Hey, I was behind you on one of those sessions. I had a great time. I also had a really good instructor and WOW have I seen the light. I've owned my 911 for seven years and have never driven it to that level. I also am thankful of all the people in the PCA for putting on these events.
There may be a make-up session in two weeks. ( Dragsters!)
See ya there,
Dave

Congrats Paul - do as many autocrosses as you can. They force you to "set up" one turn for another - which turns out to be very handy going fast at a DE.

You have learned what needs work on - and seat time is the best thing you can get more of.

Dave, do you remember which session? Jim,that is funny & not far from reality. My instructor wanted my to sit in the car after each run, close my eyes, & visualize a lap around the track. I just wanted to get out of the car, get my helmet off & cool off.

Do your homework!
 

Welcome to the secret language of 911 track drivers.
I studied these before my first lap at Buttonwillow and Laguna.
At Buttonwillow my instructor was getting schooled by me on the first lap he rode with me. At the hotel the night before my first lap at that track I did several laps in my mind. If you do the lap in your mind with the right timing it will take the same amount of time as your fast lap. :D

Read these descriptions and find a turn or two that relate to your home track.
Talk to your instructor using this phraseology, maybe he will learn something too.:cool: :cool: :cool:
http://pca-ggr.org/ttvenues.html#laguna
http://pca-ggr.org/pdf/th-clockwise.pdf
http://pca-ggr.org/pdf/Tracks_LS.pdf
http://pca-ggr.org/pdf/bw-clockwise.pdf

Did you have cones to shoot for? I remember the first day of drivers school at the track they had braking points, apex and track out cones set up. Next day they were gone :-0!

I must not have a very photographic memory because it took me a few sessions to be able to memorize in my head a 10 turn 3 mile track. It helps me to have a hard copy of the track for referance to look at inbetween sessions.

I also try and grab an instructor the first time at the track if its been awhile. It gives me some confidence that I am following the line right. Not a place you want to be unsure of yourself with an early apex 120+.

I am amazed at how people can go out on a new to them track or auto cross and figure out the line. I dont think I have that skill. Wondering if I ever will. Does anybody have any sugestions?

Joe

It's not that hard really I am sure you can figure it out...
Simply see the track and most of us ( I like to think ) have the knowledge to know the fast line around a track.. like ... it's not so hard really you will figure it out the more you do it..
Good luck!
Eric

Thanks Ted, good info that will help. I had a lot of distractions, family, friends, soaking in the whole atmosphere. Next time it will be just me & I will try to really focus on the driving & visualization.

I just got my results from my first autox & it appears that I didn't do as bad as I thought. There is a lot of room for improvement, but I dropped 13 seconds from my first run to my last & was only 10 seconds off the pace set by the fast guys.

Paul,

Congrates on the first DE. Admitting that you have a lot to learn means you are on your way to being a better driver. It is a continual education no matter how many autocrosses or DEs you have done. If it wasn't, we would all be driving for Ferrari along side Schumacher. Participate in as many DEs and Autocrosses as you can!!!

Paul, I was behind you in the second session. That was a bunched-up run with alot of slow cars. My instructor moved us to the yellow group after that run and that group was alot faster and I was able to get into a good groove. Turns 4a and 4b were the hardest lines for me. I've spent alot of time at that track and driving it for the first time was a blast. Good drivers / racers make it look so smooth and now I know it takes lots of track time to get to that level. See ya at the next DE........Dave

Yea Dave, that was unnerving. My instructor kept yelling at me to pass even though people weren't sticking their arm out to wave me by. I have no problem passing folks, but I wanted to stay within the rules they laid out beforehand. There is no sense in passing if the train is ten cars long. I wish he would have suggested I come in & find a clearing, I suggested that on the next run & it worked out a lot better.

Finding the line….get some good racing books that explain how to prioritize a track.

