TTO: a force to be reckoned with.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Cobra #3170

[b]It is against everything you have ever been told but the throttle is your friend and will help control the car if you get back into it smoothly and slowly.

[/B

So how does this work exactly when I'm entering a 180 and there is a wall or gully rapidly approaching, what are the manoeuvres recommended, other than KYAGB? Granted it will take a great deal of concentration and quick reflexes but I am having difficulties visualizing getting back into it smoothly and slowly. or is it just too quick to take any action as in the video example I posted.

I'm thinking being a novice at that particular moment "panics on" and I am a true believer in prayer.

Decidedly a Bondurant Driver Training is an absolute must since it will give me some pointers, but just curious as to what is recommended on this site.

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

[dallas_]

Originally Posted by tin-man

Decidedly a Bondurant Driver Training is an absolute must since it will give me some pointers, but just curious as to what is recommended on this site.

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

While you are waiting, read some good race car driving books.
Drive to Win by Carroll Smith
A Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code (motorcycle racing, but great info anyway)

They will really help you understand the fundamentals and give you a head start in driving school.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by dallas_

While you are waiting, read some good race car driving books.
Drive to Win by Carroll Smith
A Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code (motorcycle racing, but great info anyway)

They will really help you understand the fundamentals and give you a head start in driving school.

dallas, I appreciate the heads up and will check out these books.

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by tin-man

[/u][/B

So how does this work exactly when I'm entering a 180 and there is a wall or gully rapidly approaching, what are the manoeuvres recommended, other than KYAGB? Granted it will take a great deal of concentration and quick reflexes but I am having difficulties visualizing getting back into it smoothly and slowly. or is it just too quick to take any action as in the video example I posted.

I'm thinking being a novice at that particular moment "panics on" and I am a true believer in prayer.

Decidedly a Bondurant Driver Training is an absolute must since it will give me some pointers, but just curious as to what is recommended on this site.

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

The Cobra in the video had way too much ride height for driving on a race track. The narrow track and good grip helped flip the car, if the car were
lower (2"-3") it probably would not have flipped but just spun out. It looks like the driver lifted abruptly but who knows, without data it is difficult to say.
A little aid you can use is to set the idle speed way up so that you reduce engine braking when the throttle is closed quickly. This will also increase braking distance so it is not a cure all just a slight tuning aid. The best thing you can do is go to a good driving school especially one that uses formula cars. That will teach you very quickly how to modulate the throttle to adjust corner entry and exit lines. Developing the proper reflex action takes lots of seat time as stated here in many replies. It is about as difficult as learning to left foot brake in a competition situation so it won't come easily because it needs to be a subconscious action. If you need to think about it it is already too late. You might consider buying a Gokart, that would give you lots of experience in a short time for minimal investment.
Karts are very fast and very difficult to drive and there are kart tracks everywhere.
I heard from a second hand source that the Cobra driver at VIR was unhurt and that it was a woman driving another persons car. I can't vouch for this but that is what I heard.

[Tommy]

John,
Maybe this will help until you can read up on some of the books previously mentioned. A rolling tire will travel in the direction it is pointed. A skidding tire will travel in whatever direction the car was moving (notice I said the direction it was moving, not the direction it was pointed) when it started to skid. If, while in a turn near the limits of tire traction, the demand for traction on the rear tires exceeds their physical capability, they will skid in the direction the car was headed at that moment (i.e., tangent to the radius of the turn). One reason this might happen is a sudden increase in rear wheel braking caused by TTO. As the front tires are still turning, the rear end of the car will quickly move to the outisde of the turn. If it happens quickly enough, the angular momentum (i.e., the spinning motion of the car) will carry the rear end all the way around. If the driver is quick enough in recognizing and reacting to the loss of traction and skidding of the rear wheels, he should try to get them to begin rolling again at about the same speed the car is traveling while he uses the front wheels to point the car in the direction it is traveling. With the rear wheels now pointed in the direction they are traveling and with the same speed, the rear tires will resume rolling rather than skidding. At that point, the driver can resume the turn. ... Adding a little power when the skid begins is how the driver brings the rear wheel speed back up to match the car speed.

My car was originally built as a dedicated SCCA racer and I've spun it at least twenty times on various tracks. I made it a practice to not press the limits unless there was a safe runoff area, and I never felt in danger. I do not press the limits on public streets. TTO should not be a problem unless you are pressing the car's limits and you shouldn't be doing that unless you are on a track where it is safe to do, IMHO.

[Tom Wells]

tin-man,

Driver unhurt. TTO/overcorrection caused spin, followed by rollover.

My case was hitting an 18" berm at the Summit Point track while spinning causing a rollover. Hindsight: no berm, no problem As my wife says, you can't what-if backwards...

Tom

[CobraDan]

http://www.drivingfast.net/car-control/oversteer.htm

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by CobraDan

http://www.drivingfast.net/car-control/oversteer.htm

Very interesting!

Drifting is just controlled oversteer. I guess I always knew that but the pictures there demonstrate it well.

[tin-man]

I'm certainly gettinga lot of help and knowledge from the members and I thank all of you most humbly. Please keep these coming and I am thankful the driver in the vid lived to talk about it. Seeing that vid makes me fully apprecaite the power that is latent within the Cobra and the absolute destructive force that can be experienced if not driven correctly and not set up to optomize any racing or track events.

With respect, guys, John, AKA, tin-man