spirited driving techniques
#1
09-07-2011, 01:01 PM
spirited driving techniques
(did search, found nothing specific so started new thread)
Having spent the last weekend on some of the best sports car roads in the country, I thought I would post up some tips I’ve developed over the years for making spirited driving fun and safe.
First, safety is paramount. If you aren't on the track, you are most likely driving on public streets so you have the responsibility to those pets/children/families sharing the road with you.
1st: Walk around your vehicle and check out tires, brakes, etc. before starting any aggressive driving trip.
2nd: Know the road you are on. Driving in a spirited fashion on a road you don’t know ups the ante. Not only can surprising obstacles be present on a known road (stopped school buses, accidents, cows out, etc.), but this is made all the worse when you don’t know how the road lays in the curves and what pavement conditions are like, etc.
3rd: Know the weather. Cars perform best in cool, sunny weather. Spirited driving should not even be considered when there is a chance the pavement could be wet or low areas or bridges and overpasses could be covered with black ice or frost. Obviously, foggy conditions and darkness rule out aggressive driving under those conditions.
4th: Secure any loose obstacles in the vehicle. You do not want any items sliding around inside the car where they can do damage to you or the vehicle. Passengers included. Everyone wears their seatbelts and all loose items heavier than a Kleenex box are secured.
5th: Don’t drive fast if you’ve been drinking alcohol. It slows your reflexes and you can lose your car and your freedom if you make a mistake.
The following tips are derived from over 25 years experience driving on twisty, curvy, hilly country roads in many different weather conditions.
*Seat Position*
Seat position for spirited driving is often quite different from the comfort position you have likely settled into for casual driving. Optimal seat position balances the need to be as near as possible to the center of gravity of the vehicle with the need to be properly positioned behind the controls.
Seat belt should be properly fastened.
You want to be able to feel the road and the cars curving path as it cuts the line of the curves. Since you can’t move the driver’s seat to the center of the car (like on a motorcycle), the best you can do here is get the seat as low and as far back as possible while still being able to achieve the hand and foot positions described below.
The seat also provides valuable support for the head and body as you lean into and out of turns. The back portion of the seat should be upright enough that you can press the back of your head into the head rest and still maintain visibility of all the controls and be able to see easily out the front and side windows. The “bottom” controls on the seat should be adjusted snugly against your body so you do not slide around in the seat. I find “snug” is only comfortable for sport and spirited driving. When driving casually, I adjust these controls to be a lot less snug so I do not develop uncomfortable pressure points on long trips.
The last point on seat position is being sure you can reach the pedals adequately. You should be able to fully depress the clutch and brake pedals to the floor without stretching.
*Steering Wheel Position*
The tilt on the wheel should be set such that you can easily see important gauges and lights on the dash through the wheel spokes without moving your head up or down. The telescope should be out as far as possible consistent with the driver’s seat being back as far as possible.
The key here that fixes the relation between the seat and steering wheel is your steering wheel arm length. My car is a 6MT, so I always steer with my left arm and shift with my right. To give maximum control and leverage to your left arm, the arm should be glued to your body and held tight against it down to the elbow. As you push yourself back into the seat, the chest and lat muscles should be used to actively hold the elbow tight against your body. At the elbow, the arm and hand jut out in front of you at a 90 degree angle and grab the steering wheel either just above or just below horizontal bar on the steering wheel. You can see the designers put a nice little hand hold on the wheel right there in either location. In this position you have maximum leverage on the steering wheel and can effectively use the large muscles of the left side of your body to help you maintain control of the wheel.
At no time should your elbow be resting on the door handle rest. This isn’t a casual drive down the interstate! Nor should you be steering with the tips of your fingers. What if you round a sharp corner and there is something blocking the road? Will you have time to change your hand position to get a good grip on the wheel and still be able to safely guide the car around the obstacle, perhaps onto the shoulder or through the ditch? No. You need to already have everything in place so you are one muscle twitch away from making the correct move and being able to maintain it throughout slowing and safely guiding the car around the obstacle.
