jimpastorius wrote:
I have to disagree. The car does not matter. I know the AWD people won't believe me. But the very best drivers in the country can drive any car fast. The principles of Solo2 are the same regardless of what kind of car. If you ever read Andy Hollis' 10 Points of Autocross, there is not an addendum for AWD, FWD or RWD.
Case in point....pivot/corner. You brake early, get your turn started and begin to apply the gas (brake/turn/gas)..it does not matter what kind of a car. Now, where you might execute those will differ slightly.
IMO, you are both right. While the basics are the same independent of the car, the implementation can vary quite a bit. From my limited experience, I find that FWD and AWD can be mostly lumped together in technique while RWD is its own animal. It seems to me that a properly setup FWD or AWD car can be driven using the same techniques and you will be fast in either. If an AWD car is substantially rear-biased, that may not hold true but I haven’t seen any *easily accessible* production cars that fit that mold.
If you’re looking to maximize your potential for a given platform, it’s probably best not to jump from car to car. I turned down a bunch of offers to drive other people’s cars prior to nationals for that very reason. I find that when I’m looking to eek that last % out of a car’s potential subject to my own limitation as a driver, moving from car to car messes me up just enough that I’m not correctly anticipating what a given car is going to do.
Brian Herring wrote:
My example with the pivot cone.
In an AWD FI car: I brake hard EARLIER with a heavy 34xx lb car, downshift to 1st, and tight corner + WOT + clutch slip on the way out... there is a fine line here to not bog the engine.
In a RWD NA car: I brake a little LATER with a 29xx car, Downshift to 1st, and tight corner + ease gas + clutch.... There is a find lne here not to smoke the rear tires.
jimpastorius wrote:
Brian, if your description is accurate, you are using your clutch to modulate the throttle on exit of the pivot. That is no different that me squeezing the throttle until I feel the car bite and then WOT (at the Sunday pivot).
Coming into a hard brkaing, downshift, I have my shifting completed before I am off the brakes. The start the turn and roll on the throttle. I am not sure where you are actually making the downshift.
Brian, I’m not sure what to make of your description regarding the pivot cone. If my interpretation is correct (and matches Jim P’s), I think that is a bad idea. As somebody who used to drive a turbo car, I would never use the clutch to modulate boost in that manner. Maybe I’m missing something but that sounds painful and a good way to kill your clutch in short order.
I’d lean towards Jim P’s technique on that one with the possible exception of sliding my left foot onto the brake at the last minute so I can get back on the gas sooner to keep the turbo spooled. I used to hold the brake a little longer around a slow turn with my right foot on the gas and then ease off and on both respectively. It took some practice but the car would rocket off the corner and I became a much better mambo dancer to boot!
jimpastorius wrote:
I think I was one of about 2 people that entered on the left
of that pivot.
I remember talking with Jim P about that one. I think it really depended on the car and if you could hold the throttle flat around the first corner. For my car, going left would have required lifting to tuck inside the first set of double cones. Considering how long the run was to the pivot cone, I decided it was better to keep whatever meager momentum my car was generating by going right. If I had race tires, I probably would have gone inside as well.
Jim
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It wouldn't be the same if I didn't....
I probably shouldn't admit to that...
