What we've learned on the track

[Quickurt]

Brucelee and I discussed this thread in another thread, so here goes.........
There are different techniques learned in and from racing that have translated into major safe driving skills. I have worked hard to pass what I have learned on the track, to my wife and two daughters.
I am hoping all of us who have and do drive competitively can pass some of those
life saving skills on to our good friends on this forum.
It can also be lots of fun for all of us.
We tried this on the RX8 forum and it somewhat turned into an ego/anti-ego thing, if you know what I mean, so I will try to head these attitudes off, from the beginning.
I am not trying to come off as some sort of expert, because I am surely not.
I've won my share of SCCA races and a couple of minor, amatuer championships, but all that fame and fortune......and $2.00, will get me a cup of coffee, anywhere except Starbucks!
I certainly hope some of the other racers and track day guys will come on this thread and add their two cents worth, as almost all of my driving was in purpose built formula cars, so I have basically zero experience racing a street car.

In competitive driving, you either learn fairly rapidly, or you need a very big budget!
I had almost no budget when I first started, so I spent many, many hours devouring books by, among others, Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda - both excellent books on driving.
I then spent the time I had driving on the street to master quite a few of their lessons. Interestingly enough, being in the Air Force, at the time (I was NOT in the military ) they also sent out a monthly flyer on driver safety, and the two sources overlapped on a remarkable basis.
The first thing I learned from Jackie Stewart is to NOT use the standard technique taught for driving! That technique is to let your eyes wander around the scene out your windshield to "see everything." Nonsense. Your brain is much smarter than your eyes. His technique, that I have used ever since, is to focus your eyes as far down the road as you can see and watch that entire "scene" of your full vision picture with your brain. You do this by focusing your attention on different parts of that scene. You will also immediately pick up ANY movement within that scene. Movement you may miss for a critical split second if you are letting your eyes wander around the view out your windshield. You can hit an apex perfectly while looking as far down the track as you can see. That apex is right there in your vision scene. If you are autoXing, you will see entire sections of cones at once, not just the few close to your car or the next few you need to manuever through.
With some practice, you will aslo be able to watch your instruments without looking directly at them! Don't believe me? Try it. If you have ever seen a photo of the dash of a race car with the instruments all turned at strange angles, you've probably been confused at the lack of order. Not so, those instruments are all turned so that the needles are straight up at proper operating range. So the driver only needs to keep them in his awareness and a guage out of operating range sticks out like a sore thumb! HE will also shift when the tach needle becomes vertical. All you "Shift light" guys are so lazy............ and this is a lost art with the advent of full digital dashes.
As you sit low in a Porsche with the guages fairly high in your vision picture, it begins to make sense. Porsche has led the auto industry in ergonomics and placing your guages near the center of your sight picture is key. The farther away from the center of that vision scene you get, the harder it is to see something without moving your eyes to focus on it.
After learning to "see" your guages without actually looking at them, learn to be "aware" of your mirrors, at all times. Once you master it, ANY motion in your mirror scene will immediately draw your attention.
Mirrors on a Boxster are somewhat of a problem, as the roll bars are a huge blockage in your rearward view. The restricted view of your central rear view also bleeds over into restrictiong the width of your view in the two side mirrors.
Maybe someone can come on and talk about how to adjust all three mirrors to get the widest possible panoramic view.
In the meantime, practice the technique and see how well it works!

[944boy]

I totally agree about about looking as far down the track as possible. It is really a good habit!

I do not totally agree about the shift lights.... The Boxster (and 911) has a great tach layout perfect for racing. Try that with a late model 944. Redline is about 4 o'clock on the right. Difficult to see behind the wheel spokes if turned at all. There is however a small built in shift light at the top in the shape of an arrow.

Competitive driving is really a great thing for the whole family and I think helps street driving. Teaches better control and confidence, staying calm instead of panicking.

I bet the Boxster felt really heavy compared to the open-wheeler.

[pbanders]

What I learned on the track was that you have to PAY ATTENTION. The biggest problem I see on the road are drivers who are utterly inattentive and not ready to respond to the situation. Beyond the obvious distractions of the cell phone, the kids, the nav system, the radio, etc., I see drivers whose posture and grip on the wheel tells me they're not really engaged. Leaning on the door, one hand on the wheel, open hand draped on the top of the wheel, so close to the wheel their elbow is at a 90 degree angle, etc.

Keep both hands on the wheel (I prefer 3 and 9), adjust your seat for proper distance to the wheel, make sure your mirrors are optimally adjusted (very impt in the Box with the top up), windows clean, and as quickurt said, eyes down the road. It's ok to have the radio on, but not so loud that it's keeping you from hearing what's goiing on around you. If you have nav, set it when stopped and if you're really confused, pull off and check it instead of trying to read the map - or have your passenger manage it and direct you.

