What is the best way to learn to race?? Ideas please

What is the best way to learn to race?? Ideas please

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Discussion

Bparry

Original Poster:

20 posts

86 months

Monday 20th March 2017
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Hi there,

I've been doing track days for a few years and looking to start racing this year.

My Dad has been racing all sorts since the 80's and we have a Mk 2 Ford Escort touring car and a 1965 Mini Cooper S (Appendix K) which we are going to race together. (I'm still not sure which one is best to start in yet).

Anyway I'm looking for some ideas for the best way to prepare before I get onto the track?

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Altrezia

8,517 posts

210 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
Get some tuition, and go racing. smile

Probably not a terrible idea to make sure your fitness is up to scratch, and you know the rules/regs. Watching race videos is good fun and useful.

Bparry

Original Poster:

20 posts

86 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
Yes that's the plan biggrin

Any tips on the best place to get tuition?

Is it best to do it in the race car or a car provided from the tutor?

Thanks,

Beau

Trev450

6,314 posts

171 months

Monday 20th March 2017
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No substitute for seat time so any tuition would be best done in your own car.

As far as which one to use, if you don't have much experience with rear wheel drive, then go for the Mini.

andy97

4,691 posts

221 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
Tuition is a very good idea - lots of instructors about but I recommend Simon Mason and Pete Edwards. The latter runs the Motorsports School.

Other than that, you have to get out there and do it. Perhaps choose a club series to start with, with a reputation for good driving standards. I recommend the CSCC, and in the cars you have you could try the Swinging Sixties or Classic K series for th mini or Future Classics for the Escort. I think at Donington this year, and maybe elsewhere, there is going to be a race just for 1970s cars and so the Escort would be ideal for that.

Good luck.

Bparry

Original Poster:

20 posts

86 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice Andy, that's very useful!

I've just looked at the Motorsports School website which looks great. I think I will book a days tuition in one of the cars with my Dad. This should train me and also help him correct any bad habits he may have built up over time.

I'm also going to book the ARDS course to obtain my racing licence in the mean time.

Yes, those are the sorts of series we are going to enter, CSCC looks good actually as we would be able to enter the Mini and Escort in different races at the same race meeting.

If anyone else has any advice that would be much appreciated? What's the most cost effective way of doing tuition? And how many tuition days do you think are necessary before taking the plunge to entering my first race?

Thanks,

Beau

Altrezia

8,517 posts

210 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
Bparry said:
If anyone else has any advice that would be much appreciated? What's the most cost effective way of doing tuition? And how many tuition days do you think are necessary before taking the plunge to entering my first race?
To be honest - as long as you're not totally incompetent then just one and a couple of trackdays will do. Racing isn't hard (though winning is). That said, the more the better! There is always something new to learn.

Just remember that it's dangerous, and you're up against other people in their pride and joy - so don't take the piss with mad hero moves straight away... save that for your 2nd race meeting wink

Also, it would be worth going along to an event run by the people you want to race against, and chat to them in the paddock. Everyone I've ever met at a race meeting is happy to chat and happy to share advice/etc.

Mr Overheads

2,436 posts

175 months

Monday 20th March 2017
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Tutors are a great way to learn, you'll find more time with a tutor on a general trackday than hours spent going round on your own. Hire a private tutor and take the lessons on the tracks you are going to be racing on.

I used:David Hornsey and Michael Broadhurst last season. Very similar styles so meant if one wasn't available on a particular date invariably the other was.
www.michaelbroadhurst.co.uk
david-hornsey.co.uk / LearnToRace.co.uk

Driver61 website is also a great website, I'm halfway through the Drivers University courses (free) and also the trackguides are good too. So far only watched the Snetterton 300 track guide and it takes 30 minutes to do one slowmo lap but explaining each phase of each corner and having done plenty of testing at Snett 300 last year it was pretty spot on.

andy97

4,691 posts

221 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
Bparry said:
Thanks for the advice Andy, that's very useful!

I've just looked at the Motorsports School website which looks great. I think I will book a days tuition in one of the cars with my Dad. This should train me and also help him correct any bad habits he may have built up over time.

I'm also going to book the ARDS course to obtain my racing licence in the mean time.

Yes, those are the sorts of series we are going to enter, CSCC looks good actually as we would be able to enter the Mini and Escort in different races at the same race meeting.

If anyone else has any advice that would be much appreciated? What's the most cost effective way of doing tuition? And how many tuition days do you think are necessary before taking the plunge to entering my first race?

Thanks,

Beau
If you have instruction off either Simon Mason or Pete Edwards then tell them I recommended them - they might give me a discount then. Lol!

Sharing a day with your Dad is probably the most cost effective way forward.

Bparry

Original Poster:

20 posts

86 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
Thanks for the reply Mr Overheads, I will check out all the links you've posted.

Driver 61 looks great, I've never heard of that website. That'll be good for some bedtime reading and good preparation before i turn up to any track!

Ha, yes I will mention your name if I go for instruction from the Motorsports School Andy.