It takes a little time and experimentation to find the correct relationship between the seat and the steering wheel but it is well worth it to get this part right. There are plenty of adjustments available on our cars, so take advantage of this flexibility to tune in what is right for you.
*Hand Position*
The left hand goes on the steering wheel at all times. The right hand goes on the shift **** most of the time. In between shifts, it is allowable to use the right hand for assistance with steering but it’s main job is to select the proper gear. When steering with the right hand, it is important to hold the right arm close to the body as with the left. This gives you maximum control over the steering wheel. When you are doing this properly, you are actually steering with the large muscles of the body such as the chest and lateral muscles of the abdomen and back. In addition to providing control, this also forces your body to yaw and pitch with the car reinforcing the feeling of being welded near the vehicle's center of gravity.
(continued in next post due to length)
Having spent the last weekend on some of the best sports car roads in the country, I thought I would post up some tips I’ve developed over the years for making spirited driving fun and safe.
First, safety is paramount. If you aren't on the track, you are most likely driving on public streets so you have the responsibility to those pets/children/families sharing the road with you.
1st: Walk around your vehicle and check out tires, brakes, etc. before starting any aggressive driving trip.
2nd: Know the road you are on. Driving in a spirited fashion on a road you don’t know ups the ante. Not only can surprising obstacles be present on a known road (stopped school buses, accidents, cows out, etc.), but this is made all the worse when you don’t know how the road lays in the curves and what pavement conditions are like, etc.
3rd: Know the weather. Cars perform best in cool, sunny weather. Spirited driving should not even be considered when there is a chance the pavement could be wet or low areas or bridges and overpasses could be covered with black ice or frost. Obviously, foggy conditions and darkness rule out aggressive driving under those conditions.
4th: Secure any loose obstacles in the vehicle. You do not want any items sliding around inside the car where they can do damage to you or the vehicle. Passengers included. Everyone wears their seatbelts and all loose items heavier than a Kleenex box are secured.
5th: Don’t drive fast if you’ve been drinking alcohol. It slows your reflexes and you can lose your car and your freedom if you make a mistake.
The following tips are derived from over 25 years experience driving on twisty, curvy, hilly country roads in many different weather conditions.
*Seat Position*
Seat position for spirited driving is often quite different from the comfort position you have likely settled into for casual driving. Optimal seat position balances the need to be as near as possible to the center of gravity of the vehicle with the need to be properly positioned behind the controls.
Seat belt should be properly fastened.
You want to be able to feel the road and the cars curving path as it cuts the line of the curves. Since you can’t move the driver’s seat to the center of the car (like on a motorcycle), the best you can do here is get the seat as low and as far back as possible while still being able to achieve the hand and foot positions described below.
The seat also provides valuable support for the head and body as you lean into and out of turns. The back portion of the seat should be upright enough that you can press the back of your head into the head rest and still maintain visibility of all the controls and be able to see easily out the front and side windows. The “bottom” controls on the seat should be adjusted snugly against your body so you do not slide around in the seat. I find “snug” is only comfortable for sport and spirited driving. When driving casually, I adjust these controls to be a lot less snug so I do not develop uncomfortable pressure points on long trips.
The last point on seat position is being sure you can reach the pedals adequately. You should be able to fully depress the clutch and brake pedals to the floor without stretching.
*Steering Wheel Position*
The tilt on the wheel should be set such that you can easily see important gauges and lights on the dash through the wheel spokes without moving your head up or down. The telescope should be out as far as possible consistent with the driver’s seat being back as far as possible.
