Inspired by IAM's reply on the Masters / SA thread, I want, respectfully, to challenge the orthodoxy that I often hear within the IAM on track driving techniques.
I write as someone who has been track driving for over 10 years, and who raced (albeit very much as a beginner) for 3 years. That either makes me qualified to have a view, or biased. That's for you to decide!
My perspective is simply this. I have become a better road driver as a result of my time on track. I steer better. I have more "in reserve" because my brain is accustomed to processing information at a faster rate as a result of high speed track driving. I have mastered heel & toe, so it can be used safely on the road. And perhaps above all I am much more aware of how to manage a car's mass to optimise grip (and thus increase safety margins for any given speed).
So when I read comments that imply that track driving techniques have no place on the road, I am bound to question whether the authors really understand what they are saying.
My track driving has also drawn strongly from my advanced road training. I am not a naturally gifted track driver, but I've become proficient by being systematic and smooth, and by taking a lot of training. (At the bottom of this post, if you are so minded, you can see a clip of me driving at the Ring. You'll see I am not gifted enough the hang the tail out like some, but rather prefer to display a calm, measured approach to track driving.)
At the heart of both my track and road driver training is, as you would expect, the right attitude - where safety is paramount (even when racing, I used to say to myself as I strapped myself into the car that being safe was more important than winning. Perhaps that's why the best I ever did was a 2nd in class, but I don't regret that order of priorities).
And so when we talk about someone using, for example, heel & toe (H&T) on the road, what is our real objection? Is it the perception that it is a technique for the racetrack, where driving is far more reckless? Or is there a more substantive objection?
H&T is usually the main target for those who talk about inappropriate use of track techniques. And yet Roadcraft states that BGOL is desirable at times. I'd go further - at times BGOL is optimal. H&T is BGOL with rev match, and so I struggle with why it is so disliked in some circles.
On a recent drive in Cornwall, I was on some tight and twisty B and C class roads. Absolute speeds were low but there was a lot of accelerating and braking as I chose to drive progressively (because it was fun and thankfully "they" haven't outlawed fun yet!). Given the short distance between some corners, had I forced myself to separate braking and gearchanging at all times, it would have interrupted the flow of the drive quite badly.
And perhaps more importantly, it would have reduced my safety margin (assuming an equivalent entry speed). Why? Because on some of those tight, blind bends I was turning in with my foot just brushing the brake (as I was just finishing the braking phase). If I had been on the gas, and something was blocking the road, I could still stop, because my entry speed was matched to my vision. But for the same entry speed and with H&T, I'd have saved half a second moving from throttle to brake. I'd have stopped with
more margin for a given speed.
I use this example because I have often heard people say H&T reduces safety margins. When you think about it, and you leave all other variables the same, that can't actually be right. At worst it is the same as separating; at times it will be better.
All this said, I acknowledge that H&T is a technique that should be perfected (as I chose to do) on track, not on the road (the main risk is one's foot slipping off the brake). Or if it is developed on the road, it should be done under instruction and carefully. But once mastered, it adds to the flow and smoothness of a drive. And many Class 1 drivers I know agree.
The other big change in my driving was steering. I used to be a pull push "nibbler". I would shuffle my hands about for small turns. After a few seasons of track driving, I realised the blindingly obvious, that two hands on the wheel gives twice the information about grip levels and is far superior to PP for most corners, particularly at higher speed. I started using fixed grip on the road, but flexibly. For tighter corners, I'd still PP, or sometimes pre-steer so my hands would be at quarter to three at the bend's apex. I don't use rotational steering; that's just a personal choice because I find fixed grip and PP blend perfectly. And indeed that's very much Roadcraft's advice, but I probably use fixed grip for tighter turns than Roadcraft suggests (I'm happy going to 12 and 6, or even a bit beyond provided I can see my way through the curve and won't need more than that).
And so we come onto weight management. One of the early tenets of advanced driving that one is taught is to be back on the gas before steering for a corner. That's clearly sensible and appropriate for much of the time, but no one is going to persuade me it's optimal all of the time. Roads have cambers and gradients, cars have different weight distributions and road surfaces are not always uniformally grippy. Even after a short time on track, the effects of weight distribution on tyre grip, and how this can by dynamically affected by your steering, braking and throttle inputs, are clear.
On the road, I use the brakes flexibly to shift weight in the car, and often trail brake (not
in extremis as one does on track, but subtly to add just a bit of extra grip to the front of the car). If a bend suddenly tightens, I know that my brakes are my friends and that I can steer positively even with quite heavy braking (well before locking up) because the extra weight on the front gives the front tyres more grip. I equally know that in some cars (like old 911s), turning in on the gas just lifts the nose and promotes understeer. In summary, I've just become much more aware of mass management and how to optimise grip for any given speed and situation.
So, to come back to where I started. I think there's much we as road drivers can learn from track driving. I'm not talking about a literal transfer, but an application of the principles that can make us safer road drivers.
I look forward to being challenged!
Cheers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH3-MaW-Aaw