Trackday driving.........how will you get better

[O'Neill]

Originally Posted by s.mac

with Curly as an instructor shouting at you to go faster

[shane@mbtech]

If I was to start again....I would get instruction first, then explore my skill.

As it is now, its hard to get rid of bad habits which hold me back, instruction first- maybe I wouldnt have bad habits????

Biggest thing I think is experience. When you leave it 6 months or more you lose touch and have to build up slightly again.
Lots and lots of trackdays in succession was the thing that moved me on most, I just got faster and faster. But feel I have reached my self learning potential and think only way for me to progress now is tuition.

I also used to drive the fuck out the car like a maniac at times to learn the breakaway points and how it feels when it does breakaway- like Ian has just done at Car limits. This gave me the confidence to go faster and faster.
Biggest thing I dont do is to look through the corner enough, I always forget and it fucks my line up. (You tend to go where you look)

My fastest laps where also my most smooth/calm, I tried to go faster but got untidy and stayed the same or slower at times.




Instruction and a natural ability also. I could have trained with liverpool everyday from the age of 10, doesnt mean I could have been as good as Steven Gerrard. I just dont have the natural ability.

[shimmy]

Looking thru corners.....same here Lawsy, I still have to force my head up rather than looking at the apex as I drive over it!

Also natural ability you can't beat, but very few of us have it in any sort of abundance so can leave that to the likes of Button and Hamilton.

[E46CSL]

Good post Shimmy

[O'Neill]

Car limits is great Andy pushes you beyond your comfort zone on the high speed bend, your natural instinct is to fight the car, then he shows you how to use the force of one finger, a few spins later and a stern "look where you want to go" it starts to sink in.

[Yanto]

Just to qualify my comments further....

Since a car is made up of a gazzilion different components, for me, it is entrusting each of those will work as they should as you drive eau rouge or copse or corum flat / powering out. That's a big ask with the forces and grip variables in a car that you pick up the tab for if it goes wrong - aside from any damage to yourself !

I still need to get over this mental hurdle,even though what I'm asking of the car is prob 6/10ths of it's ability.

I think this will only be achieved through a slow build up as per the Shimeisters comments earlier.

[northernjim]

Thinking on, basking in the pleasant haze that can only be brought on by a good few glasses of red, and another Calcutta cup victory

Tyres it's all about Tyres for me, track driving is so totally removed from road driving, it's been a steep learning curve ghat I think has been made easier by Starting off on road Tyres... Pushing on, and then overheating the Tyres and dealing with ensuing slides gave me some confidence to take on when I moved on to stickier Tyres


Finding the limits and what happens when you go beyond them is something that I think you need to do to build up your confidence, and a Csl on cups is such a formidable machine that those limits are way beyond what I'd feel comfortable with trying to find as someone just starting out

[3wheels3]

I did use to think about times quite a bit and still do but in the way that aslong as I'm quick enough to hang around others for a bit on track it's good enough for me and have a laugh on the day.

Really want some training day but more from a safety pov. I see Car Limits have place at Blyton, Lincs which could be better for northers....

[Curly]

Originally Posted by 3wheels3

I did use to think about times quite a bit and still do but in the way that aslong as I'm quick enough to hang around others for a bit on track it's good enough for me and have a laugh on the day.

Really want some training day but more from a safety pov. I see Car Limits have place at Blyton, Lincs which could be better for northers....

I've got to agree with wheels timing is not always the full story it's very hard sometimes to ever get a clear lap,nowt wrong with wanting to push on.
But trackdays is more about what you want to get out of it yourself,fun learning the circuit, sharpen ya skills,
It's a good thing to have some instruction when starting there is plenty to understand and learn.
Myself I enjoy going to new circuits and working out the new track if I can't get corner right I try think how I approached a similar corner on a track I've done,then if it's wet it's a different approach again all good fun,
I think a good thing to speed up the learning process is to get a video and position it inside the cabin so you can see your arm movements, gear change, turning points, apex and exits. So you can analyse it after the track day. It's surprising sometimes you can be a metre or two off line that you don't notice at first in the heat of the moment.
Myself it was always a good craic having a little friendly battle with someone in the same car learning as you go along

[shimmy]

Curly, thanks for the reminder......for me the first 10-15 trackdays I was virtually by myself and timing nd morovement was everything


But the last two years, helped by you and some other guys, I have learnt to enjoy the 'swordplay' out there and have some fun (then watch the timing in the last 30mins of the day.

I've found that 95% of the time even if I try all day, the faster lap will be in the last 30 mins.....others may be different.