The key here that fixes the relation between the seat and steering wheel is your steering wheel arm length. My car is a 6MT, so I always steer with my left arm and shift with my right. To give maximum control and leverage to your left arm, the arm should be glued to your body and held tight against it down to the elbow. As you push yourself back into the seat, the chest and lat muscles should be used to actively hold the elbow tight against your body. At the elbow, the arm and hand jut out in front of you at a 90 degree angle and grab the steering wheel either just above or just below horizontal bar on the steering wheel. You can see the designers put a nice little hand hold on the wheel right there in either location. In this position you have maximum leverage on the steering wheel and can effectively use the large muscles of the left side of your body to help you maintain control of the wheel.
At no time should your elbow be resting on the door handle rest. This isn’t a casual drive down the interstate! Nor should you be steering with the tips of your fingers. What if you round a sharp corner and there is something blocking the road? Will you have time to change your hand position to get a good grip on the wheel and still be able to safely guide the car around the obstacle, perhaps onto the shoulder or through the ditch? No. You need to already have everything in place so you are one muscle twitch away from making the correct move and being able to maintain it throughout slowing and safely guiding the car around the obstacle.
It takes a little time and experimentation to find the correct relationship between the seat and the steering wheel but it is well worth it to get this part right. There are plenty of adjustments available on our cars, so take advantage of this flexibility to tune in what is right for you.
*Hand Position*
The left hand goes on the steering wheel at all times. The right hand goes on the shift **** most of the time. In between shifts, it is allowable to use the right hand for assistance with steering but it’s main job is to select the proper gear. When steering with the right hand, it is important to hold the right arm close to the body as with the left. This gives you maximum control over the steering wheel. When you are doing this properly, you are actually steering with the large muscles of the body such as the chest and lateral muscles of the abdomen and back. In addition to providing control, this also forces your body to yaw and pitch with the car reinforcing the feeling of being welded near the vehicle's center of gravity.
(continued in next post due to length)
The following users liked this post:
Blue Dream (09-08-2011)
#2
09-07-2011, 01:02 PM
*Foot position*
Right heel should be placed between the brake and accelerator pedals on the floor mat. The right heel is your pivot point so you right foot can quickly switch from gas to brake.
The left heel should be located between the left foot rest on the floor and the clutch pedal. The left heel is the pivot point so you can easily switch between supporting your seating position by leveraging off the left foot rest or using the clutch.
At no time should the clutch foot be allowed to “ride” on the clutch. If you have this habit, change it now. The only time your foot should actually be touching the clutch pedal is when actually shifting or during very hard braking when the wheels might lock up. Practice taking your foot off the pedal and rotating it from the heel pivot over to the foot rest. Then practice rotating back and hovering over the clutch pedal without actually resting your foot on it.
*Window*
I like to leave the driver’s side window open most or all of the way even if it is a little chilly out. This allows me to much more clearly hear the engine and tire sounds and also alerts me to any environmental sounds (sirens, heavy equipment, train whistles, etc.) that might tell me in advance to slow down and pay attention to a certain area. If it's nice, i might leave all the windows down and sunroof open. Needless to say, there is no point letting the A/C compressor rob power from the engine if its possible to avoid this parasitic drag.
*VDC*
On or off? Our cars handle remarkably well with the nanny on. It is your choice. You will get more performance from the throttle with it off, but the decision is up to you. I personally turn it off, but have forgotten to push the button and been surprised after a curvy section of road to see that VDC was on the whole time and I didn’t even notice it. That said, probably the best advice is to drive with the nanny on if that is how you normally drive, as that is what you are used to.
*Into Action*
I aim for a state of Zen in which I am not actually aware of the details of the car so much as I can FEEL what is going on between the vehicle and the road. Eyes and ears open and collecting data from environment. Sense of touch on alert, muscles toned but not tight. Sense of balance tuned to the G-force channel so you can anticipate what the mass of the car is doing at any instant in time.
