i think what i was trying to get at is that all these 'habits' that we think
are learning are preconceptions about what we think the car does: these
notions are what prevent us from feeling what the car is REALLY doing. but
getting rid of the habits, you are free to react to the car as it.
there is a particular sensation of lightness i associate with this.
::twilight zone music::
james
----- Original Message -----
From: <Smokerbros@aol.com>
To: <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: Advanced Autocross Topics
> Here's one. I'm not sure whether one can consciously "learn" it, or not.
> Car feel. There have been times in my autocrossing that I've gotten
pretty good
> in one particular car, by knowing what it can do, though at those times
I'm
> not sure that I had really developed a good feel for exactly what the car
was
> doing underneath (around?) me. From driving a number of different cars
over
> the years, I started to develop a better sense for what the car is doing
and
> what to do about it.
>
> Becoming one with the nerve endings that tell you what's going on around
you
> is big, really big. Barry Goldine has it, coupled with a very good
conscious
> and unconscious understanding of the mechanics. I'd put Ben and Jeff
Reitmeir
> in this category as well. These are the very fast drivers who can get out
of
> the car and make it even faster by tuning it... Other very fast drivers
have
> the car feel, but not the mechanical understanding. They may be more
limited
> in their talent for car set-up, but can jump in anything and go fast.
Some
> are so intuitive that they can't even tell you what they are doing behind
the
> wheel, they just DO IT. Tim Berry was this way, and Rich Coffey is,
though he
> can tell you how many times he corrected in one particular sweeper...
>
> Charlie
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