DRIVER DEVELOPMENT: Car Control (For those looking to improve their craft)

[Billj747]

Braking late, hitting apexes, and powering out of corners: The goal of driving a car quickly requires keeping the tires at their limit at all times. Having good car control is a crucial skill in the development of a driver to not only drive a car fast, but also to have the ability to get up to speed quickly in a new car and on new tracks. However, without self control and discipline, having good car control can actually work against you.


For those who want to improve their craft as a driver, this is a great read to understand more about car control and how it's an important tool for a driver to make a car go fast:

http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticl...r-Control.aspx





Enjoy!

[okusa]

EXCELLENT article. Thank you for taking the time to write it and share your vast knowledge.

Maybe a good way to practice skills is a test and tune day with a private instructor.

[Andy_H_E92_M3]

Very informative. Thanks!

[Porschefile]

Great article, it should be a sticky. Thanks for writing and sharing.

[radiantm3]

That was a great read. Thanks Bill. Very practical article on the subject.

[4M]

Thanks for the article and for sharing. Further proves the more I learn, the more I need to learn . . .

Question for you from the instructor seat at an HDPE: Do you prefer a student who has digested information like this beforehand or the proverbial "clean sheet of paper" who just shows up?

[Porschefile]

Originally Posted by 4M

Thanks for the article and for sharing. Further proves the more I learn, the more I need to learn . . .

Question for you from the instructor seat at an HDPE: Do you prefer a student who has digested information like this beforehand or the proverbial "clean sheet of paper" who just shows up?

I'm nowhere near the driver or instructor Billy is, but if I'm instructing you I'd greatly prefer to have someone that has read something like this and at least understands the general idea (traction circle, slip angle, etc.). There is just so much info to try to convey in a short period that it helps if they understand the theory to some level. I had a guy in a 5.0 mustang automatic that would pretty much floor it in slow corners, causing an abrupt downshift and an (uncontrolled) slide...

One caveat is a brand new, day 1 track driver, who is just going to be overwhelmed anyway.

[03///m3]

Thanks. This is great.

[PrimeBMW]

Great Job! I enjoyed the read.

[LiM3y]

Is that "1moremod" in the silver E46 M3 on page #4?

(nice smilie!)

[OC3]

Nice article. Thanks.

This article served as a validation of what's been on my (weekend-hobbyist) mind for a while - i.e. I feel comfortable with controlling the car and often enjoy oversteers and minor drifting, but had been disappointed that my lap times, despite feeling like I'm under control and driving better than ever, haven't improved to that next level.

I need to reign in oversteers a bit so that I'm constantly just around the peak friction point in terms of yaw.

[tom @ eas]

Great article!

[Sebringjetta]

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by LiM3y

Is that "1moremod" in the silver E46 M3 on page #4?

(nice smilie!)

LMFAO!!!

Seriously, great read. You might be talking about me on page 3. I developed the ability to induce and control oversteer. At some point, I went overboard. In an attempt to reel it back in...just struggling with that now. It has resulted in a few oh craps in an attempt to find the balance.

This helped me a ton!

Thanks!

[DB]

Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing.

[LiM3y]

I enjoyed reading the article. The article revists the importance of slip angles and how it defines the driver's ability. I'd like to see a follow up with more "tactical" details of building towards the "over developed" state - what exercises should the trainee engage in to build confidence while on track? - or is that something best left to 1-1 tuition with an experienced instructor

[Billj747]

Thanks everyone for the feedback and kind words

Originally Posted by 4M

Thanks for the article and for sharing. Further proves the more I learn, the more I need to learn . . .

Question for you from the instructor seat at an HDPE: Do you prefer a student who has digested information like this beforehand or the proverbial "clean sheet of paper" who just shows up?

It depends on what the objective is and where the student is at. I've instructed at Skip Barber for ~5 years and at the end of a day, had 16yo girls who wrecked 2-5 (yes one girl wrecked 5 of her parent's cars) drifting on a wet skid pad and lapping a Viper on an Autocross faster than a Viper owner.

At SB they talk about traction circles and some of the physics behind why a car does what it does, and that knowledge is key in knowing how to apply driving inputs, especially at much higher driving levels.

Originally Posted by LiM3y

I enjoyed reading the article. The article revists the importance of slip angles and how it defines the driver's ability. I'd like to see a follow up with more "tactical" details of building towards the "over developed" state - what exercises should the trainee engage in to build confidence while on track? - or is that something best left to 1-1 tuition with an experienced instructor

Thanks! There was some mention of that in the article: starting with slight slip angles in lowspeed corners, then progressing to larger slip angles, trailbraking, getting rotation on entry and mid-corner, etc... before building up to faster corners. Developing larger slip angles in low speed corners to the point of driving the car sideways was the main recommendation.

Most instructors probably don't have the experience or comfort to be able to be of much help in the right seat, especially with someone they don't know trying this stuff. So it can be a bit of a lonely road to work on if you don't have someone more experienced in this area taking you under his wing and helping you develop car control.

[LiM3y]

Thanks Billy - I think it is really cool that you are engaging with the board and sharing this information.

You're right, you did mention this.

So, every time you meet a slow corner, gradually deeper/harder trail braking and gradually increasing throttle input at track out?

When the car gets "light" is the threshold you want to be at? I have had this a few times, but not consistently, and not sure whether I have perfected the corner or survived a potential spin, or just over-driven the car! With that mind-set, it is tough to get comfortable in that "state". The most consistent spot for me is the exit of The Octopus at NJMP looking for the right point to squeeze the power down. If I have to change gear before the bridge, I feel I have done a good job!

[Billj747]

Originally Posted by LiM3y

Thanks Billy - I think it is really cool that you are engaging with the board and sharing this information.

You're right, you did mention this.

So, every time you meet a slow corner, gradually deeper/harder trail braking and gradually increasing throttle input at track out?

When the car gets "light" is the threshold you want to be at? I have had this a few times, but not consistently, and not sure whether I have perfected the corner or survived a potential spin, or just over-driven the car! With that mind-set, it is tough to get comfortable in that "state". The most consistent spot for me is the exit of The Octopus at NJMP looking for the right point to squeeze the power down. If I have to change gear before the bridge, I feel I have done a good job!

A slow corner is an easy and safe place to practice car control. You want to work up to the limit and being comfortable around the limit. For most street tires and R-comps, they are very audible just before to past the limit -which is very helpful when learning. Some tire noise the entire way around a corner is good, and when the tires start to squeal with a higher pitched sound, they are probably past their limit. You want a nice low-frequency drone type of sound the entire time.

The article mentions what the tires are doing but not necessarily about weight transfer and how to get a car to rotate. Maybe that could be another article. The point is to practice in a safe/slow corner and work up to it.

[tlp]

Great Read and awesome food for thought!!

Thanks for taking the time

[Malek@MRF]

Read the whole thing. Awesome article dude, enjoyed it very much!

[M3 Esq]

Great read Billy, thanks for sharing. As far as seat time for learning car control, you didn't mention karting, which is also a great way to learn. You can develop quick hands fairly quickly in a kart. It may also save you the hassle of getting tossed from HPDE for being a yahoo.