Here's an autocross annoyance of mine which is from my own doing...

*I occasionally flip my windshield wipers on during runs :evil: !! Of course, it is me, myself, & I who are at fault for these nutty occurrences .

Any remedy(ies) out there besides "DAMN IT ==> DRIVE WITH SOME GRACE, ERIK808", gang ??

 

That happened to me on a canyon run! Kinda annoying when your wipers go on and smears your windshield as your trying to keep up with some WRX's and MCS's through the twisties

 

For auto-xing you might try pulling the fuse.

 

*rfibanez: Yup, that smearing is a real pisser :smile:

 

Technically, pulling the fuse is illegal, but I certainly wouldn't worry about it locally.

Perhaps your technique for tighter steering is incorrect, or not working well for you. Generally, I tell people to "shuffle" the wheel. Your hands never leaving the steering wheel (other than your right hand to shift ).

Brian

 

I agree with Brian. Never let your hands cross. Than you never have to move them more than an inch off the wheel. It takes some practice but it can be done when ever you drive. It means you shouldn't be stylin'. Hands at 10 and 2 and don't take the left hand past 3 nor the right hand past 9. And always have the wheel under control. It took me a little while to get use to pushing and pulling with both hands. But the car hasn't "waved" the fans since my first year.

John

_________________
John Stuart

Moderator: SCCA STS Forum

DancesWithCones@northamericanmotoring.com

 

^^^Illegal :smile:

Of course, they're easier said than done but I'll give 'em a shot...

Will post next month's results the night or the day following February 8 (depending on when the official results get e-mailed to me)

 

By the way, there is no hard and fast rule in my opinion when it comes to holding the wheel in autocrossing.
Top National driver, Evolution instructor, and National Champion Sam Strano underhands the wheel with left at about 7:30 and right at about 4:30 and shuffles from there, try it sometime, it's very comfortable and relaxed.
Another top driver, National Champ, and crazy man Dean Sapp (brother is Neal) ONE hand's it sometimes!

Do what's comfortable and works for you, but it's probably good to try other's suggestions first.

Brian

 

Thanks, Brian!

 

>>
>> my torso was actually getting horizontal .
>>

LMAO
That's some wild drivin'!

 

My 2 cents...from Evo I got shuffling the wheel, but more importantly, holding the wheel constant through a turn and using the throttle to adjust the radius. In other words, find that constant radius through a set of features that allow you to keep your hands still after you shuffle the wheel to the correct radius.

Takes a run or two to find the right radius, but when you do it works great.

ThrottleSteerAugs

 

From Evolution driving schools they recommend the shuffle, however, they do state that you should drive however you are most comfortable. I tend to wind/unwind one handed in sharp corners, it works for me and I always have a grip on the wheel. NASA open track instructors have told me the same thing, and they work more on a good hand position than enforcing "the shuffle".

Also, if you haven't turned on the wipers, the blinker, and honked the horn then you aint drivin fast enough in solo II!

 

>>Also, if you haven't turned on the wipers, the blinker, and honked the horn then you aint drivin fast enough in solo II!

That's good! I can't tell you how many times i've done one of these. Another thing I tell people is if you're not hitting any cones you're not trying hard enough. I've instructed at a few local schools and you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get people to take a tight line in a skidpad. You should be almost on top the cones and I'd stand in the middle of the skidpad and hold my hands apart to indicate how far away they were and shout to them, as well, and it was the devil to get most of them close enougn to ever hit a cone.

 

>>Another thing I tell people is if you're not hitting any cones you're not trying hard enough.
>>

I never seemed to have any trouble HITTING cones, no matter how much I yet at them to get out of the way.

 

4 days now till I next don my black HJC helmet. Feel free to take this time to place bets amongst yourselves the number of times that I will:

*flick on my windshield wipers

*turn on my blinkers

*honk my horn

Tune-in late Sunday night for the results

 

BGarfield wrote:
Dean was one of my instructors at the Evo school last year, and he definitely has a very relaxed steering wheel style. He also taught me the amazing but effective phenomenon of getting the car to go where my helmet was pointing. Seemed weird, but really worked!

 

>>BGarfield wrote:
>>>>
>>Dean was one of my instructors at the Evo school last year, and he definitely has a very relaxed steering wheel style. He also taught me the amazing but effective phenomenon of getting the car to go where my helmet was pointing.

This is actually an old motorcycle technique, based on an even older fighter pilot technique called "target fixation" You go where your eyes go, your mind just does all the math instantly. That is why if you stare at the cones, you will center punch them.

Enjoy the wipers and the horn. Nothin is better than beating your buddy with the wipers on, and the horn blasting.

Uber
Auto-x it is all fun and games and when it isnt, go NASA

 

>>4 days now till I next don my black HJC helmet. Feel free to take this time to place bets amongst yourselves the number of times that I will:
>>
>>*flick on my windshield wipers
>>
>>*turn on my blinkers
>>
>>*honk my horn
>>
>>Tune-in late Sunday night for the results

THE RESULTS ARE IN :

Heat 1: flicked on the windshield wiper once

_________________

#23 STS & erik808

 

>>>>BGarfield wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>Dean was one of my instructors at the Evo school last year, and he definitely has a very relaxed steering wheel style. He also taught me the amazing but effective phenomenon of getting the car to go where my helmet was pointing.
>>
>>This is actually an old motorcycle technique, based on an even older fighter pilot technique called "target fixation" You go where your eyes go, your mind just does all the math instantly. That is why if you stare at the cones, you will center punch them.
>>

This is a technique that applies to almost any sport that involves going fast around obsticles. I race downhill moiuntian bikes and this motto is religion to us: "Look where you want to go!" "Spot the landing" "Don't look down - look AHEAD!" All pretty much mean the same thing. After you've hit a few trees at 35 mph, you learn. Same techniques apply to skiing off-trail in the trees. Unlike cones, trees don't move and boy do they HURT!