andrewhake

I agree with this. At higher speeds you have a bit more time to react and as Ckit mentioned the most important thing is to be a step ahead of what the car is doing and is going to do so you never have to "catch" the car, but simply make corrections for previous inputs.

The problem with going to a lower end less grippy tire is the different characteristics of the tires. I think you were using 225/255 so you could try to go back to 215/245 but use a high end tire so the breakaway characteristics are the same but at slightly lower speeds. Another option would be adjusting the alignment for less negative camber and less lateral grip.

Really though the best thing you can do is not change anything and instead really focus on your driving. Try to REALLY deliberately focus on and control exactly where you are looking. It is easy to lose concentration and focus on your apex for way to long when you should already be looking for your exit. With corners like turn 8 at Thunderhill I find myself looking for my exit before even turning in. Same with turn 4 at Laguna. A good sign that you aren't looking far enough ahead is consistently turning in too early. Find the apex well before you begin braking, only using marker boards in your peripheral vision, and once you begin braking start looking for your exit. This requires quite a lot of conscious effort initially but quickly becomes unconscious. Definitely all about seat time though. If you can maintain a consistent distance between another similar car on track it is a great way to train your eye. Don't focus on when that driver is braking or anything, just get the right distance between you and use them as a target for where to be looking.

Blind high speed corners can be especially tricky though (Thunderhill turn 5 bypass or turn 9), once I am familiar with the track find myself trying to "see-through" the things that are in the way rather than use distant landmarks for frame of reference. That way I can follow the same strategy even if I can't see the exit.

CKit

Corey gave me that ice driving advice in 2008 and it was spot on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aSYBuvyUQw


Add to that, rallycross (windows are tinted, but you can see the elbows working):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsDVLx1XFbQ

boyguan

I agree with everything you guys say

I have crossed the line before and spun a few times at that turn so i know when is too much. Problem is when its close i feel like it just goes

If we had more rain days it would be great but all the tracks here tell you that if you go off you might dig in and roll the car

WynnS123

That ice driving looks like fun!

CKit

That's why I think learning with less variables is easier. Flat tracks to really learn the physics in two dimensions before adding elevation as an additional challenge.

Just like putting from above the hole on a sloped green, if you make an error that puts you on the wrong part of the track or if you make a big input side hill or downhill, there may be no "catching" it. You have to avoid those types of errors in the first place.

SlowTeg

I'm by no means a track pro but coming from Sumitomos Z3's (did 5 track days on them) and just doing a 2 day event on Dunlop Z2's, I can certainly say that there's a night and day difference with tires. I'm glad I started on the Z3's as I have a much greater appreciation for the Z2's, but I'm not sure going backwards would necessarily be beneficial, simply because the car feels completely different (maybe the old tires were heat cycled out? I don't know). The control at the limit with the Z2's is VERY controlled compared to my old Z3's. I can stay on the throttle without needing to feather it and countersteer like with the Z2's. The Sumitomos would have a tendency to just let go, whereas the Z2's have a more gradual breakaway (not to mention just a lot more grip). It certainly made pushing the car closer to the limit easier.

As others said I'd try auto-x. I think that was a big help for me before tracking the car. The interesting thing with the Z2's is how the car has more understeer with the new tires. I went from 215/245 Sumitomo Z3's to 225/255 Dunlop Z2's. Perhaps it's just that the car feels much more stable with all the extra grip as it was very easy to rotate the rear with the Z3's, whereas with the Z2's it takes more effort. I'm not sure running a lesser tire will help your driving (it could), but at the least it would certainly make you appreciate good tires more.

ringo14

switch to the harder tire , what will it hurt? nothing.... it will get you used to slides and you will have some fun while learning what you seem to think you need to learn , car control

its safer and slower to learn car control at lower speeds... that being said the car will be pretty wild on v12's so be careful... i drove on the v12's that came with my car a few years ago until i was getting really sideways at 90mph often...at that point i knew i was ready for the switch lol

on a side note, one of my most fun track days of the year was learning a new track (spring mountain) on 6th/7th day street driven rs3's , i really had to drive the car to get the most out of it

robrob

Sliding the car isn't the result of a mistake. Not controlling (or catching) the slide is the mistake that leads to a spin. An advanced driver will be in a controlled slide around many corners of a race track. Spins are usually caused by late counter-steer caused by slow recognition of the slide. Wet skid pad training (included with FATTs) is the best way to get the counter-steer into the subconscious where it has to be to keep from spinning. If you have to think about counter-steering it's usually too late. Karting, autocross, wet parking lots and snow driving can help too.

As for the tires most of us don't recommend r-compound tires for beginners for exactly the reasons the op brought up so lower traction tires could help lower the speeds he'll encounter slides and reduce the likelihood of bending metal at the track.

Forcednduckshn

Are you driving an AP1, or AP2?

boyguan

Ap2