OULTON PIX AND NEWS HERE!!

[964RS]

And to think I was squeezing the throttle as far as it would go until the tail started to slide! Such bad conditions on Wednesday. Chris and I were checking the tyres after the sessions and you could put your hand on the tyres and even the wheels because there was just no heat in them. I nearly threw away my underpants too when it got scary at Britten's!

 

[65 mat]

So it was you with the pants Paul !? [][]

 

[timarnold]

ORIGINAL: Melv

Tim

Appreciate the time and trouble you have taken for this -ever thought of putting it into a book????

No prob Melv! Have thought about doing a whole guide to Oulton in PDF format for download off my web site. May get round to it eventually!

ORIGINAL: 65 mat

Jesus Tim...how long are your notes for the Nurburgring !!!![][]

Due out in 2015! []

 

[ChrisW]

ORIGINAL: 65 mat

Jesus Tim...how long are your notes for the Nurburgring !!!![][]

But surely the only way to learn it is real time --- because every car and every day will be different ?

You can't read it, you have to feel it ?? Because sometimes you need a bit of speed before it begins to work ?

Tim, which tracks do you prefer to tutor at ?

I am guessing that Donnington is amongst them ? !

 

[timarnold]

ORIGINAL: ChrisW

But surely the only way to learn it is real time --- because every car and every day will be different ?

You can't read it, you have to feel it ?? Because sometimes you need a bit of speed before it begins to work ?

The basics are the same irrespective of car and conditions, Chris. For sure different cars have slightly different characteristics and minor variations to lines and techniques are necessary to compensate for these differences, but on the whole the differences aren't huge.

ORIGINAL: ChrisW
Tim, which tracks do you prefer to tutor at ?

I am guessing that Donnington is amongst them ? !

I have personal preferences with regard to circuits I enjoy driving on, but as far as tutoring is concerned I have no preference. Purely for geographical reasons I tend do work more at Oulton, Donington and Anglesey, but I also work pretty often at most other circuits; Brands, Snetterton, Cadwell, Castle Combe, Rockingham, Croft, Silverstone (who sponsor my Instructor Licence) and Goodwood are regular 'circuits' I work at, plus Bedford and airfield venues such as Elvington (Nr York) and Bruntingthorpe (in Leicestershire), and places like Longcross in Surrey.

I think you can achieve a certain level of understanding from reading. I learnt a lot about driving technique and car dynamics by reading various books, most notably Niki Lauda's book, Formula 1: (The Art and Technicalities of Grand Prix Driving) - which is no longer in print but I believe you can get s/h ones on Amazon; I also began my 'career' by completing two full courses at the Jim Russell Racing Driver's School, one at Silverstone and one at Snetterton, back in the 70's; the bulk of those course were spent in the classroom, partly because back then you didn't have an instructor in the car with you, all the driving was done in Formula Ford single seaters with the instructors observing and taking notes from the track side as well as giving hand signals - they were either brave or stupid... they'd stand on the apex of a corner pointing at the clipping point while we were looming up at anything up to 100 mph aiming at it! [] But I agree, there is ultimately no substitute for actual practice and experience.

However, what I will say is, a good experienced racer/instructor should be able to go anywhere and quickly learn a new circuit then instruct on it. Perhaps that would take a little longer in the case of the Nurburgring compared to your average circuit, but for example, the first time I ever went to Goodwood six years ago having never been there before, I did three laps with a track day customer who was a regular there sitting next to me (effectively instructing me) to guide me around. I did three laps and halfway round the second lap he stopped talking. After the third lap as we returned to the pitlane he said to me 'F*** me it doesn't take long for you to learn a circuit does it?' I said I'd been doing it a while! He continued 'I've been coming here for three years; your third lap was the fastest I've been around here!' We were in a track prep'd 944 btw.

 

[Steve Brookes]

Thanks for the guide about how to tackle Hislops Tim. I've always struggled to get to grips with that one. I can see now that I've been running much too wide at the left hander in the middle of the complex (touching the outside kerbs on the exit of that corner). Looks like I need to be more patient with getting back on the throttle. I guess by keeping a balanced throttle and maintaining the small amount of steering lock required through the left hander, the car will naturally come back to the left for where I need to be for the final part of the complex.

 

[timarnold]

ORIGINAL: brksy16

Thanks for the guide about how to tackle Hislops Tim. I've always struggled to get to grips with that one. I can see now that I've been running much too wide at the left hander in the middle of the complex (touching the outside kerbs on the exit of that corner). Looks like I need to be more patient with getting back on the throttle. I guess by keeping a balanced throttle and maintaining the small amount of steering lock required through the left hander, the car will naturally come back to the left for where I need to be for the final part of the complex.

No problem, Steve. Yes if you go too far to the right after the left-hander you'll struggle to get back over to the left to turn into Knickerbrook, and even if you can get back across you'll be coming at it from a steeper angle, making the turn into Knickerbrook sharper and therefore more difficult; and yes you're absolutely right about it coming naturally back to the left.