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Author
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Topic: But I Thought I Could Save It
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SteveL
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Member # 1241
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Here is a really good writeup David Ray submitted to the Jan 2010 Thunderhill newsletter if you haven't already seen it ....
"But Dave, I thought I could catch it!"
Disaster Prevention for Track and Everyday Driving
By: David Ray,
www.hookedondriving.com
There has been something really bugging me, and I’d like to thank you for participating in my venting in trying to resolve this thing. Or at least allowing me to get this off of my chest. And hopefully – for those among you who drive on a racetrack for any reason, you just might prevent an incident that otherwise might ruin a track/race day, or worse, damage your car, another’s car, or create bodily injury. And for everyone else, what happens on a track, at times, is mirrored on the public highways – so this "disaster prevention" article in the end, is for everyone who drives.
There will be those who credit me with a "flair for the obvious" (an old Howard Cosell favorite), but I haven’t seen this obviousness dealt with in an accessible way, so here goes: There is a very common and preventable thing that drivers do to create incidents on the track, (and the public highways.) For the purposes of The Wheel and its readers, I’ll confine the context of my comments to the racetrack, however this common mistake are also named by the Highway Patrol as leading causes of wrecks on the public roads as well.
"But Dave, I thought I could catch it!" Here’s the scenario: A spirited driver, chasing that ever elusive best lap time, or Johnny Rocket who is ahead of him, is really pushing his or her pace. Finding edges, working the car, going deep on the brakes, getting on the throttle early. Most of these things are good to go fast. But somewhere in the middle or toward the end of the session, very subtly, one turn is driven just a bit differently. Usually, anxiety for a faster pace causes an early turn in – maybe only 20-30 feet early, but remember, this driver is pushing his pace and has eliminated any room for error. And this small error can create a big incident. As the car rockets past the apex, quite possibly right at the spot he usually uses as the innermost point of the turn, there is a subtle but dangerous difference. With the early turn in, the car, as it passes the same apex point that the driver is accustomed to, is aimed at a different attitude relative to the track. Or, to be more specific, with the proper turn-in point and apex, the car is pointed down the track, a very helpful feature of having done a turn correctly. But this time, the car is aimed at the tire sponsor banner on the outside fence, the black and white Holstein cow, the wrong water tower, or maybe you can fill in the blank here. So, we’re now haulin the mail, at the apex point, and things are not the way they’re supposed to be. The lucky ones notice this about right now. "I don’t recall seeing that banner, cow, or water tower before," wonders the driver in less than a split second. But then there is the driver that is red misted out and oblivious to his pending oblivion. Nevertheless, the car tracks on down the road to the "location of truth." The place where the pavement ends now beckons. And because he turned in early, the car is now carrying a very nice momentum…..off of the track.
This is the moment of truth...or consequences.
By now, the driver realizes that things are not the way they are supposed to be. But many drivers at this point assume a "rescue" mode that goes very badly. This is the point where the he tries to "catch it" and 9 times out of 10 fails. As the front tires leave the pavement, there is a cat-quick reaction to bring the car back to the attitude that would take it down the track. This is usually just a minor, almost imperceptible tug on the steering wheel to aim the car back on….This is at the root of the story. This simple little tug, with differing degrees of grip on all four tires – some on pavement, some off, and a look in the direction of the tug, begins to bring the car back….but that’s just for a split second. Because the car has fooled you. It has NO intention of getting back on track. It is now completely out of your control and has decided to go in the direction you just peeked in – across the track to the other side of the pavement. Kind of an evil little way of seeing if the pasture is greener on the other side of the fence. But this doesn’t go well. Coming back across an active racetrack almost never works out well. There’s the four cars that were stacked up behind you that now are in the center of your driving line. Or if you’re lucky and you’re on your own, there’s the K wall, tire wall, hill, cow, or any number of encumbrances in your new path. You may lock up your brakes – not a bad idea – but this only slows the inevitable outcome – a pending crash. Informed observers can see LOTS of evidence on any racetrack on any continent of major tire marks across the exit of a turn from one side to the other. Symbols of things gone wrong.
Here is the point of this piece. This doesn’t have to happen. Some drivers were gifted with an instinct to resist the "tug" of the wheel, and allow the car to go where it really wants to – off the track on the exit. Yes, the driver who avoids this most common off-track excursion actually guides his car through a different kind of off-track excursion. To prevent this disaster is so simple – yet such a thing of split second thinking – is not intuitive for most drivers. How do you avoid this disaster? Don’t do anything!! Relax your hands on the wheel and allow centrifugal force to do its thing. Your car will exit the turn, AND exit the track. But there is hardly a track out point on a race track that does not have SOME runoff, and most of the time you won’t need much. Just let the car flow off of the track – you won’t be far from parallel to the surface, and gently come off of the gas (notice I did not say lift) and the four tires become accustomed to their new surface, the dirt. Once the car is settled and slowed, you can then gently drive it where you need it to go. This happened in the middle of my stint in an enduro at Thunderhill between turns one and two. The car got some air while it was trying to settle, but I steered not. And by the time I was at turn two, the car said "OK, I’ll behave myself," and I was able to bring it back on track after checking my mirror.
OK – I’ve had some fun with what is actually a very grave moment and situation. My condolences to those who have made the "I thought I could catch it Dave" mistake. I hope you or no one else was hurt. But I’m writing this with emphasis because this should be a preventable incident. I am one who, so far, have been lucky to have the instinct to let the car go and not try to catch it. Racing since 1986, I can count on one hand the times that driving off and letting the car save itself has been employed. But depending on the location of the mistake, this just might have saved me four or five major incidents over the years.
