[s-cars] RE: Track days and bad corners

[CyberPoet]

You might want to drop a note to the boys over on the Torsen digest, as
they
discuss these sort of things all day from what I've heard :P

Yes, the secret here is to be smooth as silk rather than brute force.
Also, don't
give in to your fears -- if it goes wide, it should do so in a
predictable manner --
it's just a matter of getting used to being able to predict it from the
driver's seat
through experience. Meanwhile, try not be dismayed if someone pumping
out twice
the horsepower you are can power through a turn faster than you can...

Cheers!
=-= Marc Glasgow

------------------------
Hi,
Thanks for the input. Yes, I was racing a V8 before and the tail was
very controllable. Now I am in the same class up against my mates with
their V8's who would rather die than let this 'little' 2.3l upstart get
ahead of them. It seems that it is all about setting the car up
correctly before you enter the corner and then doing everything very
smoothly. I will put some older rubber on and do some solo testing.
Cheers,
Bob

Marc Wrote:

Bob,

     Try this:

(A) Set your line into the corner a bit further to the outside to start
with, and making a gradual transition apex to apex, so you're not
cornering so harshly. A wider corner maneuver permits you to not have
to shed as much speed. The steering motion should be fluid, not jerky
as you go through it. Decelerate using the engine going into the corner
(if it's less than 90 degrees; add brakes at 90 degrees and higher),
accelerate coming out of it... Sounds like you're coming out of recent
muscle car ownership and are used to burning your way through the
corners (might just be a misimpression on my part).

(B) Downshift as necessary coming into the corner, so the engine
remains in the upper half of the RPM range while you're getting braking
from the engine torque. This will help keep the brakes unloaded and the
tires steady. If you are losing control when doing this, let the engine
RPM's drop further between downshifts, and try to use the gas pedal to
help match the RPM needed as you release the clutch on the downshifts.
When braking softly, don't have the clutch down -- try doing it with
your left foot (please try on an empty track, not with others about
until you've mastered it -- warning: this will overheat "stock" brakes
in short order as they are now slowing both the engine RPM's and the
vehicle's speed). The idea is to shed speed without ungluing the
tires...

(C) Get better handling modifications -- bigger sway bars, grippier
tires, better brakes, bigger calipers. Also visit an Audi Club, GT or
Rally driving school (investing in you is better than investing in the
car). Try to find some place that will teach you good track techniques
and left foot braking.

(D) If you can't learn to not unglue the tires, learn to accept power
drifts and to control them -- and the only way to do that is practice,
practice, practice. It will scare your competitors and often make them
back off (laughing maniacally really loudly helps too). Track days eat
tires: fact of life. I used to be scary as a rally racer because I
didn't follow the line, but instead powered the back end around even on
pavement, clipping the inside of the corners and often undercutting
other drivers (it's not a subtle technique, but it works).

Cheers!
=-= Marc Glasgow

Bob Wrote:

> Hi,
> This is not technical but rather related to driving my car quickly
> around the track corners. I am not asking for driving lessons but am
> having a hard time getting into a corner quickly. If I go in too fast,
> it seems that the only option that I have is to point the wheels where

> I want to go and put on the power. If I am already too fast, the car
> drifts towards the outside and off the track. If I tap off in the
> corner, the front turns in and the back drifts out leading to some
> interesting problems. At the moment, my style is to brake harder than
> my competitors as a reach the corner turn in and as I pass the apex,
> floor the throttle out of the corner.
> Are there other ways to get the car into the corner? My entry speed is
> slower than my competitors and I don't like the idea of them passing
me
> as we turn in because they block me on the way out of the corner.
> Just sharing some thoughts....
> Cheers,
> Bob