Quote:
Originally Posted by pmax
Yes, nothing beats experience.
But correct me if I'm wrong here, I suspect the only way to learn how to "get out of tricky situations" is time on the track with all the risks inherent in it. The schools and instructors can only explain what needs to be done ... when you lose it, do this ... since "experiencing it for real" e.g. what happens when you go off track, aren't part of any of these training programs by design I assume, though the training and instructions probably help if and when such a situation is encountered.
And mistakes are inevitable. Yeah, sorry to be a downer for the OP, probably not for me in my current cars.
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You can learn it on your own over time and hope for the best or a good school(not DE) can teach it in a number of different ways. For example opposite lock or turning into a skid is taught on a skid pad both dry and then wet. You first learn on the dry pad how much speed the car can hold at a certain g force and then by continuing to push the limit you lose control of the car and begin to understand the limits,what that feels like and how to react to it. Then the water comes and the entire exercise becomes opposite lock. The instructor will be all over you with what to do and when and you will keep practicing until you get it right or after a while accept your own limits. This is the best, most effective way to teach driving on the edge. After this you typically go to the track and practice the same limits there with the instructor giving you tons of feedback and if you can handle it pushing you to the edge over and over.
Believe it or not, most complete novices can't even push the brake pedal hard enough to lock up the wheels. A school will usually start with braking. Most race cars do not have anti-lock brakes so some schools will have cars with and without ABS so you can learn in what you race. You would be surprised how many passes it takes for complete beginners to learn the limits of the cars brakes. And they don't even get into off-roading your race car in these novice classes, which is what you're asking about.
I started reading about road racing in high school while I was drag racing my 454. Once in college I had an MGB and was auto crossing and reading books about how to road race. To be good at this it takes dedication, repetition, some good hand eye coordination and a lot of money! A more leisurely way to enjoy the track is in a DE in a class of your piers. The guys in my immediate group of racers are pretty intense at this.