I'm curious, when you are doing time trials or are racing, how hard do you drive the car? The reason I ask is that I have a knack for breaking vehicles under these conditions, like tonight. I drove our school's formula car and on the fourth or fifth lap the shifter handle broke in half (granted it was a poor design, stress concentrations are a killer). I want to know if I'm in the wrong or I have real bad luck.
How hard do you drive when you race?
- Thread starter xj220
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2nd Mustang
Founding Member
Bad luck. I've broken sticks too, along with valves, clutches, spun a tube, ran out of gas, and so forth.
jikelly
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
i drive hard, but i do things that let me save parts and tires as well. smoothness is the real key to driving fast. instead of ramming the shifter from gear to gear, you should be able to just flick it quickly. instead of stomping on the brake pedal going in to a corner, rol the brakes on smothly and quickly. same with using the throttle and steering wheel. smooth, quick motions are faster than jerking things around, and easier on parts too.
HistoricMustang
Active Member
xj220 said:
Over time the car (and the driver) will let you know weak points. When these weak points are addressed you and the car continue to improve and have fun. If no checks are waiting at the finish line, there is no need to do the 110% percent thing. Any good driver is going to tell you that he always leaves some margin of safety for himself and the car.
If I had to put a percentage on it I would say 95% for the driver. Address the cars weak points and then have some social time.
Remember: "Start/Finish", "Start/Finish", "Start Finish", etc...................
HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com
Cobra CSX2259 in 1964 and again in 2004. Pretty cool and correct restoration:
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chepsk8
Founding Member
I too have had many adventures on the track. At the schools I have taken (Barber, Roos), you are trained how to run as fast as possible, while running within your limits. Roos teaches flat out accell, and good braking, so it takes a good car to live through that driving.
I have open tracked many cars in my days. The 69 Mach lived through many a SAAC conventions, running quite hard. Key to always driving home, was ALOT of prep before going, and knowing when the car has hit its limits.
Conversely, now that my Cobra is a track veteran, I have taken a different approach, pushing the car as far as I dare. Yes, I've already broken it and spun it off the track, but that is why we all do it, to go as fast as we can, push ourselves and our machines, and strive to shave that last tenth off lap times. Also, we learn what can break, and fix it so it won't break again!
Good comparison - If you cannot stand physical pain, why play any sports?
Cobrask8 at Watkins Glen exiting the Boot:
I have open tracked many cars in my days. The 69 Mach lived through many a SAAC conventions, running quite hard. Key to always driving home, was ALOT of prep before going, and knowing when the car has hit its limits.
Conversely, now that my Cobra is a track veteran, I have taken a different approach, pushing the car as far as I dare. Yes, I've already broken it and spun it off the track, but that is why we all do it, to go as fast as we can, push ourselves and our machines, and strive to shave that last tenth off lap times. Also, we learn what can break, and fix it so it won't break again!
Good comparison - If you cannot stand physical pain, why play any sports?
Cobrask8 at Watkins Glen exiting the Boot:
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Replace them with better stronger stuff. If you break that YOUR TRYING TO HARD! 
CornerCarvin67
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chepsk8
Founding Member
thehueypilot
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LMan
Founding Member
i drive to win, but you'll come to realize (esp in FSAE) that driving to win means making sure you know you can finish.
granted, in autocrossing (which i do) that's not that big a deal since it's not like it's a real long race.
in my years of autocrossing you can tell which people are hard on equipment and who isn't. the fastest people i know, rarely have failures, but those who try to hard tend to break parts a lot and don't go as fast. all how you treat the car...
xj220, what school are you at?
i drove for Texas A&M FSAE for '03, '04, and '05.
granted, in autocrossing (which i do) that's not that big a deal since it's not like it's a real long race.
in my years of autocrossing you can tell which people are hard on equipment and who isn't. the fastest people i know, rarely have failures, but those who try to hard tend to break parts a lot and don't go as fast. all how you treat the car...
xj220, what school are you at?
i drove for Texas A&M FSAE for '03, '04, and '05.
Hissing Cobra
Founding Member
I drive it like hell at the track with 5,500 rpm launches. I try to shift it the same as I do on the street. So far I haven't broken a thing. That's good because I drive it 2.5 hours to and from the track.