When choosing a line through a visible curve, I unconsciously visualize the path I want my body to take. I forget about the car’s actual dimensions and think of the car as an extension of myself. I roughly know where the edges of the tires are so that I can avoid driving off the edge of the road or into the lane of oncoming traffic, but I do not use these as firm guides. This is where having your seating position as close as possible to the car’s center of gravity comes in. Since the car is mostly rigid, you can assume that if your body mostly coincides with the center of mass of the vehicle, then placing your body as close as possible to the correct line of the curve also ensures your vehicle will follow the correct path into and out of the curve.
The tires on your vehicle have a finite amount of friction at any given time. So long as the frictional force between the tires and the road is not exceeded by momentum forces, you will be able to maintain control of your vehicle. For example, you may have enough friction to stop your vehicle to avoid an obstacle OR you may have enough friction available to turn your vehicle, but not both. Obviously, you don’t want to be in the middle of turning and slowing down when you realize this. Therefore, it is very wise to brake before you enter a turn. It is always safest to accelerate out of turn you have entered too slowly then to try to slow down during a turn you entered going too fast.
When approaching a blind spot on the road (blind curve, top of a hill, etc.) you have absolutely no idea what you might find on the other side. Is the neighbor’s cow out? Is there a bulldozer in the middle of your lane? You just do not know and unless you’re on a closed course, there is no way to be sure.
The technique here is to be one muscle twitch from making the correct choice. When approaching a blind spot, reduce acceleration and be prepared to take instantaneous action. The way to do this is select the gear you want to be in, then remove your foot from the gas. Pivot the right foot to the brake and hover the foot over the pedal. Pivot the left foot over the clutch and hover it over the pedal. Left hand stays on the wheel with left elbow locked to side of body. Right hand stays on shifter. You are now positioned to do anything the car is cable of doing to avoid a dangerous situation. Once past the blind spot, lay on the gas and after shifting, return clutch foot to foot rest.
One final note: it is very important to stress a knowledge of and familiarity with your vehicle. I had my G for over a year before I tried any significant spirited driving. It is important for you to assimilate into your subconscious the way the controls feel, how the tires respond, what the gear ratios can and cannot do, how the suspension reacts to various inputs, etc. If you can’t throttle match from 2nd to 5th and vice versa, are still having problems getting the clutch and accelerator to work correctly, etc., you have no business putting yours and other’s lives in jeopardy on the open road just because you want to drive fast. Get it together first, then enjoy your ride in a safe manner when conditions permit.
I’m sure others can add to this list and share their experience. I probably forgot a ton of important things. Many may find fault with some approaches, but that is fine, too. I like to learn new things and discuss ways to improve my own life experiences and safety on the road. I would be interested to hear new tips and tricks to make driving fun and safe for everyone.
Thanks for reading!
amp
Right heel should be placed between the brake and accelerator pedals on the floor mat. The right heel is your pivot point so you right foot can quickly switch from gas to brake.
The left heel should be located between the left foot rest on the floor and the clutch pedal. The left heel is the pivot point so you can easily switch between supporting your seating position by leveraging off the left foot rest or using the clutch.
At no time should the clutch foot be allowed to “ride” on the clutch. If you have this habit, change it now. The only time your foot should actually be touching the clutch pedal is when actually shifting or during very hard braking when the wheels might lock up. Practice taking your foot off the pedal and rotating it from the heel pivot over to the foot rest. Then practice rotating back and hovering over the clutch pedal without actually resting your foot on it.
*Window*
I like to leave the driver’s side window open most or all of the way even if it is a little chilly out. This allows me to much more clearly hear the engine and tire sounds and also alerts me to any environmental sounds (sirens, heavy equipment, train whistles, etc.) that might tell me in advance to slow down and pay attention to a certain area. If it's nice, i might leave all the windows down and sunroof open. Needless to say, there is no point letting the A/C compressor rob power from the engine if its possible to avoid this parasitic drag.
*VDC*
On or off? Our cars handle remarkably well with the nanny on. It is your choice. You will get more performance from the throttle with it off, but the decision is up to you. I personally turn it off, but have forgotten to push the button and been surprised after a curvy section of road to see that VDC was on the whole time and I didn’t even notice it. That said, probably the best advice is to drive with the nanny on if that is how you normally drive, as that is what you are used to.