You'll find that when you're fully engaged with driving, it's a better experience, anyway!

[renzop]

As it applies to street driving, "look far ahead" is one of the best accident avoidance techniques there is. Let's take it to the next level by saying, "to look far ahead" you need to avoid tailgating or even close following at all costs. You can't look ahead if you can only see the car infront of you. Most drivers do not follow the 2 second following distance rule and that is what causes many, mnay accidents.

Another race technique that we know about that applies to street driving is, "try to brake in a stright line" Sure, we all know about and use trail braking, but we also know that you cannot trail brake with tthe same force applied as straight line braking.

Finally, there is the, "release pressure to reduce understeer" If someone can be trained to recognize terminal understeer and to react unnaturally by unwinding the wheel they can save themselves from disaster.

Good idea for a thread,
Alan

[pbanders]

Another technique I use is one I developed from years of training on the road as a racing cyclist, is to constantly be running "what if" scenarios in my head, in response to traffic situations. In each "what if", I try to plan a way out. Example - I'm approaching an intersection, and I see a car in the oncoming lane getting ready to turn left. "What if the light changes and the guy goes for it?" - by anticipating this, I plan to steer around him, instead of reactively slamming on the brakes.

Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous, but you get used to doing it after a while and it's nearly a subconcious process. It's saved my a$$ more than once in the car, and about a million times on the bike.

[Quickurt]

Excellent comments and additions!
I like the "running scenarios" description. Great way to describe the technique.
On the track you know in a short time where you can and can't go to avoid something, because you go around and round, lap after lap, and you've probably had an old hand at the track tell you about that particular track's "bad spots."
On the street, it's another story, unless it's your daily commute route.
So, I constantly watch for "can't go" areas: deep ditch swales next to the road, driveway culverts, walls, deep center medians, etc. In that way, if something does happen you must avoid, you are aware of directions that are off limits, which greatly shortens decision times for taking action. You will also learn to be aware of these danger spots in watching your "vision scene" and you will begin to find yourself glancing at them, to log all of the details of the hazard, and then returning to your "down the road" view.
Also, the street has other hazards the track does not. ANY TIME you break left, in an attempt to avoid a serious situation, you are putting yourself on a path to a possible head-on collision. You may be on a divided highway, but if there is no center wall or guardrail to stop your momentum, you have directed your car toward a head-on situation and you will then have to change directions again to avoid going into the oncoming lane.
Another rule to remember: ANY other type of collision is always better than a head-on collision.

[dmcutter]

As a bicyclist and 20+ year motorcycle rider, +1 on the escape route planning. Something else I do, with the proliferation of SUVs, is look through the car in front of me at the cars ahead of them-you can generally see the high mounted brake light of the vehicle up the road so you have time to anticipate the braking of the guy you're trailing.

[Lordblood]

There is a lot of truth to all that, the farther down you look the more your brain can take in. You can't take in what you can't see.

About the blind spot issue, I got two convex mirrors for my Box. They are for big trucks, I know. But the nice thing about convex mirrors is that you see everything around you, including a big chunk of your blind spot, and you dont need to look around the entire mirror to catch what you need to see.

Cost me about 4 dollars total for 2 convex mirrors.

[Quickurt]

Mirrors, mirrors, I want to really have time for this one, so I'll work on it in a word doc. and paste it in.
Your convex, or spot, mirrors reminded me of a mirror I wanted to make for the formula car. We had a choice of a flat mirror or a fully convex mirror. If you look at my avatar pic, you'll see how tiny the mirrors are, for aero reasons.
What I wanted are now made, I'll have to go see if I can find them. I remember they were a german company and I gasped at the price.
What I wanted are mirrors that are flat on the inner two thirds (inner being the part closest the car, on both sides) and the outer one third curving toward the front to make the outer part convex in only one direction. If you can visualize it from my poor description, the inner part would give you the standard rearward view, but the outer third would drastically increase the wide angle view, even if a bit distorted, so that you had a panoramic view up to the point your periferial (I must learn to spell that) vision takes over.
The more I think about it, I may have seen them on Suncoast's site.
Okay, they are called aspheric mirrors. I'm not sure I like the sound of that.........
in any case, they don't seem to be available in the us, but this link lists euro Porsche part numbers for the Boxster:
http://www.toolworks.com/bilofsky/boxster/mirrors.html

[Hops]

Lordblood,
Could you describe the parts you are using (and where they are available) and how you are mounting them?

I find the stock mirrors to be nearly worthless. If I am 90+% sure there is no one in my blind spot I usually rock my head left and right a few inches to scan more and less angle off the mirror. If I am not 90% sure the blind spot is open I actually turn around and look, which of course can cause an entirely different safety issue. Top down seems to be the only way to get a really good rear view.

