Handling Exercises / Practice

[Nigeyboy]

So I've found myself a piece of "private" tarmac [ ] to get to understand the car's handling characteristics better and on limit behaviour.

Can anyone recommend a series of manoeuvres I should start with to hone my understanding?

[Barry Ashcroft]

mmmmmmm Donuts

[Nigeyboy]

Yes - I quite like Asda toffee ones or Waitrose Jam, with icing sugar coating - Mmmmmmm

Donuts sound like fun, seriously though, would they teach me anything about the car's handling that I could benefit from on the road?

[Don1]

Lift-off oversteer, power oversteer, the ability to heel/toe (I still can't), how to use no ABS to your advantage (lock up, turn wheel to desired path, lift off brakes and the wheels bite to the way you want to go), how to balance the car when turning at speed....

[EzyGriff]

Tell us where the tarmac is first....!

[mak]

EzyGriff said:

Tell us where the tarmac is first....!

Yes, so we can have 50 idiots all doing donut's on asda's car park with an average age of 50 And make it quick sunny cus i need to find that holy grail my self

[Chimjunkie]

Two cones. Figure 8 between them. Cone at end of straight, round cone and back. Lots to deal with there. High accerleration, late/heavy braking (maybe Cadence), mastering the understeer/oversteer and picking the point at which to reapply power. Great exercise. Need spare tyres though All best done in the damp.

[notax]

Get yourself along to a Carlimits day at North Weald near Chelmsford. I've done several days there - around £400 each for a full day with four people - but a far better option is one of the practice days they offer for around £30 a day!! Just done my second of these - lots of driving time and instruction with nothing to hit.

Check out www.carlimits.com run by Andy Walsh. The really cheap days are offered by alternative groups using his site - check out www.lotus-on-track.co.uk (you don't need a Lotus) Have fun!

[batman0404]

.. jumping from a moving vehicle .. changing trousers .. talking on two cellphones at the same time ..

[Chris71]

notax said:

Get yourself along to a Carlimits day at North Weald near Chelmsford. I've done several days there - around £400 each for a full day with four people - but a far better option is one of the practice days they offer for around £30 a day!! Just done my second of these - lots of driving time and instruction with nothing to hit.

Check out www.carlimits.com run by Andy Walsh. The really cheap days are offered by alternative groups using his site - check out www.lotus-on-track.co.uk (you don't need a Lotus) Have fun!

I'd second that. The activity days provide an awful lot of fun for the money. Track time is nowhere near that of an open pitlane circuit day, but neither is the price or the wear on the car.

I might question the 'you don't need a Lotus' comment though.

[Chimjunkie]

Chris71 said:

notax said:

Get yourself along to a Carlimits day at North Weald near Chelmsford. I've done several days there - around £400 each for a full day with four people - but a far better option is one of the practice days they offer for around £30 a day!! Just done my second of these - lots of driving time and instruction with nothing to hit.

Check out www.carlimits.com run by Andy Walsh. The really cheap days are offered by alternative groups using his site - check out www.lotus-on-track.co.uk (you don't need a Lotus) Have fun!

I'd second that. The activity days provide an awful lot of fun for the money. Track time is nowhere near that of an open pitlane circuit day, but neither is the price or the wear on the car.

I might question the 'you don't need a Lotus' comment though.

I did one of these in the frost not long ago. 17ish lotus's, 1 911, 1 TVR (me!) and 1 Civic TypeR. Proud to say my time round the short circuit nesstled midway amongst the loti Only one car broke down. A lotus! The other halfs!!

[RM75]

I did an "activity day" at North Weald a couple of years ago - basically a cut down carlimits day. This video gives a good idea of the sort of thing involved...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWFo7Pm_nUg

[Chimjunkie]

RM75 said:

I did an "activity day" at North Weald a couple of years ago - basically a cut down carlimits day. This video gives a good idea of the sort of thing involved...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWFo7Pm_nUg

That vid does not show the more entertaining short circuit which utilises the long straight. Great fun!!