What we've learned on the track

[wconley]

We teach keeping hands at 9 and 3 and personally I don't do it because I think they will forever drive that way. I don't. I vary between one hand, 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 just to stay comfortable. However, if I'm in traffic or on a "demanding/fun" road I always have two hands on the wheel - I may need that fraction of a second. For the majority of drivers, having the hands at 9 and 3 will result in better, more accurate and quicker control inputs. What we teach is sometimes a new way of driving for some and a sense of discipline and repetition for all. As an aside, I never leave my hand on the stick because in my M3, the weight and constant push on the transmission selector "can" result in premature transmission wear. I don't know if the same problem exists for my Boxster but it's easy enough to avoid. From a practical standpoint, using the one hand technique can provide an indirect hazard if you do hit something and the airbag deploys. If your hand is over the top of the wheel, you will likely get a fist in the face. If it's at 6:00 with the fingers on the inside of the rim, you may end up with a broken wrist. YMMV...

Personally, after vision, I think one of the best things we learn from the track, or simply taking a car control clinic, is potential. Many people have an accident simply because they don't know their car will stop, or drive around an accident. To quote a friend of mine, "If a meteor hits your car, that's an accident. Everything else is driver error!" Once a driver becomes aware of the potential handling qualities of their car, and a confidence in themselves to extract and make use of it, they can often save themselves considerable expense if not outright pain of an accident.

[Quickurt]

Originally Posted by wconley

"If a meteor hits your car, that's an accident. Everything else is driver error!"

We need a clapping hands emoticon!!
It got on my nerves, because I already knew what ABS will do for you, but every exercise and every time through at the BrumosU school was a box (square of cones) you had to get stopped in. Every student was admonished to at least "touch" ABS each and every time in the box. The second exercise ended in a sharp left turn with the stopping box just at the end of the corner, so you had to brake hard through the corner and get it stopped before you got back straight. Each of the students came back in line with some very big pie plates for eyes!!
I thought it was the best exercise of the event, as it really taught just how hard you could brake while continuing to control the car. I'm quite certain it will save at least one Porsche trip to a body shop.
I know it's a chance of getting an a**hole cop, but I heavily suggest every one of you go to a large vacant parking lot and run up to top of second gear, stand on the brakes as hard as you can and maneuver the car while standing on them. Just remember to push in the clutch as you are coming to a stop.
I really think it is imperative that every driver of a modern car, with the phenominal ABS brakes most have, understand just how hard you can be stopping the car, while avoiding an accident. You owe this to yourself and anyone who may be riding with you. The jerk who put you in the position of needing the skill will also appreciate it. Do it again when raining.
Hell, print this out and show it to the cop, if one happens to see you and gives you a hard time. Where else are you going to learn the most valuable skill you need?

How many have attended a "defensive driving school" like Bob Bondurant or Skip Barber and what did you learn there?

[Quickurt]

bump-a-rama!!

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by Quickurt

I know it's a chance of getting an a**hole cop, but I heavily suggest every one of you go to a large vacant parking lot and run up to top of second gear, stand on the brakes as hard as you can and maneuver the car while standing on them.

I'd get permission from the parking lot owner (like go to your church and get permission from the pastor) and keep their phone number on hand. A member of my local club was recently practicing some driving in an empty parking lot and got into a TON of trouble - wreckless driving and ended up cuffed in the back of the squad car with their car almost towed to impound. He claims his ticket was $3,000!


"this morning at 12:30 am, i got pulled over by the medford pd. i had been sliding around in the mall parking lot, enjoying the wet ground. the parking lot was COMPLETELY EMPTY! i was pulled over as i was leaving the parking lot. the officer came to my door, opened it, grabbed my wrist, pulled me out, cuffed me, and threw me in the back of the cop car. after ridiculing me, calling my friend and i names like idiot, retard, and stupid, accusing me of not being able to spell my own name, and telling me not to cry (even though i wasn't), he let me go with a ticket. he was going to haul me off to jail and tow my car, but after pleading with him to let me go with a ticket, he gave me the choice of a ticket or jail. i chose the ticket.

he charged me with reckless driving and almost gave me a reckless endangerment ticket, saying i could have killed myself and my friend. in an EMPTY PARKING LOT! he uncuffed me and told me to go straight home. so i did."

[Quickurt]

Originally Posted by Kirk

I'd get permission from the parking lot owner (like go to your church and get permission from the pastor) and keep their phone number on hand. A member of my local club was recently practicing some driving in an empty parking lot and got into a TON of trouble - wreckless driving and ended up cuffed in the back of the squad car with their car almost towed to impound. He claims his ticket was $3,000!


