Anti-crash Thinking for Beginners

[Doc Racer]

Lately it seems there's an awful lot of discussions about crashes, crashes, and more crashes. As a rookie, it's been a bit concerning - any suggestions on what to focus on beyond worrying about not augering in somewhere? Appreciate any wisdom those more experienced ( which is just about everyone on this site ) might have.

Doc Racer

[dalyduo]

Perhaps an instructor or two will suggest some high percentage choices for drivers starting out. If they don’t see your post here don’t be shy about asking for suggestions at the track.

From my perspective of about 10 race weekends…

You’ll want to keep your eyes up and hit your brake, turn-in, apex and track-out points cleanly. Maintain awareness of the cars around you by checking your mirrors regularly. Look for a steady smooth pace and if you find yourself falling back don't try to go faster than you're comfortable with. Look for a steady rhythm (Remember to breathe!) with awareness. If you find yourself catching people look for passing opportunities.

If you keep it on the track you won’t finish last because someone will almost always throw him or herself off the track or have contact with another car that requires a safety check.

If your comfort zone is fast from the start you’ll pass a few people.

Keep it simple, hit your marks, notice how you feel and function in the racing environment and you’ll be fine. Oh, And the most important thing? Have fun!

[OLDMAN]

Hey Doc:
I may be incorrect but as best I can tell the new guys probably have fewer crashes than do the experienced racers. I've stood in the pits and watched as a group of old pros brag about the damage they did during the week. Many a race weekend was close on available cars due to the high number of wrecks on Monday through Thursday.

Like Pat says keep your eyes up and hit your marks. There is an old saying when it starts feeling good bad things are about to happen.

OLDMAN

[cdh]

I am starting another thread about our first crashes. Bronze that R/T!

.

[rgreist]

One of the best ways to avoid crashing is by going off the road! If you're exiting a corner and can see that you're carrying a bit too much speed, don't try to keep the car on the road (unless of course there's a wall or other impediment present, in which case you're doomed anyway). Simply allow the car to go straight on a parallel path to the track and gradually ease it back on when you've shed some velocity. Many crashes I see result from people trying to keep from going 4-off, "jerking" the car back on the track, and spinning to the inside.

[cdh]

so true Revere, seen that a lot, good advice

Concentration is vital, I find keeping one step ahead is very important, tell yourself what you have to do at the next turn in, apex, what follows that? Helps a lot, and if you get behind it's very tough to get caught up again mentally. Like all great sports, so much of good racing is in the head, gotta get in the right frame of mind, NOT RUSHED (commom mistake I still make), give yourself time to prepare, drink electrolytes, eat energy bars, these make a big difference. Go to the gym and stay in shape. Of course, practice as much as you can, more important than any other prep you can do.

Sailors and pilots have an expression - There are those who have had an 'incident'....and those who will. Same applies, crashing is part of learning to race, at least it has been for me.

Let's get some good info here from more experienced drivers on how to lessen the costs/damage/injury.

.

[badgersid]

THE SAYING IN RACING there are 2 types of drivers those who have hit the wall and those who will.

TO keep it real simple sit back and watch whats going on

than figure out how not to get involved

[L8Apex]

One good piece of advice is to know your limits and give yourself space accordingly. If you're not comfortable racing wheel-to-wheel, just inches from another car, then don't. If you're behind someone who's marginally slower than you, then make sure you plan your pass far in advance so as not to cause a hairy incident. Figure out where you have an advantage and prepare for a pass at that point on the next lap. Things will go so much more smoothly if you have a plan.

Also, try your best to judge the "attitude" of other cars on the track, both in front of you and behind you. If you see someone who is acting unpredictably, then keep your distance. Sometimes you can tell that an incident is about to occur far before it actually does.

