02-02-2009, 12:51 PM
George3 wrote:
Hi George,
I hope the off season has been good to you.
Many drivers don't get the kind of seat time you do. You get more seat time in one season than a guy like my father will have in 5. So for a driver like him becoming comfortable and "one" with the car is more difficult. You have had a season long instruction experience with one of the best car control experts in our club and you have benefited tremendously. You are now aware of your own limits and drive within them exceptionally well. That's difficult to teach a less experienced driver as they have know idea where their limits even are.
My conclusion is that it can't really be taught in a conventional DE environment to your average driver just out to have some fun and enjoy their car. Our job is to keep these drivers safe and let them have a great time without going too far. If we feel they are going too fast and the car is nearing the limit we need to be able to tell them to slow down. Not try to impart on them how to control a sliding car.
I happen to think Catchacab's idea of an extra large slightly damp skid pad where pace creates the slide is the way to go. Everything else puts you prematurely in harms way especially at a track that's unforgiving.
We are going to try the many ways already suggested and I will get back to you with our results and tales of improvement or not. We'll see how it goes this season.
.
Quote:Hi All…
I’ve been watching and reading this thread carefully since the OP posted it. There have been lots of great ideas submitted by many well-heeled senior instructors on this topic of Car Control – How Is It Taught. I was tempted many times to jump in with my ideas, but held off posting until I could put my thoughts together in a short version. I realized that’s impossible, There are so many things that make up car control and how and when to teach it to the student that it’s not an easy subject. Good choice of topic, Steve!
All the advice given here is good and it would be awesome if someone would summarize the key points of this fantastic thread and have it converted to a Car Control Clinic article to be printed in the next Der Gasser. I believe this thread is that valuable and that important!
Instructed students should read this entire thread over-and-over prior to their next DE event.
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Car Control – How Is It Taught
Let me first preface by saying that “every driver�? and “every car�? is different. And no two cars or drivers will perform the same. I’ll explain some of the things that worked for me; however, these may not work for others. This is the bottom line . . . you need lots, and lots, AND LOTS of seat time. You really need to become very familiar with your car. The student needs to become “one�? with the car BEFORE testing the limits of car control at high speeds. Once the student becomes “one�? with the car, the car will instinctively travel in the direction you want, without having to consciously think about the action. Corrections will become instinctive and automatic.
Wishing all a safe driving season and a happy and healthy 2009 !!!
Hi George,
I hope the off season has been good to you.
Many drivers don't get the kind of seat time you do. You get more seat time in one season than a guy like my father will have in 5. So for a driver like him becoming comfortable and "one" with the car is more difficult. You have had a season long instruction experience with one of the best car control experts in our club and you have benefited tremendously. You are now aware of your own limits and drive within them exceptionally well. That's difficult to teach a less experienced driver as they have know idea where their limits even are.
My conclusion is that it can't really be taught in a conventional DE environment to your average driver just out to have some fun and enjoy their car. Our job is to keep these drivers safe and let them have a great time without going too far. If we feel they are going too fast and the car is nearing the limit we need to be able to tell them to slow down. Not try to impart on them how to control a sliding car.
I happen to think Catchacab's idea of an extra large slightly damp skid pad where pace creates the slide is the way to go. Everything else puts you prematurely in harms way especially at a track that's unforgiving.
We are going to try the many ways already suggested and I will get back to you with our results and tales of improvement or not. We'll see how it goes this season.
.