That’s the great thing about AX, it makes you study and understand a track in a very short period of time, only 8 or 12 laps.
With a DE you can follow others and run continuous laps trying different lines.

You will be able to understand the line much quicker when you are aware of and know the solution for turns that are on or off camber, increasing or decreasing radius, linked turns, up or downhill and type 1, 2 or 3 type turns. Reference points, brake markers, turn in, apex and track out markers will make you more consistent too.

There are several very helpful books. A Pelican search should offer a few. I have about 7 of these books and 3 or 4 of them I reread frequently.

I'd say you learned a hell of a lot (and your instructor could use a refresher). The rules make it fairly safe. Making a pit stop to get clear of the train is a smart move.

One more track addict among us!!!! Paul, the most important question is did you have fun? If you did the speed will come. Do not rush it. Listen to what the instructor says and don't lift..... Most importantly enjoy it -- there is nothing like it - Tim

Tim, it's not a matter of having fun, is smoking crack fun?;) I'm a speed freak that has been forced to the track because the local cops are on to my shinnanigans.:D Seriously, it was a blast & will get better as I relax & try not to do too much. I'm already signed up for the next one. My car really doesn't need anything else, I even have a spare clutch kit, so I can spend all my money for the next few years on track time (yea right).

Paul, you did fine. Once we get you slowed down, we will find the line and just work on consistency and smoothness. Then we will slowly work up speed trying to maintain the line and smoothness. As everyone with experience will tell you, it really is all about seat time. I've been autocrossing and tracking a 911 for nearly 10 years. The first 2 years, I struggled because I was naturally aggressive but not very smooth, and I did not understand vehicle's dynamics as it relates to braking/throttle/steering inputs. This is the way most students are. There are very few people that can drive well right off the bat. When you talk with someone like that, they almost always had a motorcycle, go kart or skiied as a kid. They are simply carrying those learned skills over to the track. Since we know you are a speed freak, you will probably not give up until you have mastered this. All that is required now is patience from you (and your instructor ;)).

randy i assume you are speaking of looking far enough ahead is a skill set that can or may have been helped by skiing, karting or motorcycle riding? i spent my mis guided youth racing dirt bikes and have found that the trail/track/road analisis skills that were forged during my youth trail riding have helped a great deal in my endevors of the wheeled type. even slow speed four wheeling takes line grading prior to choice of route. i have always felt that this was a skill set that i developed early that has helped my karting and autocross skills, just never heard it discussed here.. it has to become second nature i believe.

This is interesting, I wonder how often it happens. When I bought my car I never planned to track it, until I found this board and some of the locals who are track nuts. I still haven't tracked it because my car died the day I tried to do HPDC.

I'm not crazy about bending metal, my car will never be a councours winner. Other than wearing out parts, I thought DEs were relatively safe environments. What other risks are there?

Paul, I liked your synopsis. I'm sure I will be diagnosed with ADD as well. :D

Eye control is critical. Ideally when you have reference points it can become a routine of connect the dots. Looking for one point then the next, brake point, track in point, apex point and track out point then looking ahead for your next brake point.

One training technique I have used is to ask the student to yell out "apex" every time he sees the next apex. Hopefully after a little practice he can begin to yell it out and see it sooner and sooner. That way I know where he is looking. This helps the student to look in the correct place.

I don't claim to be an expert.
My most uncomfortable moment with eye control was in the middle of a NASCAR bank turn at 135mph and I caught myself looking at my front bumper. That required me to raise my scan to the preferred area 1/8 to 1/4 mile ahead of the car. To do this my scan had to out accelerate the car. You just don't blink and look a mile ahead, you have to see everything. Raising my scan at 135mph was something I had never had to do before and it taught me never to let myself be caught looking at the front of my car again.

I found that racing bicycles in my past helped some, as I understand road camber and apex. The only problem was I kept trying to point my inside knee setting up for the turn.

I've read the books too...and understand the theory, but putting it into practice is a whole 'nother ballgame...