*Into Action*
I aim for a state of Zen in which I am not actually aware of the details of the car so much as I can FEEL what is going on between the vehicle and the road. Eyes and ears open and collecting data from environment. Sense of touch on alert, muscles toned but not tight. Sense of balance tuned to the G-force channel so you can anticipate what the mass of the car is doing at any instant in time.
When choosing a line through a visible curve, I unconsciously visualize the path I want my body to take. I forget about the car’s actual dimensions and think of the car as an extension of myself. I roughly know where the edges of the tires are so that I can avoid driving off the edge of the road or into the lane of oncoming traffic, but I do not use these as firm guides. This is where having your seating position as close as possible to the car’s center of gravity comes in. Since the car is mostly rigid, you can assume that if your body mostly coincides with the center of mass of the vehicle, then placing your body as close as possible to the correct line of the curve also ensures your vehicle will follow the correct path into and out of the curve.
The tires on your vehicle have a finite amount of friction at any given time. So long as the frictional force between the tires and the road is not exceeded by momentum forces, you will be able to maintain control of your vehicle. For example, you may have enough friction to stop your vehicle to avoid an obstacle OR you may have enough friction available to turn your vehicle, but not both. Obviously, you don’t want to be in the middle of turning and slowing down when you realize this. Therefore, it is very wise to brake before you enter a turn. It is always safest to accelerate out of turn you have entered too slowly then to try to slow down during a turn you entered going too fast.
When approaching a blind spot on the road (blind curve, top of a hill, etc.) you have absolutely no idea what you might find on the other side. Is the neighbor’s cow out? Is there a bulldozer in the middle of your lane? You just do not know and unless you’re on a closed course, there is no way to be sure.
The technique here is to be one muscle twitch from making the correct choice. When approaching a blind spot, reduce acceleration and be prepared to take instantaneous action. The way to do this is select the gear you want to be in, then remove your foot from the gas. Pivot the right foot to the brake and hover the foot over the pedal. Pivot the left foot over the clutch and hover it over the pedal. Left hand stays on the wheel with left elbow locked to side of body. Right hand stays on shifter. You are now positioned to do anything the car is cable of doing to avoid a dangerous situation. Once past the blind spot, lay on the gas and after shifting, return clutch foot to foot rest.
One final note: it is very important to stress a knowledge of and familiarity with your vehicle. I had my G for over a year before I tried any significant spirited driving. It is important for you to assimilate into your subconscious the way the controls feel, how the tires respond, what the gear ratios can and cannot do, how the suspension reacts to various inputs, etc. If you can’t throttle match from 2nd to 5th and vice versa, are still having problems getting the clutch and accelerator to work correctly, etc., you have no business putting yours and other’s lives in jeopardy on the open road just because you want to drive fast. Get it together first, then enjoy your ride in a safe manner when conditions permit.
I’m sure others can add to this list and share their experience. I probably forgot a ton of important things. Many may find fault with some approaches, but that is fine, too. I like to learn new things and discuss ways to improve my own life experiences and safety on the road. I would be interested to hear new tips and tricks to make driving fun and safe for everyone.
Thanks for reading!
amp
The following 2 users liked this post by ampsucker:
Blue Dream (09-08-2011),
william747400 (09-11-2011)
#3
09-07-2011, 01:11 PM
#5
09-07-2011, 02:28 PM
#7
09-08-2011, 10:59 AM
Well thought out and written thread! There's three words I didn't see, "Know your Limits!" Which includes driver ability and what you're driving too. Back in the 510 era I was lucky enough to have a professional driver ride shot gun with me at the Riverside track allowing me to push my 510 to both our limits. Leave this kinda driving to the track unless it's a closed road course!
Gary
Gary
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09-09-2011, 10:36 AM
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