"this morning at 12:30 am, i got pulled over by the medford pd. i had been sliding around in the mall parking lot, enjoying the wet ground. the parking lot was COMPLETELY EMPTY! i was pulled over as i was leaving the parking lot. the officer came to my door, opened it, grabbed my wrist, pulled me out, cuffed me, and threw me in the back of the cop car. after ridiculing me, calling my friend and i names like idiot, retard, and stupid, accusing me of not being able to spell my own name, and telling me not to cry (even though i wasn't), he let me go with a ticket. he was going to haul me off to jail and tow my car, but after pleading with him to let me go with a ticket, he gave me the choice of a ticket or jail. i chose the ticket.

he charged me with reckless driving and almost gave me a reckless endangerment ticket, saying i could have killed myself and my friend. in an EMPTY PARKING LOT! he uncuffed me and told me to go straight home. so i did."

I don't know about where you live, but here, unless the parking lot owner calls and complains, the local PD have NO JURISDICTION in a parking lot. They can not wait outside the lot and then arrest you for something you did in the lot. The new Home Depot center near us, has marked off roadways with real official stop signs, etc., yet an officer friend from the shooting range told me he has zero jurisdictioon in that lot unless one of the store operators calls and asks for someone to be stopped. There is also no blanket jurisdiction that Home Depot or other owners of parking lots can issue to the police. As long as it is a vehicular infringement, not criminal, this is so in Florida. I guess some level of reckless driving or endangerment goes into criminal behavior, but until then, it's just a traffic ticket, which is civil, not criminal.
Sliding around and having a good old time is also a bit different from justifiably learning how to use safety devices in/on your car.
I made the original comment because my father taught me many, many things in the same way, especially in the rain. We were "apprehended" one time and when my dad got done telling the cop what we were doing and why, the officer hung around and gave us some other pointers.
In full disclosure, I am older than dirt, so when I was being instructed by dear old dad, shopping centers were all closed on Sunday and we also were not doing things in a shiny new Porsche.

[Mike_Yi]

I just did my second track event over the weekend (my first was two weeks ago). Here's a couple of things I learned.

In traffic, never slam on your brakes to slow for something going on ahead of you if you don't have to. On the track, this comes up when the checkered flies or the officials red flag the session. On the street, if you see something going on ahead of you - and after reading this thread you will be looking well out in front - that you are not in imminent danger of being involved in, brake quickly, not safely. The car (truck or SUV) behind you probably cannot stop as quickly as you can.

Be courteous to other drivers. If somebody is going to pass you because they are obviously going faster, let them. Again, situational awareness is the key here. If somebody is coming up on you very quickly and you don't notice it until the last second, don't try to get out of the way then. If you are paying attention and see somebody closing on your quickly, find a safe place to let them pass, and make your intentions known.

Trust your tires and brakes. This goes along with what others have said about learning the limits of your brakes. Don't forget practice not only in dry and wet conditions, but with snow on the ground too. When I met my wife, she was terrified of driving in the snow. We spent a lot of time in parking lots with me showing her how to handle a car in the snow. She is pretty damn good at it now.

After doing these two DE events, I really think that everybody (especially Porsche owners) should go to a DE event. You need to know how your vehicle handles being driven at the limit and how to control it in that situation. When there is an emergency situation, and you are trying to avoid hitting something (or somebody), knowing what to do and what not to could make the difference. As I type this, I am thinking about the OnStar commercial where the car swerves around the deer and plows into the tree.

[Quickurt]

Originally Posted by Mike_Yi

In traffic, never slam on your brakes to slow for something going on ahead of you if you don't have to. On the track, this comes up when the checkered flies or the officials red flag the session. On the street, if you see something going on ahead of you - and after reading this thread you will be looking well out in front - that you are not in imminent danger of being involved in, brake quickly, not safely. The car (truck or SUV) behind you probably cannot stop as quickly as you can.

I try to always get "out of line" in a situation where the brake lights are all hammering on ahead of you. With each subsequent car in line, the margin of error is decreased. If you can jump out of that line you not only give yourself a much higher chance of not being rear ended, you also give the cars behind you an increase in their margins of error.
This also fits into some of the above posts about being vigilantly aware of your surroundings, knowing ahead of the emergency happening, where you can and can't go to avoid the crowd and danger.

[FTD]

Quote:


"I know it's a chance of getting an a**hole cop, but I heavily suggest every one of you go to a large vacant parking lot and run up to top of second gear, stand on the brakes as hard as you can and maneuver the car while standing on them."

Originally Posted by Quickurt

My local PCA sets this up at the beginning of autocross season, along with other maneuvers. Maybe other PCAs also do this or would if it were suggested.