What is the correct way to drive through a curve (spirited driving)?

[thstone]

Get your braking done before turn-in or trail brake if you know how. Heel and toe if you have to downshift. Corner entry should be at a constant speed and mid-range rpm's. Try not to brake in the middle of the corner as it will upset the balance of the car - better to enter the corner too slow rather than too fast. A late apex always helps corner exit speed. Maintain speed, turn in, let the car roll and feel the suspension set; then throttle steer through mid-corner. Get back on the throttle to accelerate out of the corner and start to unwind the steering wheel as early as possible as you begin corner exit. Don't forget to use the entire width of the lane/road to allow the car to track out (to the extent possible). All the while, be aware of sand, gravel, and other road debris that might affect grip and adjust your line and control inputs accordingly.

That's it. Easy breezy.

If you really want to learn drive well, go to a local trackday and have an instructor ride along with you. You will learn the proper techniques, go faster than you ever could on the street, and have more fun than you ever thought possible.

[crooster]

Originally Posted by thstone

Get your braking done before turn-in or trail brake if you know how. Heel and toe if you have to downshift. Corner entry should be at a constant speed and mid-range rpm's. Try not to brake in the middle of the corner as it will upset the balance of the car - better to enter the corner too slow rather than too fast. A late apex always helps corner exit speed. Maintain speed, turn in, let the car roll and feel the suspension set; then throttle steer through mid-corner. Get back on the throttle to accelerate out of the corner and start to unwind the steering wheel as early as possible as you begin corner exit. Don't forget to use the entire width of the lane/road to allow the car to track out (to the extent possible). All the while, be aware of sand, gravel, and other road debris that might affect grip and adjust your line and control inputs accordingly.

That's it. Easy breezy.

If you really want to learn drive well, go to a local trackday and have an instructor ride along with you. You will learn the proper techniques, go faster than you ever could on the street, and have more fun than you ever thought possible.

^^^ this ^^^

[Jager]

Watch this video over and over until you get it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDkdg4VMdyE

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Jager

Watch this video over and over until you get it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDkdg4VMdyE

Harry Hogge: What do you know about stock car racing?
Cole Trickle: Well... watched it on television, of course.
Harry Hogge: You've seen it on television?
Cole Trickle: ESPN. The coverage is excellent, you'd be surprised at how much you can pick up.
Harry Hogge: I'm sure I would.

[Jager]

Originally Posted by thstone

Harry Hogge: What do you know about stock car racing?
Cole Trickle: Well... watched it on television, of course.
Harry Hogge: You've seen it on television?
Cole Trickle: ESPN. The coverage is excellent, you'd be surprised at how much you can pick up.
Harry Hogge: I'm sure I would.

Buy Need for Speed and practice, practice, practice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeW_drTwlNI

[Racer Boy]

Be smooth! Smooth on the brakes (squeeze them), smooth steering inputs, smooth on the throttle (again, squeeze it). Abrupt inputs to any control can upset the attitude of the car and complicate things when you are really going quickly.

Smooth, smooth, smooth!

[Timco]

Originally Posted by Racer Boy

Be smooth! Smooth on the brakes (squeeze them), smooth steering inputs, smooth on the throttle (again, squeeze it). Abrupt inputs to any control can upset the attitude of the car and complicate things when you are really going quickly.

Smooth, smooth, smooth!

This applies to other things too........

[Xpit77]

Originally Posted by Racer Boy

Be smooth! Smooth on the brakes (squeeze them), smooth steering inputs, smooth on the throttle (again, squeeze it). Abrupt inputs to any control can upset the attitude of the car and complicate things when you are really going quickly.

Smooth, smooth, smooth!

I agree . This is how I was taught. My instructors used the wet sponge method. Think of a wet sponge under the throttle. When you accelerate push down hard enough to go but still keep the water in the sponge same when you lift. It will give you more throttle control which is paramount.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by thstone

Get your braking done before turn-in or trail brake if you know how. Heel and toe if you have to downshift. Corner entry should be at a constant speed and mid-range rpm's. Try not to brake in the middle of the corner as it will upset the balance of the car - better to enter the corner too slow rather than too fast. A late apex always helps corner exit speed. Maintain speed, turn in, let the car roll and feel the suspension set; then throttle steer through mid-corner. Get back on the throttle to accelerate out of the corner and start to unwind the steering wheel as early as possible as you begin corner exit. Don't forget to use the entire width of the lane/road to allow the car to track out (to the extent possible). All the while, be aware of sand, gravel, and other road debris that might affect grip and adjust your line and control inputs accordingly.

That's it. Easy breezy.

If you really want to learn drive well, go to a local trackday and have an instructor ride along with you. You will learn the proper techniques, go faster than you ever could on the street, and have more fun than you ever thought possible.

I did a club/dealer-sponsored DE this spring with Porsche instructors (Kees Nierop and Jonathon Urlin) and this is exactly how they taught me to do it. Brake hard before the turn and go in slow, keep about 10% on the throttle through the middle part, and then ease on to full throttle (don't stomp it) on the way out. It took me about half the day to realize that I was trying to maintain too much speed going into the turn and I improved dramatically after that. The part that really stuck with me was how you use the front wheels to steer into the turn and the rear wheels to rotate the car out of it. It feels amazing when it works - major grin factor!

[kk2002s]

Slow in Fast out
As most say, hard on the brakes just before curve, Shift somewhere at that point. Even throttle through the turn until at some point you get on the throttle to come out. A lot depends on the radius and grading of the road. You may even feel when the car is ready for acceleration out. That acceleration is what changes the balance of the car and makes curves so much fun