Remedial reading/instruction required

[Omerta]

First competitive(ish) outing in the Targa-prepped 944 last Saturday, Iain and I had a great day of sprints at Manfeild spoiled only (for me) by Iain's consistent ability to crank out lap times a fair bit quicker than mine . So as I suspected there's some work to do on the nut behind the wheel if I'm to have any chance of keeping up the pace... I will get some 1:1 instruction if available at any event but also keen to hear any recommended reading/videos?

The car behaved itself well with no probs driving there and back and doing double time on the track all day with no brake fade or overheating .

Best lap time - Iain's - was 1:27:18, which is my target time when we go back for Intermarque sprints on the 20th!

Don

[Kiwi Carguy]

If you still have my email then email me and I will put you in touch with who I did some coaching under. Well worth the time and small amount of money. Ex 944 racer too. Sorry can't help with books etc Playstation GT4?

Edited by Kiwi Carguy on Tuesday 8th April 02:53

[GravelBen]

Playstation GT4?

Xbox Forza or PC rfactor

[Omerta]

GravelBen said:

Playstation GT4?

Xbox Forza or PC rfactor

Got an Xbox and steering wheel/pedal box but only less-realistic games like Project Gotham and NFS. I can see the value from a console in learning a particular circuit and basic braking and entry/exit line technique, but beyond that I'm not convinced it helps with real-world driving. The area I think I need the most help in is heel/toe downshifts and turning in and getting on the throttle without unsettling the balance any more than is useful to get the nose around. Seriously, you reckon Forza would be useful?

[GravelBen]

Well yes and no really (isn't that helpful of me ) - the car handling in Forza is much more realistic (and fun) than any other console game (single-car handling is anyway, interactions between cars not so good), it also has a 944T (in Forza1 anyway, not sure about Forza2) and lets you modify cars including full adjustments for suspension setup etc to play with (camber, castor, toe, spring stiffness, damper rates, ARBs etc) so you could set one up very similar to your real 944. However the controls are never going to have the feel/resistance/feedback of a real car, and its never going to simulate the forces acting on your body as you drive.

I guess its beneficial compared with doing nothing, but still no substitute for proper seat time. And it won't tell you how to improve like an instructor will.



ETA: The reason for my initial post wasn't so much making a serious suggestion as pointing out that the GT games would be a very poor option if you were using sims for some extra training.

Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 8th April 03:52

[Kiwi Carguy]

For me the things I learnt the most was proper braking technique, being smooth and choosing lines to take. Heel to toe is important but other things are more important. That's why it's important to have someone go out with you as I have no idea what you know and are good at where they observe and make corrections. Habits are hard to break and you want to learn good ones.

BTW I have Forza but thought GT4 was more widely known. I actually find it quite helpful to practise lines etc and being smooth. Of course nothing beats the real thing.

[Kylie]

All I can say is :

GO HARD....BRAKE LATE.....AND DONT F**K IT UP

[Omerta]

Kylie said:

All I can say is :

GO HARD....BRAKE LATE.....AND DONT F**K IT UP

2 out of 3 of those I have absolutely no problem with.... Can you break down that third for me a bit please?

[Esprit]

One that I actually found surprisingly useful was actually this 10 minute top gear clip where Jackie Stewart teaches James "Captain Slow" May to drive a Tuscan around Croft.

While it's light on actual tecniacal input, some of the things you can hear Jackie talking about are very very true and worthwhile giving some thought to.

10 very entertaining minutes of youtubeness if nothing else:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=roCFoKaUf1A

I'll be honest, it's helped me a little in getting some quick times over the last couple years.

[GravelBen]

Theres also one from 5th Gear with Tiff giving that fat gimp lessons in a Gallardo.

[Omerta]

Esprit said:

One that I actually found surprisingly useful was actually this 10 minute top gear clip where Jackie Stewart teaches James "Captain Slow" May to drive a Tuscan around Croft.

