Do the mechanically knowledgeble drivers have an advantage.......
...other things....
12-10-2007, 10:34 AM
#62
Race Director
over the mechanical impaired, like myself?
I personally don't know the first thing about my car's mechanical aspects, and I think that I might be a disadvantage in being completely "in synch" with the car.....
...
But what are the minimal mechanical aspects of the car that should I learn about?
I am thinking that knowing about brakes, suspension, and engine is very important, anything else?
Would that make a driver better, safer and faster?
Where would someone learn it from? A book, their mechanic, their track buddies?
Thanks
I personally don't know the first thing about my car's mechanical aspects, and I think that I might be a disadvantage in being completely "in synch" with the car.....
...
But what are the minimal mechanical aspects of the car that should I learn about?
I am thinking that knowing about brakes, suspension, and engine is very important, anything else?
Would that make a driver better, safer and faster?
Where would someone learn it from? A book, their mechanic, their track buddies?
Thanks
I built my 944 from the ground up with the help of my father. This gives me the knowledge at the track to do a couple things. Most importantly little mechanical issues are rarely a problem. I have a complete set of tools at the track, spares and skills to repair most things. So small mechical issues are just that.. small issues. I fix them and don't go home because of them. Also I can catch small things when they are small and fixed them BEFORE they sideline me from breaking later on in the middle of a race. Of 70+ races I have missed or DNF'ed just 4.
The other advantage is that I do the set-up on my car. I know what settings are and when they were last done. I know how much care I took on them and have no concers about changing them at the track to get what I want. I can do a full aligment at the track if needed. This allows me to tune the car a little better. Still through it takes feeling what the car is doing on the track then decieding how to respond off track. Are you chasing a driving issue or one that can be helped by set-up.
If you are mechical and at the track and you are alone you are your own pit crew/race engineer. If you don't have those skills you are just a driver and nothing more. Like I said earlier if you have money to pay a dedicated crew and race engineer you don't need to know much about the technical aspects and still do quite well and much better the one guy crew/driver/engineer types.
I do believe that pro racers that undestand the mechanicals of the car do have an edge over equally skilled racers without the mechanical knowledge. Even when you have others to do the mechanical work if you as a driver understand that you can better communicate what you feel on track and thus provide better feedback.
