[Rhodes22-list] Driving School

[john Belanger]

thanks.

Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:  John,

Treat yourself to "Charlie Wilson" next. I watched it again with my
youngest son and his reaction was, "that may be the best historical movie,
ever!" Alex is no slouch on movies or history. I enjoyed it as much the
second time as the first.

Brad

PS: I forgave myself for lining Julia Roberts pockets. She looks good
naked!

On Jan 31, 2008 1:28 AM, john Belanger wrote:

> love the line from bucket list
> "are you going to drive it or buy it a dress"
>
> Rik Sandberg wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Great post. Sure hope some folks will take it seriously.
>
> Feel the car, it'll tell you what it needs.
>
> Rik
>
> A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one...
> Benjamin Franklin
>
>
>
> Brad Haslett wrote:
> > This is all true stuff - especially the last one. I learned to drive
> during
> > the same time as I was learning to fly. My first flight instructor was
> anal
> > about using brakes. I still am. Brad
> >
> > ----------------
> >
> > What I'm about to share I've learned racing formula cars and attending
> more
> > than a dozen professional driving/racing schools in the U.S. and Europe.
> As
> > I noted in my column in the November *Motor
> > Trend*,
> > I highly recommend that you find a way to enroll in one of these
> institutes
> > of higher velocity yourself. A few days on the skid pad and race track
> will
> > pay a lifetime of driving dividends. Admittedly, though,
> high-performance
> > driving and racing schools are expensive. Until your bank account shows
> you
> > the green light, therefore, I'm giving you a head start right here,
> right
> > now. Free.
> >
> >
> > *1. Be smooth. *Your car's transmission, its tires, its chassis -- they
> > don't like abrupt inputs. Slamming on the gas throws the car's weight to
> the
> > rear, unsettling the front tires (hey, you need those to steer). Diving
> on
> > the brakes hurls the car's weight forward (now your poor front tires are
> > overloaded trying to brake hard *and* steer, and the suddenly light rear
> > tires just might decide to swing the tail around on you). Driving well
> is
> > all about weight management, controlling the ever-shifting mass of the
> car
> > so the tires are never overloaded. That means rolling the steering wheel
> > gracefully into turns, squeezing on the gas and brakes, moving the
> > transmission lever (if you have a manual) as if the shift knob were an
> egg.
> > I was lucky enough to ride once with three-time world champion Sir
> Jackie
> > Stewart in an original Ford GT40. The guy made that clattering old race
> car
> > move as if it were swimming in Wesson Oil. Even though we were blazing
> > around Laguna Seca, I wasn't being tossed around inside the cockpit.
> > Instead, I was gently pushed from side to side, eased forward and back,
> as
> > the Maestro conducted a ballet at the wheel. The sensation had much more
> in
> > common with riding in an expertly driven limousine -- don't spill our
> > champagne, Jeeves -- than with the typical Hollywood portrayal of
> "expert"
> > driving. Trust me on this: Smoothness at the wheel is the single biggest
> > indicator of driving skill. (Conversely, driving like Rambo is a dead
> > giveaway that you're a wanker.)
> >
> > *2. Turn later.* "All God's children turn in early," a racing instructor
> > once told me. And he was right. Watch the car ahead of you on a twisty
> road
> > sometime. See how he crosses the yellow line when turning left? That's
> > turning too soon. Even when driving briskly, you should always be able
> to
> > corner within your own lane. Same thing happens when racing students
> first
> > hit a track. "Why, that turn is coming up so fast and the road is
> running
> > out so I'd better steer now!" And what happens? They clip the inside of
> the
> > corner too soon and the resulting arc carries them right off the outside
> of
> > the turn. Turning later takes practice, but it's key to balancing your
> car
> > on the road and maximizing speed on a track. In effect, you're slowing
> down
> > a little earlier, letting the car roll a little father into the turn,
> > smoothly arcing the wheel so the tires can bite and provide you with
> maximum
> > grip. Most important: Turning later means you can get on the gas
> earlier. If
> > you turn early, you'll have to back off the throttle to keep the car
> from
> > arcing off the road. Turn later, and your balanced machine will be ready
> to
> > glide through the apex and charge toward the exit under power. Given
> that
> > accelerating is the hardest thing for a car to do, the more time your
> right
> > foot can be on the gas, the quicker you'll be around the track.
> >
> > *3. Look ahead.* Nope, not at the car in front of you. No, not at the
> car in
> > front of him, either. I want you looking as far down the road as you
> can. On
> > a mountain road, you're not looking at the corner you're in, you're
> looking
> > for the next one. On the highway, your eyes are scanning the horizon,
> often
> > a half-mile or more down the road. On the track, you're always *looking
> > where you want to go.* Each of us is equipped with an Early Warning
> System,
> > but too often we don't use it. Get your eyes up, and suddenly you've got
> > advance info. You know what the next corner looks like before you fly
> into
> > it. You can see that crash ahead before the driver in front of you
> pounces
> > on his brakes. On the track, your hands and feet will instinctively
> follow
> > your eyes; look where you want to go, and your car will go there. (Why
> do so
> > many drivers crash into the only tree around for miles? Because they're
> > looking right at the thing they don't want to hit.) Looking ahead takes
> > practice, but you'll be amazed at how well it works –- and at how much
> > close-up information you're still picking up simply from peripheral
> vision.
> > Suddenly, you're not playing connect the dots with individual lane
> stripes;
> > you're flowing past them, aiming at that spot way in the distance. You
> have
> > more time to react; you can plan your next move, keeping your car in
> that
> > critical balance. You're smoother, in better control, a vastly improved
> > driver. Try it.
> >
> > *4. Brake like you're taking a crap*. Apologies if I offend, but this
> lesson
> > from another racing instructor (yes, he was French) explains proper
> braking
> > more effectively than any other. Remember Tip #1, Be smooth? In braking
> it's
> > especially critical. Brakes are very powerful and can easily upset a
> car's
> > balance -- even if you have ABS. So, in the words of my teacher:
> "Braking
> > well is like taking a big poop. First you squeeze, then you push very
> very
> > hard, and then you gently taaaaper off at the end." There. Now you know
> > everything there is to know about how Lewis Hamilton dives so deep into
> > corners. The best part: You can even practice while reading the new
> *Motor
> > Trend*.
> > __________________________________________________
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> >
> >
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