These are indeed all great answers... the sad part (in my opinion) is that you have to ask us, and not your in-car instructor.

Get some in-car instruction. Period.

 

I believe the instructors were busy with the first time drivers at this event. But from what I've seen, some of the members here have far more experience (especially in the Z) and so I value their input as well.

 

John, with all due respect, I don't think you were blunt enough...

My turn to be blunt. You should not be in an un-instructed group, or frankly signed off from an instructed group in my opinion. You seem to have a good attitude with the comments/critiques so far, so I hope that won't change with mine... but everything that's been said so far, should be things that solo drivers or even signed-off intermediate drivers should not do.

I'm not saying you need to be in a beginner group, but I will repeat that you need to have in-car instruction.

Find events where you get in-car instruction even when you're not a "first timer". Ask for experienced instructors, or hire a coach.

I'm certainly not trying to discount advice given to you here, nor advice from 350Z drivers. But us critiquing/offering suggestions, and then you trying to "fix" something on your own is a very inefficient (and often dangerous) way of increasing your skill level.

An instructor with high-horsepower, RWD experience (even if not 350Z experience) is much better than no instructor at all and more than likely (if they are any good) would have already made you aware of and in many cases already fixed these issues.

/soapbox

 

I'm guessing you are an instructor?

I have taken the mandatory class room sessions and have driven with instructors. Scott (posted above) has seen me drive and knows I'm fairly conservative out there. I dont think my driving poses harm to anyone. These mistakes posted were 3 or 4 minor slip ups (minus the off track one) over a full day event, over 90 minutes of driving.

Do all advanced drivers not have slip ups or go off track occasionally?

I understand your point of the importance of an instructor. If one is available, I'm always open to insight. But I do believe in going out and trying it on your own (like all sports). And I think reviewing video like this with others also helps.

 

Solidfish don't take Stack's advice as a personal attack. He has valid points (along with an opinon that may be a little over-the-top). But in all, he makes probably the best point, in getting an instructor at your next event would be a great idea. And he's right, an instructor doesn't mean you're a beginner - Don't let pride slow down your progression.

 

Thanks Zazz93... maybe what I've written below will add some context to my diatribe (although it'll still come off as over the top I'm sure)

People want me to be, but I don't have the brain for it. By that I mean the way I process information and then speak what I'm thinking doesn't happen fast enough on track. I'm not confident I could keep a driver safe PRO-actively, real-time. I'd do a damn fine job explaining what went wrong, but I'm not sure I could formulate the words to prevent it. I think this comes from having a pronounced stutter/stammer problem growing up. So I choose to stay out of the passenger seat.

What I am though, is a track day organization owner, event organizer, and steward. As such it's part of my job to keep drivers on the track safe. In the almost 10 years I've been doing this, I've seen SO many drivers be signed off, solo'd, and promoted to instructor way too soon. Sometimes with disastrous results.

They absolutely go off track occasionally. The difference? They know exactly why they went off track, often just before or as it's happening. In other words, unless it's a mechanical failure, they are almost never surprised by their slip ups.

With all due respect, insight is needed when discussing nuance of the line, like whether to take turns 1 & 2 as a double apex complex or one late apex corner. Insight is when two drivers are comparing data from Traqmates to see who's faster at the end of the pit straight or at the top of the hill before braking for the Corkscrew. Insight is when you pick the brain of someone more experienced at track than you are before heading out there.

Insight is not needed to tell you your hand positioning is all wrong (and I'm even a proponent of pre-position steering!) Insight is not needed to tell you NOT to try and "save" the corner if you get in over your head. Insight is not needed to explain that tank slapping is unacceptable and that you've been extremely lucky to have been going as slow as you have been and only had one instance of damage (had this not been what appears to be a Miata event, you very well may have tank-slapped right into another car or the wall trying to keep up with something faster)... Insight is not needed for these things, in-car instruction is.

The most dangerous driver on track is the intermediate driver who's had 6 to 20 days on track and has been left to his or her own accord to start expanding their skill envelope.) They have the skills to be fast (relatively speaking), but lack the experience to realize when they are in over their heads until it's too late and worse, that means they lack the knowledge of the right thing to do in a crisis situation. These are things that can't be taught in class.

I agree with you... absolutely driving solo is a very important part of improving, as is reviewing video and data with others. Again, I'm not discounting what's been said here.

I'm curious if you got any black flags for any of your slip-ups? Were there at least rules to pit and see a track marshal if you went off track? I'm also curious how this run group was labeled, and if there were clear passing rules for it?

I know I'm sounding like an ******* here, and for that I apologize. But you've already admitted to having an off that resulted in damage, and it just looks to me like you don't quite grasp the scope or the potential for what might happen to you or your car if you go off on a larger scale than what's in that video. Cause I'd wager a small sum of money that you're already thinking your next mod will be r-comp tires and Takata day-glo green harnesses to help with your sliding issues.

 

I did get blacked flagged for the off track incident. They brought me in to review why I went off. I said it was because I was trying to increase that turn in speed and they told me to bring it down a notch, which is what I did for the rest of the day.

The other off track incident (from before) was because I was practicing late braking. Except that time it was perhaps too late. That track has deep rock pits and when you go off, its going to scrap your paint, which was the damages I picked up.

I am in the open passing group, and as noted above, most of my mistakes seems to be from passing on turns. I'm trying to maintain a high turn speed to accomplish the pass, but this seems to be my problem. As noted by John (betamotorsports), I'm actually getting understeer on the turn-in. And to compensate, it seems I steer even more, then let off the gas, thereby causing the oversteer. I think he was right on, especially when i overtook that Miata on turn 4 and tried to take the RX7 in turn 11. It seems I need to either use more of the track and control the throttle, or as Scott mentioned, execute the pass elsewhere.

 

I think this is what Stack was getting at. In the open passing group you should be honing the passing skills, not really building it. Take your time passing. Don't worry about the higher coner speed passing quite yet, just get through cleanly and effeciently.

 

You cannot pass people on turns in other groups. How can you build the skill of the pass if you are not allowed to do it?

I will look for another instructor next time on the track.

 

I've been doing this since 1991 and always try to get someone to ride with me and provide instruction at open track events. Even when I'm an instructor I try to get other instructors to ride with me during the open sessions. If I'm taking students for rides in my car during the open sessions I ask them to watch for things I might do wrong.

I have a few friends that are pro racing drivers (they race full time and get paid to do it) and they also look for any instruction they can get. And every one will admit that they make mistakes every race. Its rare to throw together a perfect lap and even rarer to run a perfect race.

Be an instruction *****. Get someone in your car every session, be polite, thank them for their time, and buy them a Coke, a beer, or give then a bottle of water after each session. You will learn something every time, even from the biggest asshat instructor at the event.

 

Even the pro's have coaches, so having someone in the car is always a good thing when practicing. As far as open passing, I am not sure it’s a good idea to practice in corner passing when someone hasn’t worked on solo offline corner driving. You can still find a group that has open “Straights” passing and have plenty of track time a space to work on the other points.