Little Things Make a Big Diferrence

Had a great day at the track. Had an instructor give me a couple of suggestions that really improved my way around the track.

I also instructed my dad. I noticed when he turned, his arm would almost go strait on the top of the steering wheel. After only a couple of laps, I told him to pit in. We drove down the hot pit, and I told him to move his seat forward.

"I can't go forward any farther, I won't have room for my legs."

"Then tilt the seat forward." He moved it one notch.

"Is this enough?"

"No, move it forward more." He moved it another notch, and was now sitting about strait up.

"This is way too far forward. I'm too close to the wheel. I won't be able to drive like this."

"Yes you will. Just try it."

So he pulls out, and by turn 2, I start laughing. He's clearly going faster, but is more relaxed. He's gone from working hard to make big desperate mid-corner adjustments (about 10 degrees of the wheel), to smoothly making small corrections (about 2-3 degrees). His turn ins are smoother, and it's clear he could feel what the car was doing. When we pulled off, I told him my guess was he just shaved a half to a full second off his time, easy.

It's cool to be able to help someone drive faster. It's also terribly satisfying when that person is your dad who is frequently a bit doubtful that his son will be able to really teach him useful new things.

Salanis wrote: It's cool to be able to help someone drive faster. It's also terribly satisfying when that person is your dad who is frequently a bit doubtful that his son will be able to really teach him useful new things.

This is cool. My dad and I started autocrossing at the same time. Learning curve is much easier for me, and now I'm "instructing" him, although I'm not very fast myself. But it is fun to do this.

At least you can get your dad on the track, I've FINALLY gotten my dad to where he will come and watch, but he won't go near the drivers seat.

Salanis wrote: I noticed when he turned, his arm would almost go strait on the top of the steering wheel. After only a couple of laps, I told him to pit in. We drove down the hot pit, and I told him to move his seat forward.

It is also helpful to teach people to pull the wheel into a turn rather than push it. For some reason students always to try to push over with the opposite arm but all the strength is in the pull of the bicep - leaving the other hand relaxed for sensitivity to tire grip or making obscene gestures when overtaking friends. It makes for a much more relaxed drive too - your forearms don't get cramped up.

Both of my sons seem to like the "lay back" drying position. Don't know where they got it. I've always tended to sit up where I can see.

I MADE my son go autocrossing just 2 weeks after he got his license even tho he didn't want to-yet. There was this pesky thing of he couldn't shift gears that seem to scare him. He never had trouble shifting gears again.

carguy123 wrote: I MADE my son go autocrossing just 2 weeks after he got his license even tho he didn't want to-yet. There was this pesky thing of he couldn't shift gears that seem to scare him. He never had trouble shifting gears again.

I haven't spawned yet, but when I do, I'll do the same thing.

mtn wrote:

Salanis wrote: It's cool to be able to help someone drive faster. It's also terribly satisfying when that person is your dad who is frequently a bit doubtful that his son will be able to really teach him useful new things.

This is cool. My dad and I started autocrossing at the same time. Learning curve is much easier for me, and now I'm "instructing" him, although I'm not very fast myself. But it is fun to do this.

I've been track driving for a couple of years now, so I'm reasonably good. My dad is just very used to be more knowledgeable about things than other people. He's not used to his son being the more knowledgeable one.

I think it further throws him when most of my advise to him is to rein himself in and not drive as hard. Which was exactly what he needed. And he found he actually went faster when he slowed down.

One of the funnier moments was when I told him to stop cranking the wheel in as he got closer to the apex.

"All you're doing is understeering. And the only thing it will end up doing is making you spin."

"Oh, I'm no where close to spinning! I can feel it."

"Yeah, maybe you're not now. But one of these times you'll screw up a turn and you'll lift or you'll brake, and it will snap around."

...guess what happened close to the end of the day...

Am I the only one here with a dad over 70 years old?

It's ok, he used to race stock cars in the 50's locally so I can't tell him anything. not that he wouldn't benefit, just that he wouldn't listen. and I have two regional autocross championship wins under my belt. He was just a lapper for a dealership. Tough as nails though. I still dont think I could take him. They built real men back then.

Glad you have a dad thats open to learning from the younger generation.

slantvaliant wrote: Both of my sons seem to like the "lay back" drying position. Don't know where they got it. I've always tended to sit up where I can see.

A lot of my friends think I drive too close to the wheel...

I'm still seriously jealous. My dad absolutely hated road racing. Discouraged every interest I had in it (including selling my go-cart because I drove it on pavement "too much", and destroying my model car collection when I turned 16, because I was "too old for that that E36 M3". I wonder what I could get for an original 1/12th scale Tamiya Lola T70 on ebay these days.. ). Told me if I didn't buy American cars, I'd have to leave his house. Until I moved out on my own, I had to hide my old TR-4 at a friend's house, and drive the 71 Chevelle my aunt had given me over there before school in the mornings.

You guys better enjoy this stuff, take lots of pictures, and burn those memories into your brain as hard as you can.

Do it for all of us who'll never have the chance...

mtn wrote: A lot of my friends think I drive too close to the wheel...

Same here, I go by the rule of being able to lay my wrist over the top of the wheel with my shoulders square to the seat. Problem is that I end up with my knees almost in the dash of many cars. (I am 6'2" with a 34" inseam)

On the other topic of this thread, my father passed away when I was 12. He was somewhat into cars, but never ventured into racing. I got into it on my own.

My uncle (60 years old) was in town shortly after I had started college at Ohio State. I took him, my cousin, and my brother to Speeds Indoor Kart track (good karts with a nice track, shame it closed down). Going in he refused to think that I could beat him. You should have seen his face after I zoomed off into the distance and lapped all of them in short order.

currently.. he purchased a 2005 corvette and is planning on attending Bondurant soon. At some point I need to go visit him in Denver and try to find some autocross event out there for us to run it in. (he hasnt on his own yet)

My dad's reasonably cool about being taught be me. He likes to tell people that he taught me how to fly, so now he's letting me teach him how to track-drive.

Lucky dogs!!! Both parents HATED anything speed related.

A little off topic but my dad passed in 1998 and one night I was going through a bunch of old super 8 films he had made mostly of when my siblings where little back in the late 50's. Well I couldn't believe it but on one of them he was holding onto the camera with his right hand and sawing away like a mad man with his left on what had to be the largest diameter steering wheel I've ever seen. From the look of the country side I'd say he was on some little back road in Kentucky, and man was he moving. It went on for about five minutes and I'm not sure where he was going but he was sure making time. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.

I asked mom and she couldn't remember what kind of car it was, but she did tell me some stories about some of the stunts he pulled back then. Dad was disabled by the time I came along and I never really knew that side of him but together we watched every race they put on t.v. He definitely planted this car crazy sickness in me even though he wasn't able to get out there and help me with any of my projects. I hope you all get to spend quality time with the people that inspired you.

Salanis, that's an awesome story.

I'm always preaching about proper driving positions to my family. It makes a huge difference in fatigue on long trip as well.