THSCC Forums

Folks,

With Jess not driving or riding the rest of the year and the fact that I'm no where near competitive on my cheater azenies in GS, this year would be a good time to really work on improvement.

So what I'm asking is if you can school me and my passenger seat is empty, don't ask, just get in.

I think my biggest issue is looking ahead and I don't know how to squish that bug. I'm very jerky which I know is a direct result of not properly looking ahead. However, keep in mind that I don't have power steering, so I need to do a lot more turning of the wheel than most folks seem comfortable with.

It is my goal to win one race this year in GS on street tires. I don't know if that's possible, but that's what I'm shooting for. No, if the Frank's aren't there, it doesn't count!

phil

I was just about to say we won't be at Rockingham...

Run in the A grid Sat, and I'll be glad to jump in with yah. Bring a roll of masking tape with you, the wider the better.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Phil, FWIW...yes, looking ahead is really important and can help with smoothness. I actually think two things are more important: 1) "thinking" ahead, and 2) starting your steering inputs earlier. By using visualization to make sure you really know where the course is, it can help compensate for not looking ahead as much. Sometimes I find myself looking only 20 feet in front of the car during a section (when I should be looking 75 feet), but I'm still "thinking" 75 feet ahead in my mind's eye. Subsequently, I often end up doing the same thing. So, the thinking ahead is my automatic back-up for times when I'm not looking ahead enough...anyway, the two compliment each other for me. The trick is to invest some time running the course over in your mind so you know it well.

The thinking ahead keeps me from being surprised on course, which means I start my steering inputs earlier...which = smoothness. I'm definitely not the smoothest driver around, but I'm tons better than I used to be, so it really helps. Plus, it will help you be very agressive from run #1, thus giving you 3-4 shots of making a winning run instead of just on your last run. Being smooth means any "moments" you have on course will likely be smaller and easier to catch than if you're are jerky. Once again, this can allow you to be more aggressive in the right places.

The 2nd part is forcing yourself to start dialing in your steering arc earlier (i.e., turn early and turn less). When I walk the course I try to look for the earliest point in a corner where I can initiate my steering input. The earlier your input starts, the slower you need to move the steering wheel, thus the car doesn't get upset, and ultimately responds better. Starting your inputs early is even more input with a manual steering car.

Sometimes looking at the same thing a different way can trigger something in our brains to achieve our goal, so please take my perspective with a grain of salt. I think that the visualization/thinking ahead, earlier steering inputs, braking earlier and less are responsible for helping people make a big leap in their skill level more than anything else. There is definitely no one (1) right way to do things in a car, so there are probably better ways to approach your goals than I suggested, but that's my 2 cents worth

Good luck,
Eric

Eric

Eric hit on some very good points. But notice how they all started with what you do while walking the course. That is the most important aspect to being able to think and look ahead.

I am not that big a fan of the ride along. Especially since you only have 4 runs to do it. The extra 210 pounds of my weight in your passenger seat will really impact your handling. But I am a big fan of walking the course and discussing what to look for, turn-in points, breaking points, acceleration areas.

If you can viaualize the course before your run, then you can go back and analyze your run afterwards. Did you hit your marks, as Mr. Hoppe puts it.

Always try and have someone observe your runs. A good observer will be able to easily pick out what you are doing right and where you need to improve. But you can only relate their comments to the visualization of the course you have in your head.

Don't worry about jerky movements in the car. What you are doing in autocross is totally different than you do on the street in relationship in steering input. Watch any good driver and their hands are constantly in motion

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Jim Pastorius
2008 Silverado VortecMax
1992 Camaro CMC#92
2002 BMW R1150R

2009 3rd Place CMC Mid-Atlantic Championship
2009 CMC Hyperfest Winner

I got a 'walk along' with Myles in Danville and I gained a lot by it. I'd like to do this again...anyone want to walk/talk with a noob? I'll be in Sanford pretty early.

Iv gotten allot better at this since i started pinpointing it. When i walk the course i draw the line i want to be on and i stay on it that simple. If i found my self not on that line most of the time it because im going to fast and when i do bring my self to slow down and get on the line and stay there i see my times start improving. For me its taken allot of self control slowing down where i need to but now that i see its faster it just keeps getting easier to do.

I too agree that looking ahead and smooth steering inputs start with the course walk. Figuring out how to visualize the course and running it through in my head has made a major impact on my driving. IMHO If any part of the course "surprises " you on your first run, you didn't learn the course.

Donna and I walk and talk the course thru as many time as we can until we are both sure we have it. Anyone who'd like to is free to join us.
We ourselves always try to do at least one walkthru on all national courses with a more experienced driver to hear their analysis, that has also helped us to learn to dissect a course and to reanalize any portions where their assesment differs from ours. Sometimes it's a matter of a different driving style or car characteristics, so we still make our own decisions.

_________________
SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

I always walked the course enough so that when I was standing at the starting line I could remember every element out there, this defintaly helps with "thinking ahead" , my best days were always when I could visulize the whole course ahed of time in my mind, before each run, and remember what inputs (braking, steering...) I was going to do through out the whole course.

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David Teague
2015 Lexus IS 250c
1994 Honda Del Sol HS 39
2009 Dodge Journey R/T
http://teaguefamily.us

Can we just ship jonathan roberts around and have him walk the courses with us?

I also think that everything starts with walking the course. It *enables* you to be smooth because you know where you will go. I get to the point where I can fully visualize and run the course in my head before my 1st run. Then after the run, I try to visualize myself fixing the mistakes that I made on my 1st run

One thing that jonathan taught me that he reinforced in hotlanta last weekend was trying to simplify stuff. Look for straights, which I do very well, but *also* look for ways to make multiple turns one or two arcs, which I suck at. There was a section in hotlanta last weekend. You came into a 90 degree right, then through a 3 cone "slalom" sort of thing, then another right into something that I forgot and then a straight into a 90 degree left. After walking with jonathan I was able to take all those manuevers and combine them into turn right into straight into a looong right handed arc. I forgot about all the cones and took a section that would have been challenging and turned it into something very simple. Before, I was trying to figure out how I would brake here, or there or whatever. He said "don't worry about it, its just a bigass arc. Turn, hold it there and go" It worked

-Tom

Yeah, right since when

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91 Jetta GLI STS/DSP 111
85 Porsche 944 ASP 11
http://www.blackforestindustries.com

It's the car, dude. Subarus are just too easy to drive - they make our sorry asses look somewhat talented.

ullbay itshay.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

I will have to second that motion.

God knows I suck, and for some reason my car enables me to be competitive.

Thank god for a company for making a car that makes me look better than I am.

- dow

Congradulations Phil! Bet you didn't expect to realize your goal so soon.
Sorry we couldn't stay to appauld your win at trophies, but Donna started to develop some heat related problems, so we hit the road for cold drinks and AC out of the sun ASAP.

_________________
SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.