Re: Open Track Day Primer
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:34 pm
How your Winter Driving skills can make you GREAT!
I know...we can't wait for spring to blast the slippery white stuff away with more tolerable temperatures. While you're driving the rest of the winter, I want you all to keep mental notes on how your driving behavior changes on a snow day.
Being a great driver includes knowing how to react to changing conditions. One of these less-than-ideal conditions is a loss of traction. In my driver's safety speech I always talk about the difference in traction between paved surfaces and grass and dirt. Basically, that once you leave the paved surfaces you have the same traction on grass and dirt as you have on snow and ice.
As a veteran winter driver you already know how you should react when you lose traction. Not panicking is the key to recovery. And why should you panic? You already know how this works. Slamming on the brakes or jerking the wheel on the grass and dirt results in the same thing that happens when you do it in ice and snow ...you lose control. Resisting panic reactions is what your winter driving experience tells you to do.
Gradual responses with the brakes and steering might have you cutting the lawn a little longer, but doing so gives you greater control of your car. Granted, it's not as cool looking on your GoPro video, but I think you'll be happier with the results!
So do me a favor this spring...bring your winter driving skills to the track! Most people will never use them, but if you do wind up in the green stuff, you'll already know what to do because of the white stuff!
I know...we can't wait for spring to blast the slippery white stuff away with more tolerable temperatures. While you're driving the rest of the winter, I want you all to keep mental notes on how your driving behavior changes on a snow day.
Being a great driver includes knowing how to react to changing conditions. One of these less-than-ideal conditions is a loss of traction. In my driver's safety speech I always talk about the difference in traction between paved surfaces and grass and dirt. Basically, that once you leave the paved surfaces you have the same traction on grass and dirt as you have on snow and ice.
As a veteran winter driver you already know how you should react when you lose traction. Not panicking is the key to recovery. And why should you panic? You already know how this works. Slamming on the brakes or jerking the wheel on the grass and dirt results in the same thing that happens when you do it in ice and snow ...you lose control. Resisting panic reactions is what your winter driving experience tells you to do.
Gradual responses with the brakes and steering might have you cutting the lawn a little longer, but doing so gives you greater control of your car. Granted, it's not as cool looking on your GoPro video, but I think you'll be happier with the results!
So do me a favor this spring...bring your winter driving skills to the track! Most people will never use them, but if you do wind up in the green stuff, you'll already know what to do because of the white stuff!