9114609048

It was easier in our day. If you wanted to race you went through the SCCA weekend and you were racing. Maybe not well but you were in. Today there are too many clubs, sanctioning bodies, licenses, levels, events, rules and too much differing advice. It’s too confusing for something that’s actually very simple. Back in ‘72, I went through a weekend SCCA licensing school, did a few practice starts, then did four regional races and got my IMSA license. My next race was a Camel GT event at Daytona.

T&T Racing

The situation with PCA DE is the instructor teaches the. student the DE line. Some instructors are paranoid if one deviates from the DE line and holds you hostage until you submit to the DE line. Then, you are cleared for solo and your sub conscious is responding to the DE line.

The DE line is not the race line and trail braking is not a term in the instructor's tool box. Need to hire a coach who has actual sanctioned racing experience beyond PCA to unlearn the DE line and learn the race line to be competitive from the get go.

Gofishracing

Run some open passing events to start. Get comfortable passing off line more. NASA comp school, BMW, HOD all have programs to help introduce you to skills needed for racing.

LuigiVampa

As I progressed, and got closer to my racing goal, I asked for instructors with racing experience. This helped enormously.

Gofishracing

Here is a passing exercise we conduct with students before we advance them to Solo. 3 cars wide with 1 being an Instructor- with a rotation to get drivers use to passing where they usually don't. Also the situational awareness of a car right next to you.
then we switch to single file. This type of exercise is used in racing schools.

dgrobs

Did this exercise a few times with Niagara Region at The Glen and LOVED IT!!
Great situational awareness training and passing off line training as well.
Great exercise for sure!!
I have done many DE's and open track days with extended passing.
Def a great learning experience.

Gofishracing

You are ready !!. Personally I'm a winner when I go home safely ...No trophy but it feels great.

T&T Racing

[QUOTE=9114609048
As 9114609048 knows, the real PL Newman started driving low HP race cars, ie Datsun 510, transferring to Datsun 260, then to 300 and then to tube-frame turbo race cars. There was NO ABS.
IMO, there are a lot of club racers driving very fast race cars without the car control experience from lower HP race cars and then moving up after mastering car control. In the 1970's, the number of drivers with mega cash was just a few, but today, there are many with more cash than race smarts. Those are the most accident prone or who have "brain failure" in the corner

dgrobs

GoatFarmer

I knew I was ready for racing when I attended a TrackDaze event at Summit Point in the advanced DE group where the instructor group was thin so they invited us to join them. I was in my race prepped RX-7. One of the instructors decided to bump draft me down the main straight in a Spec E30. I used the car for NASA time trials so maybe he thought I was a racer and felt it was OK. We diced back and forth throughout the whole session. I knew I was ready after that day.

Frank 993 C4S

Sounds like you are definitely ready for a car with a full cage.

T&T Racing

A must read for every racer, beginner to proficient, "Going Faster" (Mastering the Art of Race Driving) Skip Barber Race School. Never forget that the friction circle, developed by Mark Donohue, can bite the race driver at any corner.

dgrobs

Funny you mention that. I've been looking and shopping a cage around recently. Nothing yet, but soon. Thanks.

CrazyFast

I did the Bertil Roos school over Christmas break - really good school and lives up to their motto, "You can learn to drive fast anywhere, but if you want to race, go to Roos." The entering assumption is that you want to race cars, and from the get-go, you're pushing the limits of the car, which is very different than HPDE, where you're learning the line for the track.

I also signed up for their race series this year. It's arrive and drive in formula cars, and IMO one of the best bargains in racing. Some REALLY good drivers come out of the race series, and the spec nature makes it a really good test of your driving skills. The cars are also momentum cars with street tires, so give you an opportunity to constantly improve your car handlings skills.

I'll also be at the NJMP Chin event in a couple weeks - driving the "Bonsai Finance" liveried car. Come by and let's catch up.

dgrobs

Absolutely. Looking forward to chasing you around the track again.......and getting my a$$ kicked.....again.
We can chat about the Bertil Roos school as well. I am really interested in that and hear nothing but great things.
See ya in 3 weeks if we're not snowed out.....