Re: Off Track Excursions at the track

[Pat Donahue <pdonahue@xxxxxxxxx>]

Duane wrote in part:
> 3) Learn how to go off the track.  By far - the vast majority of
> catastrophic crashes occur when the driver does NOT know what to do when
> he/she is off the track.  You MUST go counter to your instincts and NOT try
> to drive back onto the track.  Read that line again......do NOT drive back
> on the track.  This is not like one of those times when you're going down
> the highway and accidently drop two wheels off the shoulder into the gravel
> at 50 mph - then steer back onto the highway.  When you try to do this (and
> your instincts tell you to do exactly that) at speed....here's what happens;
...
> What you SHOULD have done is realize the car cannot be saved and then simply
> "put both feet in". That means slam the brakes and slam the clutch in
> together.  This is your best chance to contain the off-road excursion and
> minimize the chance of catastophe.

Actually "both feet in" is the best advice when you're spinning on the
track and don't want to go off.  If you're going to go off the track the
best advice is to realize it and go ahead and drive off.  DON'T try to
keep the car on the track if you're going to drop a wheel off.  You
wouldn't be dropping a wheel off in the first place if you had enough
traction on _all_four_wheels_ to stay on in the first place -- once
you're down to three you're running _significantly_ less traction
especially since the tires you drop are always the most loaded.

What you should do is drive off the track.  Try to pick a line that lets
you lose speed under control without coming into contact with something
that's going to do damage.  This line will always be carrying you out
away from the turn you just missed.  As you lose speed and regain
control you may be able to curve your line back towards the track but
don't get too close to the track or attempt to re-enter without someone
flagging you back on.  Remember that people taking the turn you just
missed may be at the ragged edge of control coming around and won't be
able to dodge you.  They'll probably also be distracted by seeing you
there.  The flag station just before that turn should have set a yellow
flag and you can look back at them for direction to get back on. 
That'll cause them to wave the yellow.

My last off track excursion was the outside of turn 9 at Summit Point. 
Each time I tried to take my foot off the gas engine braking caused the
rear of my car to slide too quickly toward the tires I was intent on
missing.  I could have put in the clutch but that would be to surrender
too much control of future events so I ended up slowly backing off the
gas while steering parallel to the track.  Once straightened out I could
get off the gas, out of gear, and onto the brakes -- no damage done.  I
_can_ say that at 90 mph it's extremely bumpy and slick out there even
on a dry day.

The important part of this is that I realized _before_ I dropped a tire
off that I couldn't make it and drove off under control.  Had I waited
to see if I could make it the loss of control, even for an instant,
would have put me too far off for a smooth recovery.
- -- 
Pat Donahue  CCA 125031
Vienna, VA
'91 M5 4GTFUL
'72 MGB 8LYFGR&

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