Racing' by Henry Watts..he gives a much much more detailed description of Gabes write-up here, for those who wish to go further. I will not say I'm the best driver out there, and even I reading this book, I've only got my feet wet when it comes to learning how to drive. And I'm 24. I've outdriven people who have their 240s much more hooked up than mine was, made a whole lot more horsepower, but when it came down to it, they simply couldn't shake me off their tail. Its all about learning how to properly drive your car first as stated, THEN looking to explore its limits. But prop's to Gabe for at least getting the basics out. And yes, I live in NY, and I hate the 'thug/gangsta lean' or wtf u want to call it. I also get a kick out of the honda and Vdub kids that kick the seats all the way down, but sit up holding onto the steerin wheel for dear life...with the basketball jersey and the hat cocked at some crazy angle....where do these kids get their driving styles from??
 
#23 ·
I want to add something, but dont feel like reading all the thread cuz its long.
---first, find a seating position that is confortable. You shouldnt have to strain to see over the wheel, and you shouldnt be so far up that you can bite your steering wheel... from behind it. Find a position that feels "neutral" or balanced.
---Second, for casual driving, i just use my left hand on the wheel with my right on the shifter unless theres a reason to have two hands on the wheel, at which point I put them where i feel is neccessary, while keeping in a comfortable position.
--- If you have trouble keeping balance, keeping upright, or have any pains you need to do some adjustment. Driver fatigue is (IIRC) the number 2 cause of accidents today.
---Use the guides in the first post as guides, and if they work flawlessly for you, great, if not, use them as a guide and find what works for you.
 
#24 ·
Interesting thread.... a lot of the information has much truth to it.. but i'll talk out of experience, go to a high performance driving school or a racing school. Open wheel/spec racing/stock class.... either one is great!!! Lots of fun too.

I highly recommend that those with money, go and try out these racing schools. Don't be fink'd if you are placed in a Caddy CTS, Vette, or Celica or even a porsche. Just feeling how each setup handles is a blast. The most important thing that will come out is EXPERIENCE.

Nothing beat track/seat time, the feeling of pushing in a turn, going hot into a turn, evoking throttle lift over steer is an awesome feeling especiallly when you know you're in a safe environment.

These school will point out your driving mistakes, show you how to heal/toe (for those who don't know), how to read ahead of the road (tips), seating position, and a technical explaination of track grade change with car setup.
 
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