Re: Skid Cars

[Mike Orth <orthm@xxxxxxx>]

Keith writes:

> It is getting harder and harder to teach car control to our students.  At
> the speeds that an E36 M3 reaches before you lose control, there is little
> room to teach what happens in a spin.  What is needed is a skid car, where
> the instructor can selectively reduce the amount of traction to induce a
> skid at a safe speed, and students can practice these skill so that do
> become instinctive.

I couldn't agree more.  A skid car not only gives a student experience
in dealing with skids, but it also lets them feel what the car is does
as it begins to lose grip.  The quicker a driver senses that traction is
changing, the smaller the corrections usually are.  This is the kind of
thing you just can't learn from a book, video, or video game.  It
requires getting a car out of shape and recovering from the situation.

I'm lucky enough to be involved in the Decisive Driving program from Car
Guys where a skid car is part of the fun.  This program is mainly for
younger drivers, but  plenty of parents have been through the course as
well.  Just about any type of situation can be created by reducing
traction at either end of the car (sometimes both ends at the same
time).  The drivers get first hand experience in correcting major
understeer and oversteer skids.  It's alot of fun seeing them try <BIG
grin> to keep everything under control.  It's also very rewarding to
watch as they "get it".  All the talk about what to do when a car
understeers or oversteers hits home and finally makes some sense.

I think skid car time would be a great addition for people who are
getting started in performance driving.  Heck, I still drive the skid
car every chance I can.  In the end, money will most likely determine if
this actually happens.  Maintaining the skid car and getting it to the
events are other issues that would have to be delt with as well.

Other ways to get more seat time include going to go-kart tracks
(especially "slick tracks"), autocross, and skidpad sessions.  Our local
car club rents a go-kart track a couple times a year and about 30 track
junkies get the place to ourselves.  Sometimes we've been lucky enough
to have the speed limiters turned off. Having helmets seems to be very
useful in talking the operator into turning off the limiters.

Autocross is also a very good training ground when you're ready for more
speed.  If you have been running on sticky tires, try running on street
tires for a change.  I've gotten to the point where I save the sticky
tires for the track.  Autocross is done on street tires in order to
spend time working on smoothness and dealing with less traction. 
Autocross is an environment where spinning is not likely to cause any
damage to the car.  That is where I push the limits.  A mistake results
in some flattened cones and perhaps, a crowd pleasing spin :-).  At the
end of the day, I've gotten some more time spent on the hairy edge of
control and know a little more about what the car does as the limits are
crossed.

This information is very useful at the track because I have a better
idea what I can and cannot do in a given situation.  I also know if I'm
in trouble much sooner and can make the proper arrangements for driving
off.  

One of the keys to being safe at the track is to KNOW where the limits
are and the only way to know that is to go over the limits from time to
time.  Find your limits in a safe environment, drive within them at the
track......

Mike Orth
Tarheel Chapter

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