Here’s what I’d like to ask you to do. Some experienced drivers who have "been there and done that" are excused from this conversation – you know what we’re talking about here, and you’re cool. But if you’re not sure, or suspicious about your instincts in this situation. Please ponder your driving history to dig up any similar situation. If you think you’re a prospect for this kind of incident, IT CAN BE PREVENTED. The next time you’re on track, during a test or practice session while watching your mirrors, take two reconnaissance laps with this in mind. Where are the turns that this could easily happen? Using Thunderhill as our example, there are plenty of places. Turn 15 on to the straightaway is the hands down winner, as if you try to "catch it" you’ll be in the K wall on driver’s right. (This is such a prominent phenomena that the similar track out onto the straight at Buttonwillow leads on to what is fondly nick-named "Honda wall" in memory of the many front drivers who have taken it on and lost.) But back to Turn 15 Thunderhill – you have, say 60 acres of flat grass to drive into with NO penalty. Ray Mudd and the crew have done a great job smoothing the run off – you may end up surrendering a couple of places in a race, trashing one lap time, with nothing but a dusty car. Versus a probable total loss when encountering concrete with your steel, fiberglass or carbon fiber.
Other Thunderhill places that are issues for trying to catch it on exit are Turn one, Turns 7, 8, and 9. Trust me, if you think you are going off on the exit of turn 9 (been there, done that) it’s NO BIG DEAL. The car, if allowed, floats over the hill and lands squarely with either 2 or 4 off on drivers right and gravity takes over, allowing you to flow the car downhill until you can gather it up and bring it back on…no drama at all. But back to your recon lap – study each track for these spots – then visualize your exit route at these places. Sometimes simply being aware is all you need for that split second to be confident enough to let the car go where it wants to go.
And lastly – if you can arrange it – do your own little "two wheels off" drill. Sorry stewards and corner marshals, this is really a good idea if done properly. Off pace, with NO traffic, let the car drop off the edge at track out. You’ll be surprised at how stable the car is if you DON’T STEER IT. This is not a skill thing – everyone can do it. It’s an awareness thing – a vision thing – and an instinct that can be learned. Learn it, and you’ll never have to say to your crew, wife, husband, steward, ambulance driver, tow truck driver..… "But I thought I could save it!"
Note: a Highway Patrolman we spoke to about this driver error stated that his observation of teen incidents – trying to bring the car back on the road after driving off is the number one reason for crashes. This is just one patrolman’s opinion, but is telling nonetheless.
Posts: 578 | From: San Jose, CA | Registered: May 2002
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SteveL
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Member # 1241
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posted
I mention this because I was just at a Thunderhill open test day this past Sunday. We had one red flag because a guy in a 914 Porsche went wide coming out of turn 15 and, instead of riding it out and slowly getting the car back on track, he tried to save it. He steered back onto the track, the front tires got traction and sent him into the pit wall.
It's usually not the first mistake that bites you, it's the second.
Posts: 578 | From: San Jose, CA | Registered: May 2002
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DEVERO2
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Member # 6155
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David is a good man, and that is a well written and true piece. good post
Posts: 641 | From: sacramento | Registered: Oct 2005
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acmikee
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Member # 5568
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that happens all the time at TH. go wide in 15 and try and save it and you hit the pit wall.
Posts: 241 | From: fremont | Registered: Apr 2005
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SydeWaySix
CAFords OG
Member # 3596
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posted
Being the noob that I am, I'm sure if a situation like this were to have occurred in the past I think my instinct would have told me to try and "catch it." Now that I'm aware that I SHOULD NOT try to catch it and to just "ride it out," I think it will save me if/when such this occurs. Good read and thanks for the article!
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2013 Boss 302 #356. Performance White. Stock.
1965 Fastback GT Restored to stock spec.
Posts: 9882 | From: Bay Area | Registered: Dec 2002
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BIzKitBrAIn
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Member # 4018
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posted
Simulators are great tools to hone your skills. The pro's use em
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89 LX Track Whore
08 Saturn Aura XR
07 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
Posts: 609 | From: Campbell, CA | Registered: Jan 2004
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straightliner1
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Member # 2679
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posted
The burm just after turn 15 was recently shaved flat because of too many people were stuffing their cars into the pit wall. While it might help the overall number, you still need to be very aware wen whipping around that turn 15!
Posts: 484 | From: Sacramento | Registered: Apr 2003
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SaleenGirl
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Member # 11156
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Thanks for posting this, Steve. Hopefully Dave's article will save some cars. I'll read it again before all my next track days.
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06 Saleen S281 SC #305
3.6 pulley, 80# inj, GT500 fuel pump, Saleen Extreme CAI
Installs & tune by AED
Posts: 92 | From: 530 | Registered: Aug 2011
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1Sicgt
CAFords OG
Member # 714
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posted
People always seem to forget if you can, Clutch in brake in. Car will do a natural 180* and stop. I've watch many times this technique work for people. Including people that have looped right in front of me at Thunderhill. Because they followed direction, held the steering wheel straight, clutch and brake in, instead of trying to over correct, and whipping back into the close following crowd, they not only saved their car from any damage, but also saved mine. People while in lower classes, not only need to learn driving lines, but proper methods of spinning, recovering, and avoiding accidents. I really think more drivers need to do a track event in the rain. You will learn more in that one event then you will at 5 dry events.
[ February 11, 2012, 02:02 AM: Message edited by: 1Sicgt ]
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14 Focus TS ST3 full Stg3, ready for bigger Turbo
2003 Cobra Track Car
Posts: 8145 | From: Hitting the Apex | Registered: Jan 2002
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