One of the things I love about vintage racing is that there are no right
or wrong answers. Getting a car with suspension that can only generously
be described as marginal and tires that are intentionally lousy to go
around a corner the same way twice is a continual challenge that can't be
solved with analysis. Your ass is the only reliable instrumentation, and
mine isn't all that well tuned. It's particularly clear to me because I
also race a modern sports racer. Driving a Radical at the limit is a
predictable if scary thing to do. Lap 10 will be a lot like lap 3 except
that the tires will be marginally hotter and a tad slicker. A slicks and
wing car has to be driven near it's limit, on the line, to perform at all.
Brake too much and you won't have downforce. Bang around and you'll loose
time amazingly fast. Hang the back end out even just a little and you
won't be gathering it back up with the throttle--you're a passenger. The
difference between a good lap and a bad lap is five seconds in a Radical,
two in Peyote.
I think it's a very worthwhile thing for a vintage racer to do, though I
question the wisdom (and my sanity) in switching back and forth all
season. The benefit is that you find out what driving the line really is,
and you get smooth fast. You HAVE to go fast for the line to be
meaningful--if you're too slow you can put the car anywhere in the turn.
It's just totally obvious what you need to do. You can rent a ride almost
anywhere if you have a real SCCA license, and you'll learn a lot in just a
day of test and tune. It's cheaper than a driving school where you'll
spend most of the time putting around in a Formula Ford learning basics
that you probably already know.
It's like learning to do something difficult with a precision tool--you
can really see where your technique is wrong because you simply can't
blame the tool. When you step back to a more primitive axe you can sort
out where it's limits are because you have a better idea of what's you and
what's it.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On Behalf
Of Doug Mitchell
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 12:06 PM
To: kas kastner; Ted Schumacher; tom strange
Cc: Dave Riddle; fot@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Learning to Drive
The only problem with sending a driver to a corner for a session or even a
day is that it is scary for the flagger to have to watch someone who may
not want to be there. I don't mind having a driver come out and help or
even spectate if I don't have to keep an eye out for his safety as well as
my own.
And yes Kas, we are a crazy bunch. But even though I probably will never
be behind the wheel of a race car again, I still enjoy having the best
seat in the house. ;)
As both Kas and Ted have said, watching different drivers take the 'line'
through a corner is something else. If you watch the fastest drivers, you
find that they don't always look fast in the corners, but rather they are
very smooth. I can't tell you the number of practice and qualifying
sessions I have tried to guess who is going to be on pole only to find out
that the guy that looked like he was trying to learn the course is the
pole-sitter.
Doug
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net]On
Behalf Of kas kastner
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 11:49 AM
To: Ted Schumacher; tom strange
Cc: Dave Riddle; fot@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Learning to Drive
Back in the old Cal Club days (50'sand early 60's) drivers that were a
problem were brought up before the contest board and if found wanting in
attitude or ability were sentenced to a weekend of working a corner with
the flagmen. Boy is that a REVELATION.and SCARY. Those people are crazy.
Drivers are only nuts.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Schumacher" <tedtsimx@bright.net>
To: "tom strange" <tstrange@new.rr.com>
Cc: "Dave Riddle" <dave@microworks.net>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 6:44 AM
Subject: Re: Learning to Drive
> Excellent point. Whenever I instruct, my studnets have to go work a
> corner for an entire session. Gives a "whole new meaning to life" for
> them. Ted
>
> tom strange wrote:
|