How To Drive Really Fast

[Endrik]

I think I'm fairly fast for an hobby driver and I know a trick or two thanks to growing up surrounded by petrol-heads and race fanatics/drivers but one Top Gear episode gave me something to think about.

They had a 66 year old Jackie Stewart there, a real legend who was the F1 champion in '69, '71 and '73 - the golden era of racing and he only drove for 8 years.
Anyway he promised to teach Captain Slow James May how to improve his lap time for 20 seconds.

For years I've been pretty much doing the things which he was teaching to James May... his cornering technique about which he says "cornering is like bringing a woman to climax".... no rolling in to the corner but late and heavy breaking and getting out fast and smooth.
But his acceleration technique was what really stunned me.

Watch the video here

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Top-Gear-Season-8-Episode_190694.htm

the segment with Jackie starts at 17:00 minutes.

When they watch all the data and graphics on the screen, check out the bottom acceleration graphic at 24:24.
James' line is all hairy and uneven like a soundwave but Jackie's is is so symmetrical and perfect like a robot would have been the driver.

Of course it takes a lot of time and practice to be so smooth and accurate like that but still it gives a lot of thought how to step on the pedals.

[992gnt]

That's one of my favorite segments. I've spent a fair amount of time learning the craft, first on two wheels, and most recently on four and every time I'm on the track I learn something new about the car. I've haven't done any club races since '07, but I still get out there a couple times a year in between pace car duties and instructing. Funny thing is, that even though I get to strap in like Jackie and show someone else how to go faster, I still seek out faster/more experienced guys to get that last few tenths from my own driving. Last fall I had the chance to take my car back to the track where I started with it back in '03. It was pretty much all stock then, and last fall the car was very close to how it was in '03. I went out for a couple of sessions, and wouldn't you know I was 5 seconds a lap faster than back in '03? It's all about seat time. What tracks do you run on? I would love to sample a few European tracks before i get too old!

Gratuitous car pic, from the NASA Nationals in '07. Didn' fair too well, the zip ties on the fron of the car were holding things together after I went off with no brakes at 130 mph. I couldn't drive with a clear head after that.

[Endrik]

cool ride dude!

I grew up with bikes and go-karts but like most Nordic wannabe racers I drive mostly on gravel roads... VERY exiting but can be very dangerous too due the blind corners and all the trees. I don't compete (except for some occasional karting races) as I'm not THAT good (the amount of people who race around here is ridiculous) and lack the money to afford decent shit but it's like a national pastime in many countries in Europe... specially in Finland... they are by far the most talented folks with engines and wheels I've ever seen... so you gotta have some fun.

Anyway one thing I've noticed over the years is that stupid folks can't really drive fast. Here in Estonia we have bunch of morons with BMWs, all have IQs below 50, huge car fans and like to push the pedal to the metal but end up crashing all the time. Every time you watch a police show on TV, there's a crashed BMW. They want to drive fast but don't know what to do when the corners come. Probably that's why they are so interested in streetracing. Ugh... it's as pointless as an eye blinking contest.

A good sense of logic, good calculations, fast analyzation and of corse good instincts and BALLS make you go fast. Stupid people don't have most of these qualities, that's why I think a nerd could probably end up driving faster than a douchebag who brags about his cars all the time.... the nerd should have some balls of course.

Anyway if you are looking to ride on a specific racing tracks then south and west europe specially Germany has tons of them. Not so much in North or but if you dig gravel rally style racing then it's the place to be. I wouldn't go to Eastern Europe, specially Poland or Lithuania, you can die there very easily... the roads are a joke!!! But as far as the good open roads go... Austria and Germany have really good ones but my favs. are in South France and Italy... amazing roads but some can be dangerous due the cliffs and blind corners.

btw. the open tarmac roads are utter shite here too... holes holes and more holes... we had this big motorcycle race every year in a place where I spent most of my childhood... fast but blind corners... trees everywhere... tons of holes... one year we had Joey Dunlop here, a 4 time TT F-1 Superbike champion, he came here for the first time and died... that was horrible... next year my uncle's friend fell out of a sidecar bike and died almost at the same place.

[Endrik]

the coolest place to drive would be probably here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnc6p3YOg9Q

such a beautiful city and during that time when racing was extremely cool... the whole sight was filled with supermodels and the parties were 24/7

[shobet]

I'd love to know how the drivers of the past would compete with the current crop and vice versa.

