In the past few weeks since getting back from the ITR Expo I have read the new edition of Mark Donohue's "The Unfair Advantage", and Ross Bentley's "Speed Secrets" and "Inner Speed Secrets". I find that they all have much to recommend them and make a nice collection to be read together. I dissed lightly on "Inner Speed Secrets", but took Victors advice and read it (with an open mind).

Anyone with any crude sensitivity knows what a flow experience is. Ross discusses this as sensibly as I've ever seen. The challenge I have is the seamless integration (my meaning, not his) of the subconcious foundation of driving, and the necessary concious operations. An example of this might be an unfamiliar track like Buttonwillow and it's 4th gear right into the Bus Stop Chicane. I never found a marker to use for a turn in point and so relied on the whole picture - but the lack of a concious check point was troubling every lap and it was there that I was disrupted and unintegrated (his meaning, not mine). I've faced this in inverted form before at SIR where the school typically marks the turn in on the straight with a cone. I've worked hard to find another (permanent) marker (it's nice to have because you're surounded by concrete with only a horizon in front of you). Then having found it (an irregularity in the concrete wall on the left), I've had to work to respond to it and not the cone. Again with some loss of integration.

I agree with Victor that the excercises that Ross suggests can be useful in conducing integration. Obviously the greatest challenges are presented by heavy traffic - something I don't encounter as a play driver. My experience within a pack of 40 riders in a first turn and the subsequent lap or two melee repeated hundreds of times provides some insight although I was willing to risk bike and body then far more than I'd risk the car now - I think that's mostly about money and the lower priority I'd put on glory now.

Mark Donohue's book provides some insight into how integrated he was. He and Roger would jointly manage their strategy in endurance racing over the radio. I'd say the guy was using alot of mental capacity. Buy that book and read it - you'll enjoy it. There isn't specific mention of psycho technique - you'll have to do some interpreting - but the evidence is there. I don't know if Paul Frere's book delivers the same level of insight, but I'm going to read it too. These guys that have found such lives with cars are quite naturally very interesting. As authors go, they may not be significant in the course of human history, but they mean quite alot to me.

Speaking of people and their lives with cars, the opportunity to observe and interact with the H-A racers at the Portland SVWC race was a super treat. When I raced motorcycles, there was a kid named Robbie Clark who got no respect from alot of the other pro's because he was young, unsophisticated and out of control. It outraged many of them that he could beat them - in their opinion he didn't deserve to, had no right to, etc. This was a lesson to me in the simple beauty of racing. Sure the results matter. But I remember another rider who stood out because of his effortless and tidy style - Joe Spangler. He just looked right - even though he, like me, wasn't a consistent top ten rider. These guys sum up a lesson of sorts that relates back to Ross' key lesson. Focus on performance, not results. I saw some familiar dynamics in the pits at PIR. I believe that it couldn't be otherwise.

By the way, I said that I would learn something from Pierre. I thought that I didn't. But after a week or two, something has stuck in my mind: Pierre's transit thru the 7-8-9 complex at the end of the back straight. I can see it in my mind over and over. What I see is landing from the curbing on 7, lifting & dabbing, and immediately the rear of the car looks high (inside rear has NOT lifted) as he drifts it right under power thru 8. How a car that has so little static deflection could look so rear high is beyond me. But it suggest to me that my idea from late last year to use Ryane components with offset spindles to raise the roll centers to permit use of lighter springs was likely misguided on an FWD car. That already light rear end can tolerate no jacking effect - the rear roll center should be kept about or below ground level. For what it's worth, the reason I dropped consideration of the Ryane stuff was because there was too little to be gained in the camber curves, and the rear toe curve suggested keeping travel to a minimum.

So, the driving begins this Thursday at PIR. The BMW club plans on using the chicane, so I'll be able to compare my lap times to the Touring Cars. Should be interesting. It will also be a real pleasure to instruct when I have a car to drive - I hate not being able to teach by example. I won't have an intercom system for this event, but I'm going to order one now that I've found the right one. The instructors for the BMW club at BW were using Nady systems with a flat earphone section with an attached mike on a flex stalk. You just slide the earphone up inside your helmet and position the mike. I used one several years ago but never knew what it was. Finally I've gotten tired of yelling, not being heard, and not hearing. Most Road Motorcycle shops can order them for you. The PMC-2 should cost less than $100. The motorcycle guys I know say they aren't popular and that riders find the sound quality to be poor. But their application has more wind - even taking open windows into consideration. The instructors as BW said only that they didn't live forever - no quality complaints.

Scott, who want's to drive like Tommy plays pinball.....but no cork please.....

 

Scott,

I read the same three books this year!! Were you adopted because we could be seperated at birth? I loved the Donahue book and in fact I talked to Ross Bentley about it and he feels that Donahue was a tortured soul and was never really happy. I somewhat agree but any life lost before it's time will leave things undone and unsaid. Live life!

Your analogy of the "pack" experience is the same as I remember from bicycle racing. With experience you become aware of all the sounds, smells and positions
of people around you. The "Zone" I guess.

Good luck at PIR and I am glad that you can enjoy part of the summer with your car.

Victor