Tips to improve your driving

[Nightwalker]

(This is for the newbies) I want to list some tips that are taught in the professional racing world to drivers, or would be drivers. This information would be hard pressed to come by unless you spent a lot of time researching, or have someone who knows driving, coach you. These are tips and strategies I have learned from listening to experienced drivers, and are not speculation, but cold hard training facts. So enjoy them, and I hope they help you guys improve as much as they have helped me. If anyone would like to add their tips, by all means do so, as I would like to hear anything that has helped some of you guys improve, but please, no hypothesis or speculations.

-Learn how to sit properly! You must sit IN the seat, not on it.
When you press the pedals, make sure there is still a slight bend in your knees, and that you are not reaching for the pedals. Your wrists should rest on top of the steering wheel if you straighten your arms. Your back should be against the seat, as well as your shoulders. You should be sitting upright, not slouching. Most of you will find this position hard to drive in because you have trained yourself how to sit improperly, and is use to that way. Now you have to re-train yourself to sit properly.

The reason to sitting properly in the seat is that you have to be able to feel your car. There are only three points of contact you have with your car, THE STEERING WHEEL, THE PEDALS, and THE SEAT. The more you feel, the more you know what's going on with your car. This will improve what is known as "traction sensing" trememdously.

Sit like this everday you drive your car, and see how much it will improve your driving.

[markeese180sx]

awww...so sitting with the seat half way down and having to reach for the steering isnt right?

[SilverGhost]

i have sat like that since the day i got my car...i cant stand it when i slouch. it also helps with mobility on the wheel (or at least it helps me). what i mean is that i have better wheel control when sitting up right. i always drive sitting like this, partly because i always drive fast, but also becauseit just feels right.


very good tip. got any more?

[Chas]

http://www.turnfast.com/

[ACDSupra7]

RE:

Chas! That link doesn't work T_T

[Chas]

Try agian

[ACDSupra7]

RE:

Slick Bond, Reeaaalll slick -_^

[SilverGhost]

worked on the first try for me........dont know about you guys though.....


lol, j/k. that site is cool though

[ACDSupra7]

RE:

Yeah. Great compiliation of info.

[Chas]

the best. Everyone read that before they post.

[Nightwalker]

here's another...

to enter a turn correctly and efficiently, make sure you have already finished your downshift and your left foot is on the dead pedal before you even start to turn the steering wheel.

this is known as a "rookie" mistake, because by trying to heel and toe, and shift in the corner you don't have time to properly trail brake. If you are still shifting, chances are you will upset the car in the corner, not carry enough speed, or if you are carrying too much, spin out.

to enter a corner properly, you must brake, heel-toe, downshift, continue to brake, then turn while still braking. This is the proper way to enter a corner, and will start you on the right path to cornering faster.

basically, no downshifting in the corner.

want more?

[Weapon X]

These are pretty informative, learned most of them through experience but I'm curious to know what else you have to say.

[markeese180sx]

good site..nice pile of info..thanks chas!

['97 S14 SE Turb]

#1 advice:

Seat time, seat time, seat time, seat time... Can never say that enough... Without practical experience, theoratical experience means squat.


#2:

Go learn to drive grip. Yes, go all out and learn grip. In the process you will learn how for one corner, you can under/over/neutral-steer in and out of it depending on what you do and how you approach the corner.

Once you understand grip, and can select different lines to get different results or quickly make changes to cope with traffic or surface condition. Then you go learn drift. It's much easier... It's definetly rookie mistake for folks to jump into drift without understanding grip. It's the equivalent to learning how to run before crawling.

#3:

Stay focus on driving, and on the next upcoming corner. Look ahead of the track, and not at the spot directly infront of you. You will notice that this help to keep you focus, and makes connecting corners much smoother.

#4:

Have fun! Most forget this one.

[ACDSupra7]

RE:

#2 is a great one if you don't wanna crash too much -_^