JimZ <jzalesny@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>>>Went out on a big track for some spirtited driving over the weekend. I
was humbled as the competition crushed me for lap times.<<<
Sounds like what happens to me when I auto-x <g>! (I run probably 30+
regional road races per year and the transition back to the occassional
auto-x can be very painful.)
>>I noticed that my autocrossing skills did not like speeds that
required huge amounts of drift.<<<
It's not that your autocross skills do not like speeds that require larger
amounts of drift. It's just that you need to learn to use your autocross
skills to your advantage. As an autocrosser, your line and your car control
skills will probably be better than 95% (or more) of the drivers on the
track with you. So, your auto-x skills actually can give you a very
significant advantage. You just need more seat time to get used to the
higher cornering speeds and the drift that results. As long as you can keep
the right state of mind (don't get frustrated, and don't get intimidated) it
comes with seat time.
>>> I noticed that most of the time I was able to point myself at the next
apex instead of pushing towards it. <<<
I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean push, as in understeer? Or push,
as in "try harder"?
>>>The idea of going off track at 90+ mph is not something I look forward
to.<<<
That is, most likely, a big part of the problem. You have to get
comfortable with the speeds of road racing to carry sufficient speed through
the corners. Otherwise, you are leaving too much time on the track. I
still think that, with track time, you will feel more comfortable with it.
Just hang in there!
Donn Vickrey
San Diego, CA
'97 M3 Coupe
'83 Mazda RX-7 (SP Div. Spec RX-7 #63)
e-mail: dvickrey@camelbackra.com
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