The vid reminded me of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9LqJtDP6ic

[Endrik]

what's the vid shob... I can't see it

[992gnt]

Joey Such fun to watch, and such a loss. A friend of mine went to see the Isle of Man a few years ago. I love watching it but even at my most young and impetuous stage I doubt I could have ridden that course on the burner. Lots of great riders lost there..

Do you notice things happen much slower in a car versus a bike? When I started racing cars it was like every thing was in slow motion - lots of time to make corrections and adjustments, get comfy, etc. I would love to try my hand at some gravel/dirt driving but that style is not very popular here in the states, so there aren't many opportunities - I'm one of the oddballs that follws F1, WRC, MotoGP. WSB, etc.

... we had this big motorcycle race every year in a place where I spent most of my childhood... fast but blind corners... trees everywhere... tons of holes... one year we had Joey Dunlop here, a 4 time TT F-1 Superbike champion, he came here for the first time and died... that was horrible... next year my uncle's friend fell out of a sidecar bike and died almost at the same place.

[bibz]

It's rendezvous, the sped up merc 6.3 footage with ferrari soundtrack overdubbed

Sorry for spoiling it.

I love pushing it aswell, for me its either all about the technical side of things, keeping the car flat and steady, well weighted etc. or just thrashing the balls out of it. My current tires make my little corolla a blast in the wet, they have fuck all grip! Every roundabout is pretty much understeer city, and I can have fun pushing the power down to the limit. Like people who can afford real cars do!

Totally agree on the fin/euro thing too. Unbelievable cultural passion for the art of speed. I have to drive 3 hours to get to a track here. I'm saving up for a 318is or similar to get into some local club stuff hopefully.

[Endrik]

Joey Such fun to watch, and such a loss. A friend of mine went to see the Isle of Man a few years ago. I love watching it but even at my most young and impetuous stage I doubt I could have ridden that course on the burner. Lots of great riders lost there..

Do you notice things happen much slower in a car versus a bike? When I started racing cars it was like every thing was in slow motion - lots of time to make corrections and adjustments, get comfy, etc. I would love to try my hand at some gravel/dirt driving but that style is not very popular here in the states, so there aren't many opportunities - I'm one of the oddballs that follws F1, WRC, MotoGP. WSB, etc.

oh yeah, riding with a bike is a pure adrenaline shot... not much time to think, you are sitting on a small aerodynamically not so good piece of metal which has two narrow tires on... and you go really fast... in a car you feel safe and the brain can focus on the calculations and stuff a lot more

Isle Of Man is just sick... you have to be nuts to drive there... I mean you are going with 180mph and then jump!
Every year someone gets killed over there.

[Endrik]

Totally agree on the fin/euro thing too. Unbelievable cultural passion for the art of speed. I have to drive 3 hours to get to a track here. I'm saving up for a 318is or similar to get into some local club stuff hopefully.

You know what's funny... the fins and other folks in more northern parts have a tremendous talent for driving but are very clear headed in every day driving. But in South... it's like having a Grand Prix every day People are fucking nuts! They have a very relaxed life style but when it comes to driving... holy fucking shit. I've seen Greek bus drivers going really fast on the mountain roads which are as wide as the bus itself and doing crazy maneuvers in the corners while people in the bus are holding their breath not believing what's happening
What's really funny is that time in south is very relative, the life is very laid back and people never show up in time but there's an exception... the French and their lunch break. Everything else doesn't matter, the world could stop for them... they must have a lunch at 12:00 sharp. And you don't want to get in a way for a hungry frenchman, goddamn, they make crazy maneuvers and pass other cars in blind corners on dangerous mountain roads. They think they are Alain Prost, but unlike Prost who was one of the most clear headed and analytical drivers in history, they are driven by their stomach But after the lunch, the roads are much safer :ROTF:
One year I was in Southern Turkey... there's no need for traffic rules, some dudes were driving with superbikes wearing shorts, tank tops, flip-flops and I don't recall seeing any helmets.
Anyway folks are driving really fast and there's an intersection, folks from every direction are getting really close to each other... but the problem is solved with a simple rule... whoever gets to hit the signal first gets to go first :ROTF:

[992gnt]

there's no need for traffic rules, some dudes were driving with superbikes wearing shorts, tank tops, flip-flops and I don't recall seeing any helmets.

That happens here ALL the time, and the few places do have helmet laws have riders with the afore mentioned fashion sense but wear a helmet. :think: I just started riding again last year after an 11 year hiatus (quit racing and quit riding at the same time), and wasn't a week into enjoying the new bike before I almost got taken out. Twice. Then I recalled why I quit street riding in the first place!