If you're on someone's ass in a turn and they start to lose it, try your absolute best not to panic and immediately lift off the accelerator. It's a knee-jerk reaction that will cause serious issues. You need to train yourself to almost look through the car that's careening out of control in front of your eyes. More often than not, you'll be able to stay on the throttle, hold your line, and drive right by the guy.

[BrianinCT]

Yes, I tried that at West bend and it plumb didnt work

Originally Posted by rgreist

One of the best ways to avoid crashing is by going off the road! If you're exiting a corner and can see that you're carrying a bit too much speed, don't try to keep the car on the road (unless of course there's a wall or other impediment present, in which case you're doomed anyway).

[rf360m]

My advice, after 5 race weekends without any incidents, is to have a plan for as many possible outcomes as you can, and also to have one objective for the race. For example, the objective for my first race weekend was just to finish the race. I didn't care where I finished, I just wanted to finish. Then after I achieved that the next objective was to finish on the lead lap. The next objective was a mid field finished, then a podium finish. I have achieved all those objectives and am now working on a win. There are times when your objective may not happen, then you've got to just face that fact, and do the best you can.

As for having a plan, I mean that for every corner you should look for how close walls are, where you can go off without hitting anything, etc. Also visualize the start from your grid position. Have several plans as to what you will do. So if the guy next to you gets a better or worse start than you, you don't have to think about what to do next, you just know what you will do. Likewise if you start catching the cars ahead before the first turn, you will know what you will do.

When it comes to passing someone, or being passed, you should also have a plan. If the car ahead takes the outside line, you could try the inside, or visa-versa. But you should also know when to back out of it. Don't try any desperate moves regardless of the lap. So on that last corner of the last lap you shouldn't dive bomb the car ahead in the hopes of passing them. (You shouldn't dive bomb anyone ever. )

But most importantly I think it's good to stay calm and focused and not to do anything in the race that you wouldn't do on your own during a lapping day. Then you should be fine.

[PT Cruiser]

Drive at tracks with LOTS of run-off room until you have learned to anticipate what the car is going to do when it reaches the limits of traction. It took me a long time to get a feel for releasing the brake pedal when entering a corner near the car's limits, and the only way I could keep from scaring myself silly was to drive at tracks where there was nothing to hit if I got it wrong and spun.

In particular, this means avoiding Lime Rock Park at all costs, and probably Watkins Glen as well, until you are driving at a level where you always know --instinctively-- before you do something (turning the wheel, adding or remove throttle, trail braking) what the car is going to do as a result. A $400 plane ticket to VIR or the new Miller Motorsports park is a lot cheaper than a $4500 crash bill!! And a lot easier on your ego, too.

Even the most forgiving tracks have one or two bad corners. Figure out where they are, and be more conservative in these corners than in places where you can go flying off without hitting anything.

Avoid running in dense traffic until you are confident in your abilities. When following another car into a corner, brake a bit earlier than usual. You can always lighten up on the brake pedal if you find you are overslowing, but you are much less likely to get caught out and go plowing into the back of the other guy than if you brake at your normal location.

Revere's advice on avoiding hook slides is excellent, and well worth heeding.

[Doc Racer]

Thanks everyone --lots of good advice! See you at Road America.

Doc Racer

[Vin]

Wow, there's a lot of good advice here!

One thing I'd like to mention is ALWAYS look where you WANT to GO, not where you do NOT want to go. This is for both racing, and driving on the street. Very simple, and works like a charm.

Examples of what I mean.

On the street, say a bicycle just pops out in front of you, if you just stare at it, chances are you will panic, slam the brake and hit him. If you instead, quickly look at the open space (either behind, or in front of him) chances are you will release the brake, and steer there.

Racing, say you are catching someone on the track, you brake a little late, lock up, and are headed straight to his gear box. If you stare at the gear box, you'll hit it! If you quickly move your eyes to the right or left, chances are you will miss his gear box and hopeful just run wide on the corner.

Or say you're getting a bit sideways since you went over the curb on the exit. If you turn your head to look at the wall since you DON'T want to hit it, you'll probably hit it. If you look straight a head, chances are good that you'll go straight and be ok.

