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Message started by Zweistein on 10/22/4 at 08:41:41

Title: Rally Techniques
Post by Zweistein on 10/22/4 at 08:41:41

Last weekend's rallycross was a great place for me to finally see the difference between theory & practice ;D. I found myself trying to "drive" instead of "slide" through the corners - resulting in slow speeds and tremendous understeer, until I slowly started figuring things out...

Question though: I thought I saw quite a few people in AWD cars using handbrake. I thought that with AWD, handbrake locks all 4 wheels instead of just the rear two, and is thus not very useful. Yet, the AWD cars certainly seemed to slide just right. What gives? :)

Title: Re: Rally Techniques
Post by John_Vanos on 10/22/4 at 09:28:13

I know some people do it and they say it helps them but
I myself dont use the handbrake. If I used it a few times in the rallyx with the clutch in then maybe it wouldnt hurt anything but I cant afford to try. There was only 2 places where a handbrake may have been some use but to me it was not worth the risk.

I found that the less I concentrated at driving how I thought I should and more just driving by feel the quicker I was. I found for instance in the tight turns to be using the pendulum to get me around without even thinking. It was just GAS, then brake put into first at the same time while turning away from the corner in a slide. Then clutch out into first turn in and GAS!

Follow me? The point is with practice you will drive the fast lines without thinking, so come out to next years series and get to practicing in the snow before that!!

Title: Re: Rally Techniques
Post by Zweistein on 10/22/4 at 09:37:13

Thanks John; that's exactly what I found out too - if I try to consider the theory while driving, I tend to have NO idea what I'm doing; takes too long to both drive, & think about driving... On the other hand, if I'm just trying to get from point A to point B, seems my instincts are in better shape then I give them credit for (usually very little;)).

Same thing held true with my flying license few years back... perhaps I should learn my lesson one of these days and stop overthinking -- but it's just too much fun to read about it while cooped up in a cubicle;)

Re Practicing in the snow, I don't think Ontario Winter Rally would necessarily be the wisest place - those ditches look somewhat perilous:>. Is there a good, quiet, safe spot somewhere? :)

Title: Re: Rally Techniques
Post by John_Vanos on 10/22/4 at 09:43:04

Parking lots are my friends in the winter. Large ones like a wal mart or college lots are great! I jsut drive a course once around the parking lot to make a trail then I try and follow the track as closely as possible. The beauty of winter! Jsut leave when the security guards ask you too! I just go to antoher lot and continue! ;D

Title: Re: Rally Techniques
Post by Zweistein on 10/22/4 at 10:14:25

Hmm, there's a humongous Costco parking lot here that might have my attention then:). It was great for teaching my friends how to drive the manual - security guards would usually let us be in sympathy:). I'm sure my synchronizers are still somewhere on that parking lot too... ;->

Title: Re: Rally Techniques
Post by Jeannie on 10/22/4 at 10:35:27

The Motorsport Club of Ottawa offers winter-driving schools that would really benefit you, Zweistein. They're a day long and held on a specially designed course that combines snow and ice, lots of corners and different configurations. I can guarantee that it is a day well spent. They usually start some time in January, once we have enough snow to build the course. I think the MCO is the only club in Ontario that offers these courses.

Jeannie

Title: Re: Rally Techniques
Post by Zweistein on 10/22/4 at 10:45:04

Thx Jeannie :). Yup, I've seen those on the MCO site; the 5-hour drive in winter is a bit of a deterrent, but if I'm in town in January, I will most certainly try to attend:).

(Ian Law's School also offers a winter class I hope to participate in, though it's of course a bit more generally oriented ("Not that there's anything wrong with that... :D"). I've really enjoyed the Saab club school this July (open to all cars, luckily:)), but I don't think they have any more classes until next summer. And I'm not aware of any other quality advanced driving schools in the area.)

Title: Re: Rally Techniques
Post by Craig_Hamm on 10/22/4 at 21:23:41

Lift-off induced oversteer is one of my friends. Turn the wheel a little bit in the direction you want to go, and lift of the gas. The rear comes right around. Give it gas to balance the slide so you don't swap ends. It all about weight transfer. If I wasn't busy preparing the Lanark rally I would have made it out. Sorry I missed this series, again!
Craig