Ideal driving position

[gr8000]

Hi everyone

Can someone advise what is the "ideal" sitting position for track driving. In other words what are the considerations for adjusting the seat for ideal body positioning and where does someone start from when it comes to adjusting the seat?

Thanks, Stefanos

[sg///M3]

You should be able to fully depress the brake pedal and still have your knee slightly bent. With your shoulders firmly against the seat back and your arms outstretched, your wrists should be even with the top of the steering wheel. And you should have about a fists worth of room between your head and the roof. At least that's what they taught at the BMW Performance Driving School. Hope that helps.

[tszene]

you're right on.
i got the same instruction at my first track event from my instructor.

[itofigari]

yep, that is correct....only thing that would change a bit is how high your seat is in relation to the steering wheel . Most rally drivers sit up high ("truck driver style") and some roadcourse drivers (like BTCC) sit low

[gr8000]

Originally Posted by sg///M3

You should be able to fully depress the brake pedal and still have your knee slightly bent. With your shoulders firmly against the seat back and your arms outstretched, your wrists should be even with the top of the steering wheel. And you should have about a fists worth of room between your head and the roof. At least that's what they taught at the BMW Performance Driving School. Hope that helps.

Thanks sg and everyone else. If (i) my wrists are even with the top of the steering wheel and (ii) my knee slightly bent when pressing the brake pedal then I guess this will (a) place me prety far away from the steering wheel (which is fine) i.e. there would be an angle of some 110-120 degrees between the higher and the lower part of my arms, and (b) by back would be prety much at right angle (or some 20 degrees backward leaning) with the horizontal axis. I wonder how comfortable this will be... Anyway, I will try it

Do you guys dive in the street seated in the same position as when in the track (i.e as per above)?

[GT3 Tim]

Originally Posted by itofigari

yep, that is correct....only thing that would change a bit is how high your seat is in relation to the steering wheel . Most rally drivers sit up high ("truck driver style") and some roadcourse drivers (like BTCC) sit low

I teach my students (and drive this way myself) to sit more "truck driver" in relation to their arms. If your arms are "outstretched", you have a tough time overlapping them in a hairpin. Thus, I like to sit more truck driver style with bent elbows. Also, this helps students "pull" the wheel down, rather than "push" it up.....makes for much smoother inputs and less fatigue.

However, I like to sit as LOW as possible too. In the M, that is still HIGH IMHO, but I go as low as I can go. I guess it is a low-rider truck driver style. lol

[itofigari]

Originally Posted by GT3 Tim

I teach my students (and drive this way myself) to sit more "truck driver" in relation to their arms. If your arms are "outstretched", you have a tough time overlapping them in a hairpin. Thus, I like to sit more truck driver style with bent elbows. Also, this helps students "pull" the wheel down, rather than "push" it up.....makes for much smoother inputs and less fatigue.

However, I like to sit as LOW as possible too. In the M, that is still HIGH IMHO, but I go as low as I can go. I guess it is a low-rider truck driver style. lol

I agree and also prefer to "pull down" the wheel. In my Cayman S I am practically sitting in the ground....on my M3 for some reason I feel I have a more rallie oriented position, and more vision ....where do you instruct?

[jscott]

The problem I always have with a seating position is the lack of head room while wearing a helmet. I'm 6'-0" tall so even with the the seat all the way down I have a hard time finding a comfortable position without being too far from the wheel.

[HotLap]

I have noticed that in the M3 you tend to sit up higher...I can's seem to get the seat as low as I can in my 535....is this what others are finding? And thanks for the info on proper track seating position...