First time on a track? This CD might help.

[Jack Olsen]

I recently bought a CD called "The Interactive Guide to High Performance Driving: Novice Edition." I got it on ebay, or somewhere -- I can't remember now. But reading the thread about "Harold 89 911's" first trip to Willow Springs made me realize that this would be a fairly hepful thing for anyone before their first visit to a track.

If you do a DE that includes a day of classroom instruction, you learn a lot about vehicle dynamics, weight transfer and the theory of how best to navigate turns on a track. It's a lot to digest very quickly, though -- when you're just starting out -- and the new information has to compete with your excitement about the upcoming day of driving (and your naturally-competitive desire to beat everyone else in the room).

This CD is very basic. It covers topics like: definitions of terms like "late apex" and "turn-in point," what stuff you should bring to a DE, flags, hand signals, how to pre-tech your own car, the basics of navigating different types of corners, and the basics of heel-and-toe downshifting. If you've already had any amount of instruction, it's probably too rudimentary for you. But that's also its strength; it covers the questions you might feel like an idiot for asking at a drivers' meeting or in a classroom.

What it does well is to give you the basic information at a speed you're comfortable with (you can repeat sections as often as you'd like, or skip ahead), and with enough lead time before an event so that you have time to digest the stuff a little before you're screaming into Willow's Turn 9 at a buck thirty.

This isn't a plug, really, since I don't know the guys who put the thing together. But watching it made me wish that I'd had something like this before my first track day. Again, it's very basic. I assume they'll be putting out subsequent editions that get deeper into theories and techniques of high-speed driving. But it's a well-spent $25 if you're about to drop $250 on your first track event, and want to have a basic knowledge of the ideas and principles involved before you've got an instructor trying to explain things from your passenger seat as you try not to put your car into a wall. It's more expensive than some of the (better) books on the same subject, but it's able to illustrate things like driving lines, oversteer, heel-and-toe technique and hand signals much better than a book with its animation and video clips.

It might be something Pelican wants to stock, in fact. The company's web site is at: http://www.hpdguide.com.

[DByers]

Jack, As usual you are a wealth of info. I have already gone to the site and will be getting a copy. I was looking to do some DE's this summer and maybe something a little more advanced once I feel confident enough. Thanks again

[jestntime]

I just wanted to thank Jack for that glowing review.

I am co-author of the software Jack mentions and I hope that you and others find it a useful tool in getting started in high performance driving. That was the intent of the Novice Edition CD and we feel it accomplishes this quite nicely.

And yes, we are developing an advanced edition of the guide. We don't have a firm release date on it yet but it is promising to be a much more in depth product with more video, more and better animations and more.

Once again, thanks!

Gary Bernard

[Sarah]

Thanks for this info. I will order one of these too. My drivers training & DE is in June so I still have some time to get more prepared. I am open to anything that will help. I am really looking forward to it and learning more about our 930 and how to handle it properly. At this point my "need for speed" is pretty tame, so I am sure one of the first things i'll pick-up is the signal to let people know they can pass (smile). Thanks

[Chuck Moreland]

The CD looks good.

I can also recommend a couple of books -

Speed Secrets, Professional Race Driving Techniques by Ross Bentley

Secrets of Solo Racing, Expert Techniques for Autocross and Time Trials by Henry Watts


I guess the secrets are out. You can get these from Amazon, maybe here on Pelican?

I would highly recommend educating yourself with a book or CD before heading out on the track. Get the fundamental theory down at home, because it is very hard to absorb the information with the adrenelin and excitement of your first track day.

There are many things that are counter-intuitive (maybe everything!) so you really need some realaxed quality time to gain an understanding.