I dunno about *getting* ready, but as you get into it there will become the
factor of *staying* ready. To this end, you will learn a lot of new stuff as
you get into this game and one trick is to practice it at every opportunity.
Now it has been said one of the problems with motorsport is that you cannot
just go practice when you want to. It is not like basketball where you can go
shoot hoops At the playground when you want. I disagree.
About the only thing you can NOT practice is mashing your right foot to the
floor. But, that's about the easiest part. Nearly everything else you learn,
you can practice every time you drive to the grocery store.
People will tell you about hand positions on the steering wheel, how to sit in
the car and adjust the seat, how to look ahead farther downstream than you may
be used to, perhaps techniques for gearshifting, left-foot braking, heel &
toe.
You cannot learn it all at once. Don't even try. Learn that which seems to come
easily and don't worry about the other. It'll come along in time. BUT, every
time you drive, practice it. If someone taught you a hand positions technique
that seems to work for you, use it every time you drive. Make it habit, so that
when you REALLY need it you do not have to think about it. It becomes the
natural way you do things. You will eventually find your street/highway
driving also will improve, you will be more skilled in rush-hour traffic and
better able to deal with surprises there.
When I was young, some chum once kidded me about my both-hands-on-the-wheel
driving style that "you drive like my grandmother." No, I replied, I drive like
Graham Hill. (Well, I could wish to have that level of skill, but he was an
early hero).
You can even practice "racing lines". You don't need to go edge to edge like
on a race track. For your purpose, imagine the width of your driving lane is
the row of pylons, then use that full width doing a turn. Late-apex autocross
techniques become smoother street techniques. You may even find yourself doing
corners faster, not because you are speeding, but because suddenly it is a
more efficient turn.
Good luck, have fun! :-)
--Rocky Entriken
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
>From Rocky Entriken, Salina, Ks. Ikke sa Hurtig Racing
R.Entriken@mcimail.com #4 DP Spitfire [Old Fartz #001]
Phone: 785-827-5143 Freelance Motorsports Journalist
FAX: 785-823-0213 <If I said that, I misquoted myself>
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