Bigpower

At the the risk of sounding like a fairy, I would like take some time out to get to grips with controlling a car on the limit.

Abit about me, I own a RX7 its not the first RWD car I have owned but I think its the kind of car that must be treated with respect and I would like to get out there doing track days with it for the next couple of years before I settle down etc. One thing that I am aware of, is my last RWD car had ESP and all that jazz and it was very over protective so I havent really 'experimented' with a RWD.

Naturally for me to start doing track days I would like to be able to control the car even when I have stepped over the limit of grip so I am not faced with the situation where its all gone pete tong and I am looking for the eject button as I dont know what I am doing.

I have picked Stu's brain when we chatted at APT and I just wanted to chuck this out there...

So I have thought I could do something like...

Go to somewhere like the Norfolk Drift Arena in the Rex and chuck the car about, would I have to try pretty hard to hit something here? I watched a video of one guy there and he got clipped in the side which is the kind of thing I would like to avoid. Or I could pickup a cheap RWD car like a 1st gen MX5 and take it?

Do something like a 'car limits' day in the Rex, anyone done one of these? http://www.carlimits.com/

Hire an instructor and take my Rex to a track and get some one to one tuition?

Great post

Driving at Norfolk Arena taught me more in one day than I'd learned on track in about six years. I did hit some cones there though (my fault entirely) and caved the front wing and busted an indicator. No biggie but you can still bump stuff there.....

Cheaper cars like an MX5 an option as they'll at least teach you the general behaviours of oversteer and what happens when normal grip limits are broached. What it won't teach you about is the same things in your Mazda, as there are simply too many differences between a skinny tyred, NA, 900kgs car and one that's got 235's, a turbo with several hundred HP and 1200kgs.

Carlimits days at North Weald are superb and Andy Walsh is a legend. Nothing to hit at all there but a different financial proposition to Norfolk Arena. His instruction is very direct but he can drive the hell out of anything.

The last option that you suggested would entail something like Maxx (Malcolm Edeson). The best surface, the best parity between experiences as it's your car but obviously the dearest option by a mile (

Cheers for the input Stu. At the moment I am leaning towards the car limits day, I shall research further.

I have even thought about getting a steering wheel and seat etc for GT5 on my PS3!

I know what I wanna know just working out the best way for me to pick it up!

In the past you guys have done auto tests, is this something that would teach me much about car control?

Also if I was to investigate hiring a pro for the day so to speak would anyone else on here fancy joining in?

Auto-test's are excellent for learning. I'm trying to sort some more events for next year and you'd be more than welcome to join in GT5 with even the best feedback wheel won't do much other than blow a hole in your training budget (And this comes from someone who used to own a Playstation dealership)

In terms of splitting costs you may find it easier to contact someone like Maxx on here and see when he is working at Snetterton next, and if he can fit you in. He can give you his dates, costs and then you can try and split the costs from there.

I've know Maxx quite well, used his coaching at Cadwell a few years ago (and then won a round in a sprint series there but that may have been a coincidence) and found him to be very professional and helpful. I shared costs with one other guy and that way we each had a decent amount of time with the maestro, and enough time to try and apply lessons learned on our own afterwards.

In terms of value for money, coaching is just about the best bang per buck, of that I have no doubt. It can make you quicker and safer for life, for less than the price of a set of tyres.

Keep me posted about the autotests Stu I shall make some enquiries.

SantaPod is another option, like Stu said a couple of hours at a drift day is one of the best learning exepiences, the best i have ever had. Wouldnt want to slide around a car with

Been away over Xmas/New Year so only just seen this.

In truth most of my work these days is with race drivers and irrespective of where they are currently in skill level and results i'd want to do a full 1-to-1 day with them at a suitable circuit.

There is an awful lot to learn but it's not like just taking on information, you can do that from a book or video, it's about understanding and that takes a lot longer and has to be done in a certain way and done properly.

I have done 'session' instruction before, either on trackdays for the TDO (i.e. Lotus-on-Track, Opentrack) or ad-hoc like the session with Stu but rarely do so these days.

That said, a driver would benefit from even a relatively short session, sometimes hugely if there is an area of misunderstanding and in truth I find there always is.

With some of the drivers I work with we will spend much of the day looking for a tenth or two per corner which overall may only add up to a second a lap but that can often be 10 grid places.

There have been a few similar posts on here asking about instruction etc. and I have likely said the same sort of thing but I realise not everyone on here is a racer and most not really looking for an intensive day even as a trackday driver so I'm open to doing some sort of shared day with a few drivers.

The only circuits i'd consider are Snetterton, Donington or Silv GP and these are the only ones I'd consider, as I also do for the full days that I do. It's not JUST that they are a bit safer than circuits like Oulton and Cadwell but they are more suited to learning the key techniques.

It is very much live on-circuit 1-to-1 instruction as opposed to the sort of exercise based stuff Andy Walsh does and as you will also know, Mr Palmer & Co don't take too kindly to spinners, esp when it churns up his grass etc. so it's not going to be a drift day or spinfest.

That said it's learning the same stuff, essentially understanding weight shift (as it effects all 4 tyres/corners and is controlled by wheel and pedals) and ultimately exploiting it. Why 1 of 2 drivers in the exact same same car, on the exact same line can go considerably quicker over a lap.

'nuff said, if anyone is interested then maybe best post here or PM each other and see what can be worked out. I'll do the best bang for buck I can in the time and with the number of drivers.

Maxx

Thanks for this Maxx in terms of numbers of numbers how many people would you need to make this happen? Also do you have a ball park in terms of price?