Thanks for the advice both thumbup

Beau

HustleRussell

24,602 posts

159 months

Monday 20th March 2017
quotequote all
I had 50 races under my belt before I took any tuition. It's not obligatory. Like you, my Dad is pretty handy and I picked up a lot from him without even realising it.

indigorallye

555 posts

224 months

Monday 20th March 2017
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Best way to learn? Just do it, and get out there.
Beyond that, a second voice for Simon Mason from me. He also has a fantastic simulator available.

Thurbs

2,780 posts

221 months

Tuesday 21st March 2017
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John and Keith at www.goracingmotorsport.com will take you though it step by step. They can do simple things like track or race day support right through to full arrive and drive, including the ARDS prep and test. Very friendly and helpfull plus John ran the Alfa Romeo BTCC team with Tim Harvey driving so knows how to build a fast car.

Their track days are also a great way of trying lots of different cars all next to ARDS instructors whilst being fed and watered.

This is one of the cars at Snetterton in Jan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnF0C8Z2jO8

mark284811

99 posts

184 months

Tuesday 21st March 2017
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I've just been going through this myself. Taking part in my first race actually the weekend just gone "18th March"

I've hosted several videos from taking my ARDS test to picking a race series / championship through to vehicle prep etc.

Take a look and see what you think. I may have covered some of your questions.

https://youtu.be/-U_ErD1a3Mo

Feel free to subscribe to catch my future videos as i move through the championship and cover kit reviews and other topics related to a novice in racing.

BertBert

18,953 posts

210 months

Tuesday 21st March 2017
quotequote all
On the tuition front, I originally thought that the only way was to have a person next to you to tell you what to do. But in fact you very quickly move past that and use video and data. So I'd personally not bother with track days, just do your ards and go testing with your chosen tutor. Another name in the hat is Ryan Hooker. He also specialises in getting people started. He has helped me and Miss Bert a lot over the years.

It's quite a personal thing with driving coaches. I've had quite a lot of coaching over the years. Some have worked and some haven't. I've had one notable one that was terrible (did my ards tuition) and one who was in a league of his own - he got me from mid-field to the sharp end in Radicals and I'm sure we would have gone on to race wins if my cash hadn't run out! So if you feel it's not working, then don't be afraid to change.

Bert

Gc285

1,216 posts

192 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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If you can pass the Ards, and are familiar with the car, you can go and race. You probably wont win first time out and may end up at the back being lapped if you do not do much prep. It is all experience though.

You need to be very familiar with the car so the car is second nature, so test, test, test.
Record the sessions and review the video. Have a look at driver 61 which is very good for Radical or a video of someone in same car as you are using, on same track who was on the pace, it will give you an idea of speeds, brake points and lines and you can compare with yourself and learn a lot just by that.
Once you are familiar with the car, a good instructor will take you places you didn’t know exist and open you eyes up, literally, to things you didn’t notice. The more instruction, the faster you will become. Best have instruction in the car , rather than one you are not familiar with. Sometimes better to have someone run the car so you can concentrate on learning.

Even if you are on the pace on a test day, a race with 20-30+ other cars all on the pace is a completely different kettle of fish. A good instructor can help with this, especially mentally, but experience is everything. The more races you do the easier it becomes, race craft is a different skill to driving and calmness and clear thinking in the car during a race, will come with time.

Your first race will be a blur and a huge buzz equally. It can take time to become comfortable among a load of cars, being very close to the back of other cars, driving at speed mm’s from others, getting comfortable with oversteer and controlling it at speed, took me 12 races to become reasonably comfortable.

Best advice I can give is, points = prizes, you don’t get points for not finishing .Not finishing can also be expensive. Stay out the gravel, it is a pain to clean up.
I had a quicker drive come up to me last round last year and wonder how come I was challenging for 3rd in championship. I said that in 2 years and 40 odd races, I had finished all bar 1 with plenty of points. For a decidedly average driver such as myself, consistancy pays.

HustleRussell

24,602 posts

159 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
mark284811 said:
I've just been going through this myself. Taking part in my first race actually the weekend just gone "18th March"

I've hosted several videos from taking my ARDS test to picking a race series / championship through to vehicle prep etc.

Take a look and see what you think. I may have covered some of your questions.

https://youtu.be/-U_ErD1a3Mo

Feel free to subscribe to catch my future videos as i move through the championship and cover kit reviews and other topics related to a novice in racing.
I haven't gotten around to watching your videos yet Mark but I must congratulate you on your fine choice of club and championship wink and also your first races. If it weren't for the novice cross on your rear panel I'd never have guessed.

Bparry

Original Poster:

20 posts

86 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
Thanks for all the advice everyone, it's starting to sound clear that I need to just get on with it and get out there.

Mark, I watched some of your videos, they look good and a good insight into novice raining. Good luck with your season smile

Going to book in some tuition soon and also want to do my ARDS.

What is the best way to do the ARDS test? Does anyone offer a service to combine it with some tuition on the same day? (Probably before I guess?)

Thanks,

Beau

Bparry

Original Poster:

20 posts

86 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
Just watched your ARDS test video too Mark which was helpful, looked a fun day!

Steve H

5,224 posts

194 months

Thursday 23rd March 2017
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Talk to Pete Edwards at The Motorsport School - https://www.facebook.com/www.themotorsportsschool....

He can sort the test and some related tuition.