A good way to practice this is one of my favorite games to play on the highway, the "Lane Change Game!" (I get bored on long drives!) When you change lanes, look at the reflectors (or dotted white line) between the lanes. Look at the exact point as you change lanes, and you'll hit it with the tire! Now, think about NOT hitting it, but still LOOK at the point (either reflector, or white dotted line), you'll STILL hit it!! Now, next time you change lanes, aim to miss it again, but this time, look at the reflector or line, then QUICKLY look at the open space between the reflectors or lines. Now it should be easy to miss the reflectors/white lines.

Yeah, it's a silly game, but what else can you do on long drives?

Anyway, I find this a very important skill. The skill is, when you panic, and it seems like you might hit something, to QUICKLY change your focus to where you want to go. It should become an instinct, both on the road and track.

Have a happy. . .
Vinay

[cdh]

A friend related these words of wisdom he got from Divina:

"Divi was very good about telling me that I had the talent, that I just needed seat time and confidence. I need to believe in myself and be smart, take my time and treat these races almost like lapping days. I’m there to learn while having fun and
I won’t win until I get more seat time and experience in a race environment, so don’t try. Relax and let go – have fun above all else. That’s what it is all about. When I quit trying so hard, I quit crashing and when I quit crashing I went faster because I had more confidence".

I thought this was very good advice and have tried to live by it the last few race weekends, especially having moved into the MNCS, you know, running with the lunatics! Guess what happened? Faster times, better control, better finishes and MORE FUN.

[Andrew]

As I see it, there are two ways to cause crashes; you throw yourself into a wall, or collide with another car.
The second is most easily avoided by having situational awareness.
Know whats happening ALL around you; mostly behind you. Don't take it for granted that just because you didn't see someone in your mirrors that no one is there. they could be in your draft and make a pop right after you looked. Check your mirrors when exiting corners to get a better look if a car is close, you get a better angle of view. Check your mirrors frequently heading to the next corner. Look to your sides approaching the braking zones; a quick glance is all you need.
Know where the traffic is around you and try to anticipate what other drivers will do.
The first is avoided by not overdriving YOUR abilities. You need to sneak up on what the car can do only after you can feel it. The closer you are to the limits, the more feed back the car gives you, but don't try jumping to the limits, you have NO idea where they are just yet
While gaining seat time, try to be aware of the weight transfer of the car and develope a sense for the feel of the car. Strapping yourself in as tight as you can helps in this regard; make you one with the car.
Make baby steps with regard to braking points, trail braking ( where applicable) and speed through high speed corners like the carousel and the kink at RA.
If you do, and you will, put wheels off track, DO NOT jerk the car back on track, you will most likely hook the car and head straight into opposite wall; I think you should maintain a neutral throttle ( I'll defer to the experts on that one) and EASE the car back on track. My unfortunate experience in the kink was entering early (over anxious when I started carrying more speed; concentrate on your reference marks) exiting wide and going four off on the grass, getting bumped all over the place and lifting as I put two wheels on the track and setting up a force couple that acted as though the brakes were being applied to ONE side and snapped me into a spin.
That happened to me three times (slow learner), fortunately , I was going straight and spun down the tracked with both feet in, locked up for dear life and thinking ' I wonder how much this is going to cost.' In the end I barely tapped the wall and did very small damage. Pure luck, no skill.
I'll reiterate: focus, be aware, feel the car, and take small increments in everything you do; there are a lot of things happening at very fast speeds. You will aclimate to the speed if you haven't already. I think the term they use is "time compression" although I think it should be time expansion as you process more input much faster making things seem slower. Most important, don,t push to win just yet; be competitive on your level; you'll always have someone to race with and hone your skills. The name of the game for most of us is to have fun and paying crash damage is NEVER fun.
This turned out too wordy; someone gag me!