Driving techniques?

[BigNige]

Are you a late apexer, a late braker, a heel & toe'er, a suspension loader or what?

I tend to take corners like I do on the bike which is racing line when ever practical but I am a smooth braker as well and tend to use engine braking a lot and then let the suspension unload before the corner starts.

It probably isn't the fastest method but it's one I'm comfortable with at the moment.

I'd be interested to hear what do you guys do as one thing I am not good at is recognising when the back end is starting to let go...hence I have the TC on all the time.

(also trying to get some conversational juices flowing )

[308mate]

nige said:

Are you a late apexer, a late braker, a heel & toe'er, a suspension loader or what? I tend to take corners like I do on the bike which is racing line when ever practical but I am a smooth braker as well and tend to use engine braking a lot and then let the suspension unload before the corner starts. It probably isn't the fastest method but it's one I'm comfortable with at the moment. I'd be interested to hear what do you guys do as one thing I am not good at is recognising when the back end is starting to let go...hence I have the TC on all the time.

Are we talking about on the road or on a track Nige?

I reckon it depends what you want from your driving. If you want rapid progress and some fun without all the stress and are not *too* fussed about wear and tear, use engine braking. But really and truly, thats coasting.
If you want to really concentrate/work hard, improve times or technique and compete with yourself, keep accelerating till you need to brake, slow the car down using THE BRAKES and as soon as youre done with the brakes, get back on the gas, even if its just to feather it through the start of the corner. One of the best things Ive been taught is "Always be accelerating or braking, never neither".
If youre on the track, turn your TC off!! Thats what the track is for innit?! For me having the TC on removes the whole point of owning a big rear driver. Theres a whole driving characteristic of your machine (some would say the most important one!) waiting to be explored and exploited. Personally it would drive me mad leaving it to the computer and NOT knowing what happens you find the limits. Its a fairly easy car to catch when you provoke power oversteer and if you start gently, youll quickly find the point when it starts to break away and control it. I'd recomend practice in the wet on tight corners where the speeds are lower, its easier to provoke and where you wont go far if you do lose it altogether.
For me, I prefer to brake to my turn in speed, turn in, accelerate. Slow in, fast out. I started to experiment with left foot braking but I was really just doing it for sake of it. Ive used it on the road a couple of times when Ive over-comitted to a corner though I must say.

PB - (conversational) juices definitely flowing now

[V8HSV]

My driving style in the HSV is to brake early for corners and apply progessive power into the bend & only applying full power when on the straight, this is good for me on track or road but quite often switch to hooligan mode and just blat it everywhere with the tail going out & in repeatedly with on/off throttle application whilst in a bend or turning, never have the TC on as you will never know your limits, especially in poor weather, yes in ice it is adviseable for TC operation but where would the fun be.

Must admit that I am happier with lesser cars been driven past their limits rather than take the HSV mainly down to the weight/momentum involved, being over weight the beast is nearly 2000 Kgs!

[phrich]

I reckon it depends what you want from your driving. If you want rapid progress and some fun without all the stress and are not *too* fussed about wear and tear, use engine braking. But really and truly, thats coasting.

I might have read this wrong but there is very, very little wear and tear when engine braking and the LS1 on over run sure sounds a lot better than squeeling brakes. However on the track I fully agree with what you say.

Good topic BigNige

[rob_78]

T/C always off ( except in heavy rain ) & Big burnouts & tail action whenever possible.....

Thats why I need new tyres @ 8K

Rob