dkmura

iTrader: (64)

I've met Judy Fast, since she ran a racetrack in Colorado for a number of years. Her classes have a positive reputation, although I've never been to one. Which track is she working out of?

Also, you must understand the difference between drifting and performance driving. Although they have roots in the same discipline, drifting is quite different in terms of the slip angles being generated. In track driving or racing, we always try to limit the amount of rotation, while drifters try to widen it for the show. Car control will be taught in your classes and you'll understand better as the exercises build skills.

JMII

Excellent advice! In addition to where to look you'll learn proper hand position and other skills if you take a track / performance driving class. The hardest thing for rookies to learn is how to brake properly because street driving doesn't prepare you for track driving at all.

Perfect! The Z is my only my second RWD car (other then a truck) so when I first started driving it I found it over steered. However I learned those events were all POWER based oversteer, IE: too much gas on corner exit. So that wasn't the car's fault it was mine. Once I started track driving I was amazed at the level of understeer the Z had. You turn the wheel hard and the car just keeps going straight-ish. The rear is only going to step out if YOU apply too much gas or upset the balance is some other way, IE: aggressive downshift, heavy braking or fast angle change. Part of the reason the car tends to push is the staggered tire setup, with the fronts behind narrower then the rears, this means less grip in the front obviously. So it becomes more about weight transfer which another skill you learn at the track with an instructor. Honestly the Z will take a corner on track much faster then I have the courage for, in fact I'd guess I'm only getting maybe 75% out of the package. A professional would mop the floor with my sorry times. I'm just out to have fun and enjoy the performance I can manage safely.

For sure. To the OP: watch some F1 or Indy Car racing, you'll quickly notice that ANY tire spin, slide or brake lock up results in someone getting passed. Real racers avoid sliding around because lost grip means loss of speed. The idea of powering out of a slide is just Hollywood movie fun or drifters showing off. It is not the ideal way to take a corner. Now at times it happens in racing where drivers are pushing limits and might step over the edge. The difference is their skill level allows them to recover (sometimes) without losing momentum. However since you are not trying to qualify for the pole at the Indy 500 trading a few seconds of lap time to keep your Z in one piece is smart thing to do.

About the only time such a technique is useful is in rally or dirt driving where getting the car sideways allows for sharper turns on difficult, broken surfaces. In this case the car is going to slide regardless, so drivers learn to use it to their advantage. They purposely flick the car sideways using the rotation motion to slow the car instead of using the brakes, while at the same time getting aimed properly for the next section of track. Also keep in mind rally cars are normally turbos and spinning the tires keeps the engine on boost for maximum power.

Theminatar

It looks like she's teaching out of Pueblo Motorsports Park - CO.

Thanks for everything again!