i would assume seat time and good instructors to be the best learning tool. have any of you guys used instructional books? i'm reading bob bondurants right now and just curious as to other books available on road racing and hpd?

 

The Barber school video and book "Going Faster " is pretty good. If you race a front drive car, I HIGHLY recommend te out-of-print "The Front Wheel Drive Advantage" by Jack Doo if you can find it because it gives great explanations and strategies to help an FWD driver. I just found another copy on-line after loaning mine out to a friend who lost it. This copy doesn't get loaned anymore (an I'll loan about anything) because I regard it so highly.

 

anyone else?

 

Lee can you share the online source of the book about driving with FWD in that I am an old dog (RWD) trying to learn a new trick? TIA.
Barry H.

 

What do you want to do? Read? Or Drive?

Lee gave you as good of advice as you're gonna get.

Scott, who expects Scott Giles to giggle a little if he reads this...

 

I wouldn't discount a RWD based book either since the main fundamentals are still the same.

Speaking of books, somebody sell me Milliken's Race Car Vehicle Dynamics for less than $90.

Edit: please


Modified by GSpeedR at 9:27 PM 7/6/2004

 

I love "Going Faster" but there are others:

Any/all of Ross Bentley's - "Inner Speed Secrets," "Speed Secrets" and their sequels. He gets into the mental game and coaching. I found it very useful.

Carroll Smith's "Drive to Win" and "Think to Win" are good.

Bondurant is OK.

Piero Tufari's "The Technique of Motor Racing" is old, very old, but an interesting read.

Probably all available at Amazon.com ... have fun!

P.S. The companion video to "Going Faster" is useful - ESPECIALLY if you run Lime Rock.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by apexinghonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Lee can you share the online source of the book about driving with FWD in that I am an old dog (RWD) trying to learn a new trick? </TD></TR></TABLE>

The copy that I got came from an on-line used book store in Australia. Soon thereafter, I referenced this great FWD book and anotehr H-T memeber found a listing in a used on-line book store. All I can say is that an occaisional search on-line will probably find anotehr copy of this book. Again, it is "The Front Wheel Drive Advantage" by Jack Doo from the late '80s or early '90s. It has the first gen Integra that Parker Johnstone drove for Comptech in the IMSA RS or Firehawk Series on the cover. There is some discussion of FWD in drag and pro-rally but the road course stuff I thought was of strong importance as it discussed some non-intuitive lines that I have used for many years since then. If you can dig up a copy of your own (as I said, I'm not loaning mine anymore having been burned and spending too much money and time to find a replacement), I think it is well worth a spot on your shelf.

 

thanks.

 

Read it all. We wish we could be in the cars every day, but $ takes that away from most of us. Getting to reinforce the information off track still has value.

There are lots of different information in various books, but for the most part everything shows you the right direction to go in. As you read more you will see trends, and some stuff that's not wide spread that does work..but seeing the differences will also help you as you learn on your own, in the car, and recognize them, helping speed up the process.

You are not going to learn everything from reading the books, which you already know, but the more info you can store, the more prepared you will be when the real life situation pops up.

I have also been told, by another Honda driver (Adam Malley..multiple time H Production SCCA National Champion) That "Twist of the Wrist" which is a motorcycle racing book is great because of its focus on the mental aspect of racing. (which works for 4 or 2 wheels) I have yet to get my hands on a copy, but when i find one the lazy way, such as finding it on a shelf at a store, I will grab it.

Jon K
http://www.seat-time.com

 

Lee thanks for the tip on Front Wheel Drive Advantage by Doo. I found a copy online and bought it. Hopefully I will learn something useful from it to make me a little faster in FWD.
Barry H.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RR98ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What do you want to do? Read? Or Drive?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ah, but your brain makes no distinction between mental imaging and the 'real deal'

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSpeedR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I wouldn't discount a RWD based book either since the main fundamentals are still the same.

Speaking of books, somebody sell me Milliken's Race Car Vehicle Dynamics for less than $90.

Edit: please


Modified by GSpeedR at 9:27 PM 7/6/2004</TD></TR></TABLE>

You can TOUCH mine for $5 a touch.

I got mine from Amazon.com about that price, I believe.

Drive to Win is also a good driving book.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Grumpy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can TOUCH mine for $5 a touch.

I got mine from Amazon.com about that price, I believe.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The plane tickets to Virginia make that $355 a touch, which is just out of my reach at this moment.

You can find Drive to Win for like $10 if you browse Amazon used books every now and then.

 

there is one copy of Front-Wheel Driving Advantage High-Performance through barnes and nobles site here: http://search.barnesandnoble.c...2Easp

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Ah, but your brain makes no distinction between mental imaging and the 'real deal'

</TD></TR></TABLE>

"What the #&$% do YOU know?"

 

Mental imaging definately works; I've just been too lazy to do it much.

I've spoken with some of the World Challenge and other pro drivers about it as well as read about it in Speed Secrets 2. Pretty interesting stuff! They recommend actually putting the helmet on, strap into the car's seat, and visualize. I've even heard people play the sounds from races they have taped. The more racing input the better.

Their were psychology studies for basketball free throws. They had a group visualize and not actually practice using a real hoop. Another group just practice and not visualize. After many weeks of doing this, the improvement results were very close. (And yes, they both improved a decent amount) Most pro athletes use mental imagery...