Z-man

Perhaps you meant that you won't mention club racing for 6-7 DE seasons, right?!

Like said above, the most important thing is to have fun! My goals for DE's are:
1. To learn to drive better.
2. To have fun.
If I keep sight of these two main goals, then everything else falls nicely into place.

Something that hasn't been mentioned before but is very important: bring a notebook/logbook. Record your specs (tire pressures, oil & fuel consumption) as well as your thoughts on how you drove, what your instructor taught you, what track in, apex, track out markers you've identified...etc. As you add notes to your log book, remember to go back and review them when going back to a track: this will help refresh your memory of the track!

Regarding clothing/gear: bring stuff as if you were going to visit Alaska, Florida, Washington state, and Arizona: you never know what kinda weather to expect at the track!!

Be sure to post your experiences here!
-Zoltan.

87turbo911

Hey Zoltan-

It might surprise you but I actually did (just now) start poking around your website. I don't know if you remember me but my brother and I were two of your "Raiders" for morning Tech Inspections at MidOhio last year.

I think you might've been one of the people back at the August 2003 DE at The Glen who noted that my 87 911 Turbo (930 if you wish) smoked up a lot when I started it up at the beginning of each session. As it turned out, my 930 ended up needing a top end "freshening." I ended up getting the top end rebuilt as well as a few other things. Then I got laid off and didn't have work for three months. Doh!

So it looks like, for now, I won't be doing any DEs this year since, not only did I kind of spent a year's worth (at least) of my "car/DE budget" in one shot after The Glen for the rebuild (plus other stuff), I couldn't replenish it right away due to the layoff.

Hopefully, I don't get too rusty after taking a year off from DE.

-Adrian

PS- Did you really go up to Yellow after only one DE in Green at Lime Rock? Dang, I'm STILL in green...not that I'm complaining...I've just been happy to participate. Especially now, since money says I can't.

Z-man

Adrian:
Yep, I remember you from the Glen, but I wasn't at Mid-Ohio, though I did email you about your tech duties!!

Sorry to hear that you're out of DE this year. Perhaps you can sneak in at least ONE event to keep you in practise!!

I did move up to Yellow after 1 event at Lime Rock in Green. (Also stayed in Blue for one whole event! ) In NNJR, the Green/Yellow run groups, and the Blue/White run groups are pretty close, IMHO. Also: being an avid autocrosser, I suppose what I learned between the cones I was able to apply to the track as well! (It's all about car control!)

Hope to see you out sometime soon, and good luck with the job hunt! (You are looking, right?!? )

-Z.

PS: Thanks for checking out my feeble website!

Brian P

Very good point. I like to think of autocross as an exercise in low-speed high-performance driving, and track as an exercise in high-speed high-performance driving. Doing either one will give you valuable experience with high-performance driving.

Granted, there are some skills that get used in one venue and not the other, but there's also a LOT of overlap between the two. And, the timing aspect of autocrosses can be very humbling.

M758

DON'T FOLLOW THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU.

I instruted at PCA DE this past weekend. Two of my students had this problem. They were fine and running a nice line and then got close to another car. Almost immedialty they were follow the line of the guy infront not the one I had taught them. In most cases in novice groups the guy infront is NOT on the line. Follow them is wrong, but easy to do. Don't fixate on them drive YOUR line. This is the one the instructor taught you.

There were a few cases where I told the student the follow the car infront, but that was only after I could tell the driver in front was doing it right.

I don't know how many times I have said "Don't worry about where the guy infront is braking, apexing, etc. Follow the line I am teaching, YOU are doing it right!"

Brian P

Completely good advice. It's possible that the symptom (following the other car's line) is due to a different problem. I would guess that most new drivers get extremely myopic and tend to focus on what is immediately in front of them. The common feeling is that they are only looking about 10 feet ahead of them.

While this is a bad habit, the big problem is that all of the reference points for this driver are always immediately in front of his/her car. So, when our driver comes too close to another car, all those points get blocked by that lead car. Suddenly, our myopic driver has very little choice except to follow that car and hope for the best.

