Thanks...I was guessing, and guessed wrong. :) Although we've been accused
of driving a large kart. :)
--Pat K
----------
>From: "Peter Mottaz" <mph_16@hotmail.com>
>To: lollipop487@attbi.com, darren@madams.com
>Cc: ba-autox@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: The hardest autox skill?
>Date: Tue, Dec 10, 2002, 8:29 PM
>
> Actually Pat, its just the opposite. You have to know the course so well so
> you don't have to guess where the course goes next or hope that looking
> ahead will be enough. Things happen so fast and with the line of vision
> being limited in a shifter kart, that if you are relying on "just" looking
> ahead, you'll be very behind,or lost. ;-)
>
> You are correct about one thing though, the perspective is very different
> from the seat. Thus for critical or unclear sections that are a sea of
> cones, its best to sit down on one's derrihre and memorize the view from a
> more correct viewpoint.
>
> Pete
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Pat Kelly" <lollipop487@attbi.com>
>>To: Darren Madams <darren@madams.com>, Joe Ciarcia <veloimpreza@yahoo.com>
>>CC: ba-autox@autox.team.net
>>Subject: Re: The hardest autox skill?
>>Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 17:17:36 -0800
>>
>>Walking the course if you're driving a kart might even be a waste of time
>>cept to let you know approximately where the course goes. The point of view
>>at walking height is a totally different perspective than sitting in a
>>kart.
>>What was clear at walking height just might disappear from the kart seat.
>>:)
>>--Pat K
>>
>>----------
>> >From: "Darren Madams" <darren@madams.com>
>> >To: Joe Ciarcia <veloimpreza@yahoo.com>
>> >Cc: ba-autox@autox.team.net
>> >Subject: Re: The hardest autox skill?
>> >Date: Tue, Dec 10, 2002, 5:19 PM
>> >
>>
>> > An excellent question. I'll answer it in two (possibly more) ways.
>> >
>> > The "hardest" autox skill to learn is without a doubt left foot braking.
>> > It just requires hours of practice, and development of muscles and
>> > dexterity that you have no use for outside of racing (and even then it's
>> > debatable how useful it is). Rob Luis left foot broke my Integra at my
>> > first autocross school... I've been a believer ever since. Learn
>>driving
>> > an automatic on the street, then progress to a three pedal machine, then
>> > try it autocrossing. I'm still not great at it, but damn did it work
>>well
>> > at the first SFR rallycross!!!
>> >
>> > The skill that takes the longest time to perfect, yet gives the most
>> > reward? Maximazing (or exceeding in a manner that improves time) the
>> > traction of the car in all directions. Read that again. This mainly
>> > applies in my case to getting the most forward direction out of the
>> > tires... in my understeering Integra that meant not overpowering the
>>front
>> > wheels when they were trying to turn as well (power-on understeer), and
>>on
>> > my kart it means not overpowering the rear tires when coming out of a
>>slow
>> > tight corner. However, it also means getting the most out of the
>>lateral
>> > capabilities in long sweepers... that's taking the right line, and being
>> > smooth. It also means getting the most out of the traction under
>>braking.
>> > As Kevin talks about, weight transfer is a key ingredient to consider
>>here
>> > as well. ABS or not, there is a limit your tires can do (independent of
>> > available braking force) that you need to get as close to as possible.
>> >
>> > As for your braking problems, at the school two years ago they did a
>> > braking square exercise... that's the best way to learn. Braking in a
>> > straight line teaches you nothing about loading the outside front tire
>>(or
>> > unloading the inside rear). It also teaches you nothing about trail
>>braking.
>> >
>> > I'll put in the obligatory plug for Geez here. It will quickly give you
>> > numbers about just how hard you are braking. You can do a baseline
>> > straight stop to find your maximum possible braking g's, then try to
>> > approach that in a competition environment.
>> >
>> > --Darren
>> >
>> > p.s. Katie's comment about looking ahead is also a good one! I was in a
>> > rut big time and not walking the course for two events drastically
>>improved
>> > my driving.
>> >
>> > Joe Ciarcia <veloimpreza@yahoo.com> wrote ..
>> >> I'm sure this thread title will attract some colorful
>> >> responses from this oh so serious crowd <hehe>.
>> >> Seriously though, what do you think is the hardest
>> >> skill to master in autox?
>> >>
>> >> After reading a post on the i-club board I realized
>> >> that the thing I have the most difficulty with is
>> >> braking. When I think about it, just about every
>> >> mistake that I've been making is related to braking. I
>> >> think I'm choosing okay lines, at least I'm not making
>> >> any HUGE mistakes about the line I'd ***LIKE*** to
>> >> take. Proper braking seems to be an elusive skill for
>> >> me though.
>> >>
>> >> How does one practice braking? Seems like a silly
>> >> question but seriously, how do I get better at it? I
>> >> seem to be in a rut. It would seem as if most people
>> >> brake to late, or brake to early however I don't seem
>> >> to discriminate between the two (maybe I lean a little
>> >> be towards braking too early which probably makes some
>> >> sense for my experience level). This past event I
>> >> experienced "HOLY CRAP, I didn't know my car could
>> >> stop that fast" and... "ummm... yeah, I'm off course
>> >> because I really wanted to do a donut, yeah that's
>> >> it".
>> >>
>> >> Cheers Joe
>> >>
>> >> =====
>> >> Silly little Yahoo advert follows...
>> >>
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>
>
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