oldtimer

Hi guys, sorry if this is a stupid question , but here goes. A couple of years ago I had some driver training on a slalom course, 10 cones set out in a straight line, eacn 18 yards apart . Exercise was to go down the line ,steering in and out of cones, could not use brakes except at the end of the line , then 180 deg turn and come back. had to be done as fast as you could manage without hitting any cones. I used 2nd gear all the way and no more than half turn of wheel either direction from dead centre , hands at 3 and 9 oclock did not leave wheel but cannot remember how I modulated the throttle . ...my guess is to lift throttle just before next turn-in , then back on throttle after turn in ...but not on for too long else just speed up and lose the thread ....

Question 1...is the best technique for the exercise to push on throttle before or during or after the wheel turns ?

Question 2...if remove the restriction on braking, so can use any combo of wheel angle throttle and brakes , what is best technique for cone slalom ( in a 911) ??

joey bagadonuts

Q1. None of the above. Steady throttle

Q2. Steady throttle.

From my autocross experience, I've found that the quickest way through a series of cones is finding the maximum controllable speed and then holding it. The rapid turns already upset the car's balance and any additional inputs yielding more yaw or centrifugal force would only deteriorate the car's grip. Too much on/off throttle will eventually cause the tail to step out--even if your 911 tends towards understeer.

The real key is to minimize your inputs. Straighten out the slalom as much as possible, trust your peripheral vision (eyes up!) and go through as smoothly and quickly as possible.

oldtimer

thanks Joey , what you say about keeping it smooth seems to be the logical key for best technique / time through. However , the trainer was definitely ( from memory!) leading us to do something different to that in this case , he was watching closely from the side the attitude of the car and the visible clearances between top of wheel arch and wheel rim and listening to engine note.....I made some notes at the time in the classroom part of it all but lost the book..

joey bagadonuts

I took a quick look at the Hank Watts book on autocrossing and he DOES advocate modulation for oversteery cars and a bit of trail braking for those that understeer, so it seems there might be a quicker way through the cones based on your car's handling characteristics. His general advice was to "dance" with the car.
Good luck!

M758

Don't forget to turn very early. It takes just a bit of time for the car to react and take a set and begin to turn. In cone slalom type section the cones come up VERY quickly. Best solution is to turn for the cone well before the turn. I call this "Staying ahead" of the cones. Get behind and you are toast.

Think of it as being proactive vs reactive. Turn before the cone not after it. Go out a drive the slalom and it will make some sense.

Z-man

There are several techniques for driving a shoe-string (aka slalom). These techniques are often debated amongst the autocrossers.

Some say it is best to go through the slalom with a steady throttle, to keep from upsetting the balance of the car, as joey suggests. Others dial in more throttle between the cones.

Some say braking will slow you down, while others use left foot braking to settle the car without loosing much momentum.

Also: a lot of this depends on the slalom itself: are the cones close or futher apart? Are they evenly spaced? Is the shoe-string on level ground, or is there an uphill, downhill, or camber to the course? Most importantly: what proceeds and what follows the slalom course?

That said, here's what I do from what I've learned from my mentors:
* For the most part, in an autocross, the slalom itself isn't as important as the entrance and exit of it. If there is a reasonable straight before the slalom, I will carry that speed BEYOND the first cone: my breaking zone is between the first and second cones. (I've just shaved 0.XX seconds off my time by doing this!) HOWEVER: this doesn't always work, especially coming off a fast section into a really tight slalom that is at an angle to the proceeding straight. At that point, sometimes it is better to do all the braking and settle the car before the first turn.

* Next, I like to keep the car as close to the cones as possible. (Shameless plug: I've gotten away with nicking the edge of the cones without dropping them more often that I should have! )

* While some people drive through the cones by steering left to right in a smooth fashion, I prefer to split the turns into steps like this: turn LEFT - go STRAIGHT - turn RIGHT - go STRAIGHT - turn LEFT - go STRAIGHT...etc. It may sound like I'm making the suspensino do more, but in actuality, I am not: in the smooth LEFT - RIGHT - LEFT - RIGHT method, the driver is taking a car that is completely loaded on the right side to one that is completely loaded on the left, allowing for very little time for the car to settle. By adding the short straight section, I am allowing the car's suspenion to settle at a 'neutral load' before getting it loaded on the other side.

* My throttle application works in harmony with my 'left - straight - right - straight' method: when going straight, I will dial in more throttle, and when turning, I will lift slightly. Note that this much be done smoothly to be effective. (Unfortunately, I am not always smooth enough to be effective! )

* Braking: I rarely use the brakes in an slalom, especially once I understand what type of speeds can be attained through them. I have yet to develop the sensitivity required for proper left foot braking, but I may have to give that a shot sometime.

So, as with all questions relating to performance driving, the best technique really depends on many factors. The techniques that you use do not necessarily depend on your car, BTW: the driver is also as big a factor as the type of car he is driving. If you're more of a 'throw and catch' type driver, then you'll feel more comfortable with the less smooth technique. If you're a smoother and steady driver, then obviously the smooth technique will work better for you.

Hope this helps,
-Z-man, cone-hitter extrodinaire.