Originally Posted by Lordblood

About the blind spot issue, I got two convex mirrors for my Box. They are for big trucks, I know. But the nice thing about convex mirrors is that you see everything around you, including a big chunk of your blind spot, and you dont need to look around the entire mirror to catch what you need to see.

Cost me about 4 dollars total for 2 convex mirrors.

[Hops]

And, just to keep this discussion on track...

On the track, you leave some amount of buffer to avoid hitting the wall. On the street you leave some buffer not to cross the center line or go off the shoulder. I can't even count how many times this has kept me out of trouble over the years. If you lose traction for an instant due to ice, water, oil, gravel, etc., you need a buffer to avoid going into the danger zone. The best way I've heard it put for public roads is:

When turning right, hug the right side of your lane. When turning left, hold the middle of the lane.

The rationale for the middle on the left turn is to give the car coming the other way some extra buffer too. Hopefully that driver is following the rule too (watch the other car's line), and you can then slide a little closer to center.

[Lil bastard]

All Good Stuff guys ! :dance:

[Kirk]

>The more I think about it, I may have seen them on Suncoast's site.
>Okay, they are called aspheric mirrors.

Yes, I've seen aspheric mirrors for sale in the US. I can't recall which website they're on, but they are available and I think an individual was even selling a set on this forum before. They're actually pretty cheap from one source if I recall right.


>Could you describe the parts you are using (and where they are available) and >how you are mounting them?

I've got blind spot mirrors on my daily driver and they're WONDERFUL. It really helps when you detect a little movement in them to tell if someone is sneaking up on your left on a highway. I got another set for my SUV. I bought them at NAPA for about $1 each. They stick on with double sided tape. Unfortunately the NAPA units didn't stay though and came off when washing the car. I plan on re-sticking them with some fresh tape. Easy install and well worth the $2 total.


>So, I constantly watch for "can't go" areas: deep ditch swales next to the road, >driveway culverts, walls, deep center medians, etc. In that way, if something >does happen you must avoid, you are aware of directions that are off limits,
>which greatly shortens decision times for taking action.

I do the same thing with other cars. I scan my mirrors and I want to know (when there are multiple lanes) exactly where all of the other cars are located around me. That way if I have to react very quickly to an impeding situation I KNOW whether the other lanes are clear to move into. Sometimes you just don't have time to look in your mirrors and clear your blind spot before making an extreme evasive maneuver. Knowing where the other cars are around you lets you know what your options are. You'd hate to swerve into another lane of traffic to avoid an accident just to hit a car that was sitting in your blind spot! Again, this is where the blind spot mirrors are a big help as you can scan them pretty quickly.

The Boxster has a HUGE blind spot when the top's up and you're merging onto a highway. I literally have to look behind me and lean over a bit to clear that blind spot, but no problem with the top down... Just something to always be aware of.

Kirk

[eslai]

Some things I've learned from the track.

1. Listen to your tires.
2. Brake early.
3. Don't overestimate how fast you can enter a turn.
4. Be on the throttle or on the brakes. Don't coast.
5. Be smooth with your throttle pedal.
6. Don't lift throttle in a committed turn.
7. When you go off, don't try to be a hero and fight momentum in an attempt to get back on track. You'll flip.
8. Don't drive on the street like you do on the track.

Umm... none of that is from personal experience, of course, oh no no no!

[Quickurt]

You hit on a major one eslai - smooth.
I always told driver's school students the five most important things to remember:
1-be smooth
2-be smoother
3-be really smooth
4-be smooth as silk
and most importantly,
5-concentrate on being smooth.
You are controlling a 3000 lb car (with a Boxster) that transfers weight with every input you give it. If those inputs are jerky, you throw weight from one tire to another, instead of easing that weight around. Tires do not like to have an extra 500 lb. of vertical weight and 1500 lb. of horizontal load "thrown" on them! They tend to lose traction in really spastic ways, as well as chewing chunks of really expensive rubber out of them.
A good example is the difference between a great launch from a stop as opposed to dropping the clutch.
You also said to listen to your tires - great advice. Also learn to "feel" your tires and the loads (pressure on the springs and tires), as they transfer to the outside tires going into a corner and transfer from front to rear on that side with increased and decreased throttle (while still in the corner).


Someone want to work on all the things ABS will do for you?

[Lordblood]

Originally Posted by Hops

Lordblood,
Could you describe the parts you are using (and where they are available) and how you are mounting them?

I find the stock mirrors to be nearly worthless. If I am 90+% sure there is no one in my blind spot I usually rock my head left and right a few inches to scan more and less angle off the mirror. If I am not 90% sure the blind spot is open I actually turn around and look, which of course can cause an entirely different safety issue. Top down seems to be the only way to get a really good rear view.

If you walk into any car store (Auto Zone, Checkers, etc) and walk up to the wall near the register, there are usually little things you can get under 5 dollars.

