Valuable Driving Techniques from Racing Professionals

It’s not everyday that someone gets the opportunity to really have fun with the car that he or she drives. Can you remember the last time you drove your car just for fun?

Last month, GM invited me to attend its Pontiac Portfolio Drive at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving where I was able to learn valuable driving techniques from racing professionals as well as drive several cars from the Pontiac showroom. The idea here was to have fun with these cars and see what they can do as well as what I, as a driver, can make them do.

Your Most Important Driving Sense
One of the most important factors in high-performance driving is to know where you want your vehicle to go. Sounds simple, right? But when driving at high speeds or in varied weather conditions, we often forget the basics and panic. Remember that vision is your best friend, when driving at any speed. In any situation, whether it is high-performance driving, racing or simply driving to the grocery store, your eyes can be your saving grace if you lose control.

Wherever you look is most likely where your car will go. If you lose control of the vehicle, the first thing to do is look where you want to go. One of the worst things a driver can do is fixate on an object he or she does not want to hit such as a street light, telephone pole or pedestrian. This is one surefire way to come in contact with said object.

No matter how good of a driver you are, if you stare at an object, your body will instinctively move toward it. Instead, look at the spaces between objects. For example when you park your car, you look at the open space between the other two cars. If you happened to be looking at that hot rod next to the space, chances are you might hit it or have to stop, reverse and start over in order to park the car correctly.

Some of the best driving advice is the most logical in words, but in practice, they are often times difficult to implement. If you notice yourself staring at an object, separate yourself and look toward an open space. Your hands and feet will follow and direct the car away.

Steer Your Pedals
We all know that a steering wheel helps to turn a vehicle. But what about the pedals? When a car is out of control, it is usually because the tires do not have enough grip or friction. Therefore, in order to transfer weight from tire to tire so as to balance the vehicle and aid steering, a driver needs to make good use of the pedals. When you step on the gas, you transfer the vehicle’s weight to the back tires. The brake pedal transfers it to the front tires, producing more friction for a stop. Simply taking your foot off either pedal also helps to transfer weight.

Over and Under – Controlling a Skid
The two most common types of slides or control losses a car can be in are understeer and oversteer. The former is a front wheel slide that causes the car to slide off the track and the latter a rear wheel slide that causes the car to slide into the center of the track. My lesson was based on a race track, but both slides can often occur on the road in icy or wet conditions.

Understeer is most often caused by too much speed when entering a corner. The next step is to ease off the throttle and/or add brakes. This does not mean slam on your brakes. Assuming you are looking toward an open space in the turn, lighter brake pressure will help you stay more in control and help you steer the turn.

Oversteer is not as common as understeer and is often caused by too much brake pressure and steering at a high speed coming into a turn. The first thing to do is to look where you want your vehicle to go and turn the steering wheel in that direction, usually the same as the slide. Take your foot off the brake. You can add throttle when the slide calms, in which case you need to prepare to bring the steering wheel back to center when the slide ends in order to avoid a fishtail.

Getting to Know Your Car
You car is more than just a means to get you from point A to B. It is a unique tool that has been designed and redesigned over the years to keep you safe and having fun. Spend some time getting to know your car. The more you know about it, the safer your driving experience can be. Look at your Owner’s Manual to see what features it has. Does it have ABS, airbags, front/rear/all wheel drive? What, if any, high-performance qualities does it have? These are all important questions to ask, because it may determine how you control your car and what it is capable of doing. For example if you are in an oversteer slide on a rear-wheel-drive car, you still need to steer into the slide and look ahead but also to ease off the throttle instead of the brake. Understanding your car can help prevent accidents and keep you in control on the road.

By Alyse Speyer
AskPatty Contributor

Alyse Speyer has a BA in Literature from the College of Creative Studies in the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has several published poems in the 2008 Spectrum and a short story published on UnderThisRedRock.com. She was also an editor for 2008 Into the Teeth of the Wind, a UCSB poetry publication. She speaks Spanish, French and has an understanding of Catalan. Alyse currently works as a freelance copywriter and blogger and writes for a variety of fields. She specializes in Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, web copy and editing.

Wherever you look is most likely where your car will go. If you lose control of the vehicle, the first thing to do is look where you want to go. One of the worst things a driver can do is fixate on an object he or she does not want to hit such as a street light, telephone pole or pedestrian. This is one surefire way to come in contact with said object.

No matter how good of a driver you are, if you stare at an object, your body will instinctively move toward it. Instead, look at the spaces between objects. For example when you park your car, you look at the open space between the other two cars. If you happened to be looking at that hot rod next to the space, chances are you might hit it or have to stop, reverse and start over in order to park the car correctly.

Some of the best driving advice is the most logical in words, but in practice, they are often times difficult to implement. If you notice yourself staring at an object, separate yourself and look toward an open space. Your hands and feet will follow and direct the car away.

Steer Your Pedals
We all know that a steering wheel helps to turn a vehicle. But what about the pedals? When a car is out of control, it is usually because the tires do not have enough grip or friction. Therefore, in order to transfer weight from tire to tire so as to balance the vehicle and aid steering, a driver needs to make good use of the pedals. When you step on the gas, you transfer the vehicle’s weight to the back tires. The brake pedal transfers it to the front tires, producing more friction for a stop. Simply taking your foot off either pedal also helps to transfer weight.

Over and Under – Controlling a Skid
The two most common types of slides or control losses a car can be in are understeer and oversteer. The former is a front wheel slide that causes the car to slide off the track and the latter a rear wheel slide that causes the car to slide into the center of the track. My lesson was based on a race track, but both slides can often occur on the road in icy or wet conditions.

Understeer is most often caused by too much speed when entering a corner. The next step is to ease off the throttle and/or add brakes. This does not mean slam on your brakes. Assuming you are looking toward an open space in the turn, lighter brake pressure will help you stay more in control and help you steer the turn.

Oversteer is not as common as understeer and is often caused by too much brake pressure and steering at a high speed coming into a turn. The first thing to do is to look where you want your vehicle to go and turn the steering wheel in that direction, usually the same as the slide. Take your foot off the brake. You can add throttle when the slide calms, in which case you need to prepare to bring the steering wheel back to center when the slide ends in order to avoid a fishtail.

Getting to Know Your Car
You car is more than just a means to get you from point A to B. It is a unique tool that has been designed and redesigned over the years to keep you safe and having fun. Spend some time getting to know your car. The more you know about it, the safer your driving experience can be. Look at your Owner’s Manual to see what features it has. Does it have ABS, airbags, front/rear/all wheel drive? What, if any, high-performance qualities does it have? These are all important questions to ask, because it may determine how you control your car and what it is capable of doing. For example if you are in an oversteer slide on a rear-wheel-drive car, you still need to steer into the slide and look ahead but also to ease off the throttle instead of the brake. Understanding your car can help prevent accidents and keep you in control on the road.

By Alyse Speyer
AskPatty Contributor

Alyse Speyer has a BA in Literature from the College of Creative Studies in the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has several published poems in the 2008 Spectrum and a short story published on UnderThisRedRock.com. She was also an editor for 2008 Into the Teeth of the Wind, a UCSB poetry publication. She speaks Spanish, French and has an understanding of Catalan. Alyse currently works as a freelance copywriter and blogger and writes for a variety of fields. She specializes in Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, web copy and editing.