Mike,
I refer to yours (and my) driving style as "point and shoot".
Those who've seen my car know I currently have it set up pretty tail happy,
but I've used this technique while driving other people's race Sprites, and
without exception have bettered their best lap times.
There are a couple of keys to this style. You must brake much, much later
than most feel safe doing. To do so requires utmost confidence in your
brakes... as we've outlined in our set ups in some recent threads. That
confidence is based on a number of factors... hydraulics, pads and shoes,
bias, and tires. Correct tire pressures contribute greatly to the confidence
factor in hauling the car down.
This driving style also resulted in greatly reduced lap times when I began
running Hoosier Street TDs, which are a bias ply tire (A70 13s). Where as a
radial gives you a very "grippy" feeling right up to the point where
traction goes away and you swap ends, the bias ply Hoosier scares the ship
out of you at first as they feel like they're never going to hook up. But,
they do hook up, quite well. The early slip requires different turn in
points. The apex remains the same, but you have to learn to anticipate the
slip, and turn in earlier.
With a small bore car (especially those of us "man enough" to race 948s),
the most important lesson to learn is the "conservation of momentum". That's
why a well driven Sprite can take most guys by braking late coming in to a
corner, and by powering on early, can have a superior exit speed, which is
the ultimate goal. I'm not likely to pass anyone on the straightaway.
So, in conclusion, haul ass as long as you can, well past the point where
the "pucker factor" has "sprained your sphincter", tromp on the brakes in a
straight line, get off them quickly, and power on early.
WST
Flounder
Team Thicko
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-spridgets@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Mike Gigante
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 1998 2:09 PM
To: spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Autox Sprite Handling Questions (actually driving technique)
OK, here goes. I think I have rationalised what I do. I just do it on the
track,
I don't really think about it!!!!
In normal hard driving (and in many "how to race" books), you approach
a corner at speed; hit the brakes; turn into corner still braking; apply
power
at the apex; accelerate out of corner.
If you do this effectively, the weight transfer ensures that the inside rear
is
well and truly unladen at the apex, and applying power will result in
wheelspin (948's aside :-). Once you have the wheelspin you have to back
off a little or straighten up. Either way, you've lost valuable corner exit
speed
and your time will be *slow*!
This is what I have done to avoid this. YMMV of course.
I approach the corner, brake harder than anyone else ( :-), off the brakes
while still in a straight line and get back on the power at turn-in.
Actually
the process could be: off brakes, turn-in, allow the rear end to get a
little
loose, apply power *OR* off brakes, apply power and turn-in at the same
time *OR* off brakes, apply power, turn-in.
I know it sounds stupid, but I
am not really sure how it ended up. I consciously tried all of these once
upon
a time and now I just do it. I'd actually have to think about it next time
I'm
on the track (Nov 7/8, Eastern Creek 6 hour relay race) to tell you which I
actually use!!!
Why do this? Well the weight transfer under acceleration is to the rear
wheels
and this means you won't lift the inside rear. Furthermore, applying full
power
like this (and a little opposite lock) gets the car into a proper 4 wheel
drift,
even in relatively low speed tighter turns.
On really tight stuff, you'll definitely need to flick the back out by
turning in off
the throttle and get back on the throttle again in time to keep it from
spinning.
As a result of all this, your corner exit speed will be high, you'll be on
the throttle
all the way through the bend and you'll have more fun than everyone else
too!
I hope this is a good enough explanation. If not, you'll just have to be
passenger in my car and observe it for yourself!!!!
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: CONAN@RALVM8.VNET.IBM.COM <CONAN@RALVM8.VNET.IBM.COM>
To: mikeg@vicnet.net.au <mikeg@vicnet.net.au>
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 1998 2:52 PM
Subject: Autox Sprite Handling Questions
>Ref: Your note of Wed, 28 Oct 1998 09:29:09 -0800
>
>>>Since I'll never be competing with you, I'm prepared to share this info!
:-)
>
> Since I'M half a world away too; you wanna copy me on what you send him?
> :-) Ed in NC ;-) (Just for my own info. I havn't run autocross
regularly
> in years.)
>
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