I found stick on convex mirrors, about 2 dollars a pop. They simply have an adhesive side on the back, which you stick on the ends of your regular rear view mirrors.

It increased visibility greatly, much more then the useless stock mirrors that come with.

[pbanders]

Originally Posted by eslai

Some things I've learned from the track.

(snip)
8. Don't drive on the street like you do on the track.

Umm... none of that is from personal experience, of course, oh no no no!

#8 is the biggie for me, and it's why I try to encourage every sports car owner I know to take their car to the track for a NASA, PCA, or BMWCCA DE event. Once you've been to the track, you realize how ridiculous it is to try to drive your car at the limit on the road for more than about 5 seconds. It changes your perspective on street driving forever, and makes you a safer driver because you realize that there's only one place you can really find out what you and your car are capable of. I'm not saying you can't have fun on the street - but it's always got to be within tight limits, and your only competition should be yourself.

[FTD]

On a motorcycle, if you lose rear wheel traction, the best thing to do is throttle or stay on the throttle to recover.

This is not true in a car.

Until I am talented at recovering from understeer or oversteer, clutch and brake are a good response. Maintaining throttle was not.

[Quickurt]

Originally Posted by pbanders

#8 is the biggie for me, and it's why I try to encourage every sports car owner I know to take their car to the track for a NASA, PCA, or BMWCCA DE event. Once you've been to the track, you realize how ridiculous it is to try to drive your car at the limit on the road for more than about 5 seconds. It changes your perspective on street driving forever, and makes you a safer driver because you realize that there's only one place you can really find out what you and your car are capable of. I'm not saying you can't have fun on the street - but it's always got to be within tight limits, and your only competition should be yourself.

Amen.
I go out and find nice country roads. There are great farm roads all over south and central Georgia, that are an acceptable distance for a Sunday fun session and basically flat land with good vision through and past the turns.
That does not mean, by ANY stretch of the imagination, that they are anything more than enjoyable. NEVER go out of my lane. NEVER come close to actual track speeds, just fun places to exceed the speed limit, but not the safety limit.
Blind corners? Back the hell off and be real. There's no telling what may be on the other side of that view. If you're really lucky, it would only be a cop. Dog? Deer? Cow?

KID........??

[wconley]

Amen to what PBanders and Quickurt said about driving aggressively on the street. If you do you will eventually hurt yourself, your car, or someone else. At the least, you cement in the minds of the public that only remembers that there was another Porsche, BMW, etc. driving like a jackass. If you need the adreneline rush, get it on the track and use your newfound skill to be a safer driver.

On the subject of mirrors I'll take a stab as this is a pet peave of mine over 15 years of teaching for BMW, Porsche, Corvette and racing schools. I'll go out on a limb and say that there is very little if any "blind spot" in most cars, including Boxsters if you set your mirrors correctly. Primarily, the first principle is that if you can see the same object, car or motorcycle in more than one mirror, you've got them set up incorrectly. This set up is best done at rest, in a parking lot or stopped in traffic with cars around you and behind you in both lanes to each side.

1) The rear view mirror is the easy one to set up and I'll presume I don't have to say anything hear other than to center it for the lane behind you in your normal driving position. Look at the rear view mirror and take note of the last thing you can see at the very left and right sides.

2) Adjust the driver's door mirror so that the inside edge of the mirror picks up where your rear view mirror left off. If you can see just the right half the front of a car in the rear view mirror (a car behind and in the lane to the left of your car), you should see only the left half of the same vehicle in your driver's door mirror.

3) Now adjust the passenger's door mirror in the same fashion. If you can see the left front half of a car in the lane to the right and behind your car in your rear view mirror, adjust the passenger mirror to just see the right half of the same car.

Now in the big picture, with your head facing forward, your eyes can take in everything in front of you, scan to the rear view mirror for what is directly behind you and behind to the left and right. As a car is passing you on the left, it moves across to the left in your rearview mirror until it begins to appear in your driver's door mirror. As it continues to pass, it moves across the door mirror from right to left until it can be seen in your peripherial vision out your door window. Short cars, smart cars and motorcycles may not be quite long enough but if you are as observant of the traffic around you as you should be, you will already know this. A car passing on the right will move across your mirrors into your peripheral vision in a similar fashion. I hope this description makes sense as you read it.

If you don't already have your mirrors adjusted like this, it will seem very odd at first when you look into one of the door mirrors and see nothing but guard rail or the side of the road when nothing is there. Even uncomfortable but that's the point - that you don't see anything in these mirrors unless there is something beside you. But if you give yourself a couple weeks to get used to this and the extra "vision" it gives you, I guarantee you will not go back. Where it really shows it's value is in an emergency situation when you can quickly scan your mirrors for a way around an accident while keeping your head and eyes pointed forward. You can scan with your eyes much quicker than you can ever turn your head.