In May we held the first ever driving school that was geared towards the events. With getting to sit in with multiple drivers, there was 2 things I noticed that made an immediate difference in getting them around the course quicker.
1.Locking in hand position at 9 & 3 on the steering wheel - Many new drivers have the tendency to shuffle their grip all over the steering wheel while driving. This makes for some jerky driving, with many getting themselves all twisted up when trying to straighten out the wheel after a turn. By locking in your hands at the 9 & 3 o'clock position you gain more control of the car while being able to make faster and more controlled steering inputs. This leads to smoother driving that will drop time off your runs!
However, some tight autocross courses will require you to do a bit of hand shuffling or hand over hand maneuvers for tight hairpin corners. Do this only when its absolutely necessary. 90% of the time you can keep your hands at 9 & 3.
2. Look way further ahead than you normally do - When sitting in with a driver I will stare at them as they drive (yes creepy) to see what they're doing with their eyes. At the school, most drivers were only looking at what was within 50 feet infront of the car. This makes it difficult to connect turns together and get on the proper line throughout the course. Once I started blurting out corners and pylons way further ahead to look at, all of sudden they where linking corners better, driving smoother & carrying more speed throughout the course.
How far should you be looking ahead? As far as you can! As a general starting guide, at least 3-5 pylons ahead or 100ft down the course for AutoX. Alternatively, before you even start turning into a corner you should be already looking at the corner exit and once you've reached the apex you should already be looking at the next corners entry point.
You can still glance at what is infront of you, but try to keep your focus on what is ahead.
Try those 2 things at your next track day event and watch seconds get dropped off your times!
-Dan
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