While it's light on actual tecniacal input, some of the things you can hear Jackie talking about are very very true and worthwhile giving some thought to.

10 very entertaining minutes of youtubeness if nothing else:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=roCFoKaUf1A

I'll be honest, it's helped me a little in getting some quick times over the last couple years.

Thanks George, I remember that one from a couple of years back but not with instruction in mind - will check it out again.

[Esprit]

Omerta said:

Thanks George, I remember that one from a couple of years back but not with instruction in mind - will check it out again.

Yeah well it's hardly an instruction video but the man CAN drive, and some of the points he makes out there about the weight balance of the car, about smoothness etc hold very true. I've found myself screaming at myself on track when I've got things wrong "Don't feed the power in until you know you don't have to take it out again" .... really helped with the smoothness of my driving keeping some of those mantras in mind, especially on days like my last trackday where my head totally wasn't in it and I just couldn't seem to get any pace out of the car.... by the end of the day I'd recovered my head somewhat and was starting to turn semi-respectable times again.

[Omerta]

Esprit said:

I've found myself screaming at myself on track when I've got things wrong "Don't feed the power in until you know you don't have to take it out again"

In an appropriately Glaswegian accent?

[GravelBen]

Esprit said:

Yeah well it's hardly an instruction video but the man CAN drive

You've probably heard the story about JP Montoya and Stewart doing demo laps to show off some new car a few years back - The story (as told by Montoya) is that Stewart went out first, didn't look like he was really trying that hard, just smooth and steady. Montoya says he felt a bit sorry for the guy who used to be so fast and seemed to have lost his edge, but being a racer he wanted to prove the point, went out and gave it everything he had, pushing the car on and over the ragged edge to the best of his ability. He came back in and was rather shocked (and humbled) to find his best lap half a second slower than Stewart.

Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 8th April 06:16

[Esprit]

Omerta said:

Esprit said:

I've found myself screaming at myself on track when I've got things wrong "Don't feed the power in until you know you don't have to take it out again"

In an appropriately Glaswegian accent?

Because I drive a Lotus it's usually screaming (in Glaswegian) Moooore power... MOOOOORE POWER!

Ben, I'd not heard that story... but it very much figures with Jackie's style of driving.

[Kiwi Carguy]

Links like this one are worth a read http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_corne... Google some topics and wade through the crap and you'll find some jems. Avoid anything with a referance to Monster Tacho's etc

[RENN68]

If you're looking for some 1 on 1, I can highly recommend Stu Owers either privately or at one of his track days http://www.trackdays.co.nz/ Stu runs events mainly at Manfield although does the occasional one at Taupo. You can contact him through the website.

Stu is a great peddler and instructor and is a super nice guy as well. He races a 944turbo in Bridgestone so knows what they're all about. Stu drove at the ADAC 24hr at Nurburgring as part of the 2 car 8 driver kiwi team Nurburgring team from NZ www.ktn.co.nz where they finished first and second in N2.

[RENN68]

PS - Mike Eady has just released this NZ track guide http://www.tracktime.co.nz/Racetrack-Manual.html which you may find useful also.

[Omerta]

Thanks George - James has also given me a nudge in Stu's direction. He's got a track day on the 27th at Manfeild but I'm already booked to do the Tongariro Crossing that weekend - will give him a call and see what can be arranged anyway.

Esprit George - I watched the Jackie Stewart vid this morning, good tip

James - thanks for that link too, I ended up reading through all the sections of it.

Edited by Omerta on Tuesday 8th April 22:16

[RENN68]

Other than that, just get out on the track as often as you can - test days are really good. Just practice being smooth and consistent. Don't go out trying to do fastest laps everytime - just get yourself into a consistent groove. Once you've got consistency then its easier to work on specific sections of the circuit (with or without an instructor)and as you get them sorted move on to the next secion for improvement. Be smooth and the speed will come all by itself - enjoy