What driving techniques are best when taking the turns?
I talking like what do you do when, when you are going into a turn?

Mikey

 

You might want to look at a book on competition driving. Your question is not easy to answer because there are so many variables. Your way into a turn is influenced by several factors. Here's just one: What you want to do when you exit (simply stated, suppose you are going through a series of turns versus a turn that leads to a straight). A basic book could be very useful. Some people enroll in a competition driving school, but that could be expensive. Best wishes.

 

never cross the double yellow lines.

that is a good basic rule to start with.

 

It is like driving a Midget. Let off a bit entering the corner then power out as you hit the apex or just coming out of the turn. I sometimes brake (taps) and downshift then power out and shift up. What a BLAST!!!!!!

 

A very good rule i sould learn to abide by Sometimes I think i live in Britain though

 

Be as smooth as you can, and ready for what is coming up.

 

And know the road It always helps to know the details. I.E. cop traffic, turns, regular trafffic, etc.. If you know the turn is a godleg, your entry and apex will be completley different. Be safe out there

 

Here are a few tips:

- Never take a turn that you are unfamiliar with, fast. This is just foolish. (Just like canyon driving is foolish)
- If in doubt, accelerate. Never brake. (I'm giving you FWD advice here)
- Do you autocross your car? If you dont, you should. This will give you the best possible experience of how fast your car can (and cant) take a turn. Just tell your old man that it's safe, because it is. In fact, tell him to take a few laps in the MINI as well.
- Use as much of your lane as possible from side to side, to keep your line as smooth and as straight as possible.
- Never assume that your car can take a fast approaching corner, especially if you are unsure, and just because people on the internet say the car is fast around corners, does not mean your car will be fast around THAT corner.
- I get told many times that you must be slow going into the corner, to be fast coming out. I'm still a novice, so this last one is still hard for me to discipline myself to do, although, my best times happen when I do do it.

 

I don't think there are any canyons to carve in Indiana.
Cornfields perhaps . . .

 

Yea your about right blacknblue. My old middle school was on a cornfield it ws nice though!

Mikey

 

Lots of great advice posted.


My rules are:
- Be smooth
- Slow in, fast out
- NEVER cross the yellow lines. NEVER!!!!
- Don't put yourself, your passengers or your car in danger. Drive within the limits of your sight, knowledge of the road, your driving capabilities, weather condition, and car's capabilities.

Getting killed or injured or totalling your car are pretty serious consequences that should run around in your head before you tackle the twisties. This comes from someone with motorcycle road racing, autocrossing, and numerous Deal's Gap experiences.

 

Assuming you can see all the way through the whole turn. Around here (Vermont), many of the turns are at least partially blind because of the trees. And a lot of the "fun" roads are also favorites of bicyclists. You don't want to be exiting a turn wide only to find you're about to run over someone on a bicycle.

Or, save it for the track / autocross.

 

Always look as far ahead of you as possible. That is the key to being smooth. Smooth=Fast

Turn the steering wheel the least amount that it takes to nigotiate the turn.

Make your movements, in the car, fluid. Don't jab at the brakes or gas. Squeeeeze them. Same with the steering wheel. Be fluid.

Before entering a turn, move your hands so that,when you are in the middle of the turn, your hands are at 3 and 9 o'clock. This is important because you will have your hands in the proper position to make corrections when it counts. (at the apex) After the apex, start unwinding the wheel keeping one hand grasping the wheel at all times. (no letting the wheel spin in your hands as it unwinds!)

On curves that you aren't familiar with, be sure NOT to turn-in too early. If you run out of road at the exit of a turn, then you turned in too early and/or were traveling too fast. Once you get to know the road better, you can start turning in a little sooner and carrying more speed.

I agree with the posters above that say, AUTOCROSSING (Solo2) is the best way to safely learn how to control your car. Many local regions give autocross schools to help get you started out on the right foot.

Good Luck, be careful, and have fun !

CB

 

The way I realized the best way to go around a curve was to go to a Phil Wicks class. Every session during the day I could feel my progress and it has paid off on the roads. Keeping it smooth and know your limits and your MINI's limits. One thing I found out, the limits of the MINI exceed mine.

 

Click here for the open track primer. While it is for track driving, it does all the right things.

STARTS WITH SAFETY!

Then to talk about cornering, it talks about breaking!

then turning, then line selection.

I found it very, very helpful. The site also has line guides and descriptions of Buttonwillow, Thunderhill, Laguna, and Sears Point.....

Matt

 

Mikey,
I was just teasing about the cornfields. I know there's much more to Indiana.
If you haven't already, you should keep a lookout for when MINI owners in your area head down to the Speedway. And of course, there's auto crossing. You can learn more about this through your local BMW CCA chapter to start.

 

Fundamentally:

-As mentioned above, be smooth with your inputs to the steering, and LOOK AHEAD AS FAR AS YOU CAN. If you are looking directly in front of you, you will always be reactionary in your driving. That lends itself to herky jerky steering inputs, braking inputs and missed apexes, and potentially a spin, or worse.

-Get your downshifting done early, while under braking

-Don't downshift mid-corner, ever. Very bad habit. Pick your gear before you enter the corner. You want a constant, stable tire contact patch pattern through a corner. Those 4 little areas are all that really matter. It's the only thing the road knows about you, and you know about the road.

-Also, don't get into the habit of braking while turning unless you have taken a performance driving class and have experience with trail braking. Get your braking done before turn entry, then maintain contant velocity to the apex, and accelerate out of the apex, through the turn exit. Trail braking is for experienced and schooled drivers. You do it without proper training and you do it at the risk of your own (and your mini's) peril.

-MOST OF ALL, take a class. Get instruction. It's great to have.

 

i think chilicooper s just needs practice and i think i know the perfect place.....http://tailofthedragon.com

 

The best way to drive in the twisties is-don't follow me through.

 

If it always took that long a drive to find a fun road, I'd ride bycilces!

But really, you have to know what to practice, and the best way to learn that is from someone who knows what they're doing. If you look at the advice above, or printed elsewhere, there are common themes....

Just beating the snot out of a car isn't on any of the best lists of how to learn. That's what you do AFTER you learn.....

Matt