What can cure the problem is making sure that the student has good reference points out on the horizon (and preferably something they could see if they have to look over another car). So, after the driver has a good line (let them get that using whatever technique is comfortable for them) then suggest that they help fine tune the line by looking at something in the distance (trees, building, utility poles, etc.) This way, when the car gets in front of them, they already have another set of reference points to use.

Then again, I still catch myself suddenly trying to find new reference points when I have a car immediately in front of me.

GlenL

The consequences of following the lead car gets worse as the types of cars and abilities of the drivers diverge.

Bring sunscreen and maybe a hat if you're scalp enhanced.

mitch236

The other problem with following the guy in front is that it tends to make you turn in earlier and enter faster. It is an optical illusion that makes this happen. That's why as the student advances I begin to teach vision and sight picture theories. Sight pictures really help when in traffic

George from MD

Dar you are right I should have been a little more succinct in my comments.

"Scalp enhanced". I love it.

Alpine951

A lot of great tips here. I scanned quickly throuh this and did not see something that I think is very important. Fluids were mentioned, but i did not see a specific one mentioned. You need to be hydrated! This is especially important if its hot!!! When you are not hydrated you get tired. Your reflexes are slower. I have often heard it mentioned by the person in charge of beginnier development that if you are not running to the bathroom all day, then your not drinking enough water. Just have fun. Don't be too worried about too much to begin with.

87turbo911

I did think of one other thing. Be aware of how you physically feel.

This happened to my brother: He developed a slight headache in the early afternoon of a DE- not long after lunch. When he was in a session with his instructor, the instructor asked him if he was okay because, in the earlier sessions, my brother was doing really well- driving a good line, braking well, etc... In that particular one, the instructor noticed that he was "off" and my brother remarked that he was having some trouble with hitting the line as well as he had in previous sessions. So the instructor had him dial it back a notch then they talked about it towards the end of the session and discovered that it was probably his headache distracting him which was what was causing him to be "off."

I think the lesson is that with things that you might consider to be minor troubles for you physically- even if you don't notice it while you're driving but before and after- it may be affecting you more than you think.

-Adrian

PS- Zoltan- I picked up a contracting position back in January but I'm still looking for a full-time gig.

Z-man

Adrian: good point. If you're not up to the task (headache, stomach ache...etc) either back it down a notch on the track, or skip a session.

Another thing I noticed is that when I rush to get to the staging for me run, I am not as prepared as I am if I take my time. Often if I notice I am rushing things, I'll take a second trip to the bathrooms, clear my windshield, re-check tire pressures & fluid levels JUST TO SLOW DOWN.

The proper physical condition and the proper mind-set are required to driving effetively out on the track!

-Z-man.

M758

You are SO right. My DE mindset (note racing mindset is different)

1) BE SAFE.
First and foremost is to be safe, don't take too many risks. Think safety first. Proper line and passing etiquette are keys to safety.

2) HAVE FUN.
You there to have fun. make sure it happens. Don't drive to the point that you are NOT having fun. Driving hard and concentraing can limit the fun factor. Plus you can't have fun if you are scared in every corner.


3) Get faster.
If you are doing well at the first two THEN you can worry about getting a littel faster.

JCP911S

87 Turbo, this sounds like dehydration... not saying it is, but similar symptoms. DE is dehydration paradise... hot clothes, helmets, gloves, exertion in hot interiors, standing on blacktop paddocks in the sun.

You can't drink too much water... the old saying is.."if you aren't pissing or drinking, you're dehydrated.

If you feel thirsty, it is too late. I drink 2-3 quart bottles of water in the morning just as a matter of routine... this really seems to build a strong base for the afternoon.

Dehydration can sneak up on you, but really deteriorate your ability to think... I remember once about 2 in the afternoon, driving down the main straight at Summit Point... about 100 mph... and didn't have clue one about where I was... very scary.

ColorChange

Couldn't agree more about the water issue. My countach is like a freakin greenhouse and the windows open all of about 3 inches. With helmet, gloves, 3 layer nomex, ... way hot! I do not get hammered the night before, drink huge quantities of liquids early in the morning and keep drinking all day, alternating water/water/Gatorade/...