Babalouie's 911 - start on p7

[Euroboost]

Have a chat to Chris at inline in Queanbeyan. He's set a few porkas up in his time.

[Rona]

Those Focuses (Focii?) have a bit of snort in a straight line.

224kw & 440Nm of torque makes them pretty solid

[BigMuz]

No shit- you NEED to sit closer to the wheel.

[Cplus]

yep, sit closer and stop shuffling. only time your hand should leave the wheel is to change gear (or *maybe* some odd uber tight hairpin on full lock)

sitting that far away from the wheel you have no choice but to shuffle as your hand can't go past 12 o'clock!

[23Kev]

No shit- you NEED to sit closer to the wheel.

yep, sit closer and stop shuffling. only time your hand should leave the wheel is to change gear (or *maybe* some odd uber tight hairpin on full lock)

sitting that far away from the wheel you have no choice but to shuffle as your hand can't go past 12 o'clock!

While I agree that sitting closer will allow Kev to possibly have more control over the wheel, I also know he has done his fair share of track days and if thats where he is comfortable, then maybe its the right place. Sure, its certainly not the recommended seating position and driving style....but if it works for him then so be it.

Great vids Kev, thanks for sharing as always.

[Babalouie]

Yes...cos obviously I'm totally incapable of swinging on a lot of lock quickly and precisely

But in all seriousness, it all comes from a book I pored over when I was 15, when I was eager to get my Ls. It was a very old book by Frank Gardner on advanced driving (there was a cartoon of a MkII Esky on the cover all crossed up) and I read it cover to cover many times.

When it came to steering technique, he advocated that you should start with your hands at 9 and 3 o'clock. Then if you have to say turn left, you raise your left hand to 12 o'clock and pull down 1/4 of a turn. Your right hand lets the wheel feed through, and you grab it again when the 6 o'clock position comes around. This way, at mid corner your hands at are 9 and 3 o'clock again, with a 1/4 turn of lock wound on. Your hands are then in a better position to discern steering feel than if your arms were crossed, and you are also in a position to cross your arms to get a total of 3/4 a turn of lock for a tight corner.

I spose that advice was prolly more relevant to the sort of cars that were in production when the book was written, but for better or worse that is the way I've always done it. But I think the camera angle makes me look a lot more reclined than I actually am, I can put one hand on 12 o'clock on the wheel, and my elbow is still slightly bent.

When you see me wind on a lot of opposite lock, you can see my hand go over the top of the wheel when I'm unwinding the oppy lock. So it's not that I can't reach the top of the wheel, it's just that my natural style upon corner entry is that I tend to "push" from the bottom of the wheel rather than "pull" from the top. And I do tend to position my hands so that they are at 9 and 3 o'clock mid corner with lock on.

[spiller]

Fixed hands is the more universal technique but its not the only "right" way to do it. ive watched a fair fuckload of in-car racing footage over the years and whilst most drivers keep their hands fixed, not all do. Sbeastian Bordeas (sp?) is one of them who feeds the wheel on exits, also Peter Brock used to move his hands up to 12 o'clock quite a lot, although that was more on corner entry, rather than exit.

[GTV]

The shuffling technique is more common on cars without power steer and/or with slower steering ratios (usually with one comes the other). Still pays to get as close to the wheel as you can comfortably.

[BigMuz]

I'm fine with shuffling (even though I think it is best not to) but straight elbows absolutely ruin your leverage at the worst possible moment.

[Babalouie]

I'm fine with shuffling (even though I think it is best not to) but straight elbows absolutely ruin your leverage at the worst possible moment.

I can reach the top of the wheel and my elbow is still slightly bent. It's just that I tend to use the bottom of the wheel, more than the top.

[Spammy]

When I did my CAM's OLT thru Peter Findlay the first thing he said to me was to stop the LAPD shuffle style.

[GTREA]

Thats definately one odd seating / driving style you've got going on there!

Maybe buy yourself a Fixed back racing seat for track days that forces you to sit closer?

Alternately buy an old Alfa or Lancia that will suit your Gorilla driving position perfectly :D

[Gats]

[Babalouie]

[Cplus]

I read the same theory as you when younger. Then every course I've done in recent times has undone all of those habits learnt from old blokes like frank and watching brocky and LP as a kid. All those blokes plied there trade in torana's on cross plys with no power steering don't forget.