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      06-18-2018, 06:23 AM   #16
CSBM5
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Drives: 2019 M2 Comp, 2011 M3, etc
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Greenville, SC

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I did my first track event at Road Atlanta...in 1981. This was with the elevator shaft end of the back straight and the apex of the bridge turn literally right under the bridge. There was essentially no such thing yet as "instructors" at track events then as that concept was yet to come to all clubs/chapters.

I had two major experiences at that event (3-day Walter Mitty Challenge open track sessions) one of which was going into turn one after passing a car and getting loose on turn in while being offline. Speed was high, tail came around quick before the apex, and I just barely caught it, had my vision and thoughts focused up the hill, and got onto the throttle as the tail sliding was slowing down before it had a chance to slap back fully, kept going.

Second one was at the top of the downhill essess where as I came out of turn 3(?) I ran into a completely ice-like surface. Zero steering, zero braking, no ability to change direction or car yaw. I was thinking of my out the whole time, where I wanted the car if possible while gently testing inputs, trying to regain grip. As soon as I hit the dirt/grass, I now had some control and after a couple of tank slappers, and applying the brakes at the right moments, slowed down enough to get on back on track to a red flagged session (turned out to be antifreeze an Audi 5000 deposited).

Why have I bothered to relate all this crap (other than I'm old and get hung up telling stories?)? Before that first event, I had been autocrossing, with serious effort, for the prior 5-6 years. Car control was second nature and ingrained into my driving brain at that point. I also had spent huge amounts of time on dirt roads in rural Gwinnett and Hall counties drifting my mother's 1971 Oldsmobile 98 of all things when I was 16, 17.

Sign up for an Evo School. Do their Phase 1 and Phase 2 schools which you can often find together on a Sat/Sun. It sounds like you're at the perfect spot where you can really soak in what they are teaching and make leaps and bounds progress.
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