Manifold

(Happy New Year!)

I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts regarding the connections between driving on track and playing musical instruments.

After dabbling with playing guitar and drums for about three decades, I recently decided to get serious about learning to play drums. There seems to be some overlap in the skill sets as far as control of limbs, timing, rhythm, kinesthetic sensitivity, etc. I'm also finding that there are far more resources to help with learning drums (and other musical instruments) as compared to driving.

mark kibort

i think there is something to be said for anything that enhances hand eye coordination. I play guitar and i dont think much correlates. a good guitar player wont be necessarily a good driver. However, i do think with the timing and foot work of shifting, a drummer might have a good advantage for sure. not so much for driving, but for not hurting the drivetrain!

ProCoach

Huge connection. Better auditory skills, better rev matching (equating engine revs with musical notes), better rhythm... just more simpatico timing. Have seen it a great deal, over time.

Veloce Raptor

Agree( Peter...

Matt Romanowski

I can barely tune a radio, let alone an instrument. I agree with Kibort that I think anything that helps hand eye coordination, mental reaction time, etc helps driving.

GT3DE

I tried guitar but just couldn't get a good fit with the steering wheel so close.

fhp911

I play the piano and drive on the track. I am equally poor at both.

GT3DE

Maybe you should just do one at a time.

Manifold

I don't know about your piano playing, but I know for sure that you're the opposite of a poor driver!

Gary R.

I tried the harmonica but the helmet kept hitting the Hohner holder and it became annoying..

fhp911

MANIFOLD: Thanks for the compliment. Who are you??

DTMiller

He's supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody ever believed he was real. Nobody ever knew him or saw anybody that ever drove directly for him. But to hear Hicks tell it, anybody could have worked for Manifold. You never knew; that was his power. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.

One story the guys told me, the story I believe, was from his days in Summit Point. There was a gang of Miata drivers that wanted their own mob. They realized that to be in power, you didn't need guns or money or even numbers. You just needed the will to do what the other guy wouldn't. After a while, they come onto track and then they come after Manifold. He was small-time then, just running a 997.1, they say. They come to his track in the afternoon, looking for his car. They find his DD and tow vehicle in the house and decide to wait for Manifold. He comes home to find DD on fire and the tow vehicle with flat tires. The Miata drivers knew Manifold was tough, not to be trifled with, so they let him know they meant business.

They tell him they want his track, all his skill. Manifold looks over the his DD and his tow vehicle. Then he showed these men of will what will really was. (Manifold sets fire to his 997.1, as the last Miata driver watches in surprised horror)

He tells him he would rather see his 997.1 dead than live another day after this. He lets the last Miata driver go, waits until his cars are towed to the junkyward , and then he goes after the rest of the Miata drivers. He passes without point bys. He refuses check rides. He fails them at tech inspection. He posts bad Yelp reviews about their businesses.

And like that, he's gone. Underground. Nobody's ever seen him since. He becomes a myth, a spook story that criminals tell their kids at night. 'Drive on old tires and Manifold will get you.' But no one ever really believes.

That's who Manifold is.

mark kibort

that's what i was thinking too!

mark kibort

I dont know about rev matching, but recognizing max RPM before redline might be tied to better auditory recognition. Rhythm, i think that helps too. But, Ive seen a lot of great athletes with poor music skills, drive the heck out of the car... so i think it would be a stretch to correlate the top drivers with the best auditory capabilities.... however, as we seem to all agree, it all helps!

David993S

There may be a connection. Here are a few of mine (four others didn't make this shot):