Balcony Car Control

[s4one]

Has anyone participated in these events before? I am not so interested in the drifting but more of the car control as in if I was about to spin out, I can learn how to better control the car. My car is not set up for drifting so I am purely after the car control aspect.

Experience first hand in a controlled environment to save the spin out. Will participating in the car control help me become a better trackday driver?

To those who attended before, is there an instructor who actually leads the class? From the videos I see online, it seems like cars just line up like autocross then start drifting? Not referring to horse thief.

Thanks!

[OC3]

Attended one there with 626drift in early 2011. Before that, one with drift101 at National Orange Show track (Riverside/Fontana) in late 2009.

Several organizers do it there at the Balcony: 626drift, Extreme Speed, Speed Ventures, etc.

Yea agree re: not so much drifting but more of car control. Definitely helpful.

Yes there are instructors who leads/teaches, if that's what you signed up for. The ones that go wild doing full-blown drifts are the experienced groups.

[s4one]

Originally Posted by OC3

Attended one there with 626drifting in early 2011. Before that, one with drift101 at National Orange Show track (Riverside/Fontana) in late 2009.

Several organizers do it there at the Balcony: 626drifting, Extreme Speed, Speed Ventures, etc.

Yea agree re: not so much drifting but more of car control. Definitely helpful.

Yes there are instructors who leads/teaches, if that's what you signed up for. The ones that go wild doing full-blown drifts are the experienced groups.

Great thanks, just wondering how much it helped? I know it is a relative question but I just put on a new set of RS3's and don't want to burn through the tires just for the car control event. I have a set of used PSS but id have to find time to install them.

After your first car control event, did you feel more confident on the track?

Thanks

[OC3]

Originally Posted by s4one

Great thanks, just wondering how much it helped? I know it is a relative question but I just put on a new set of RS3's and don't want to burn through the tires just for the car control event. I have a set of used PSS but id have to find time to install them.

After your first car control event, did you feel more confident on the track?

Thanks

Yea, I think how much it helps varies on the person.

For me, it helped in that, after a while, the car going sideways felt kind of natural. Also, (not that the instructors in those beginner classes fully discusses this, but) it helped me to (for example) understand what causes cars to tank slap and, once you understand that, you can actually use that principle to drift thru S-turns (i.e. gain better under standing of weight transfers, vehicle dynamics, etc).

You don't want to bring a new set of track tires for that type of events. May be bring 2 sets of sh*tty Federal or Kelly tires? lulz. Seriously, though, you might consider paying more and using the organizer's car. They often have S14's available for rent and the price includes car, tires, fuel, etc. You just show up, hop in their car and, with their instructions & guidance, learn how to do donuts, figure-8's (those 2 starting from standstill in 1st gear), and eventually, do J-turns in 2nd & 3rd gear (this obviously while at speed).

Re: whether I felt more confident immediately thereafter at the tracks, in my case, I did the drift events well before I started tracking, so can't answer that, other than, I'm sure it does/would. But, probably not by all that much. I mean, nothing beats seat-time, and lots of it. And, one day of beginner drift lesson isn't going to fully prepare a driver for big oversteers at 70 mph on the tracks. Car control, quick steering corrections, etc, on the track need to be done instinctively and that's only gained from lots of seat time.

[s4one]

Originally Posted by OC3

Yea, I think how much it helps varies on the person.

For me, it helped in that, after a while, the car going sideways felt kind of natural. Also, (not that the instructors in those beginner classes fully discusses this, but) it helped me to (for example) understand what causes cars to tank slap and, once you understand that, you can actually use that principle to drift thru S-turns (i.e. gain better under standing of weight transfers, vehicle dynamics, etc).

You don't want to bring a new set of track tires for that type of events. May be bring 2 sets of sh*tty Federal or Kelly tires? lulz. Seriously, though, you might consider paying more and using the organizer's car. They often have S14's available for rent and the price includes car, tires, fuel, etc. You just show up, hop in their car and, with their instructions & guidance, learn how to do donuts, figure-8's (those 2 starting from standstill in 1st gear), and eventually, do J-turns in 2nd & 3rd gear (this obviously while at speed).

Re: whether I felt more confident immediately thereafter at the tracks, in my case, I did the drift events well before I started tracking, so can't answer that, other than, I'm sure it does/would. But, probably not by all that much. I mean, nothing beats seat-time, and lots of it. And, one day of beginner drift lesson isn't going to fully prepare a driver for big oversteers at 70 mph on the tracks. Car control, quick steering corrections, etc, on the track need to be done instinctively and that's only gained from lots of seat time.

True!

[OC3]

Not sure if you saw this, but here's an upcoming one on April 5:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2156..._mall_activity



And, one on April 6:

http://www.speedventures.com/events/...il.aspx?id=487

[s4one]

Yea, I was looking into that specific one.. thanks i might just join.