Single most important skill you learned on track

[rwh11385]

I'm not, at least based on what I was initially told when I started out and what's being said in this thread. You yourself say nothing about soft eyes above, just "look ahead". Every instructor I've heard speak of this always says that you have to look ahead, and when you think you're looking far enough ahead, look further ahead, no REALLY look ahead blah blah blah. I later realized that it's exaggeration for effect but that's a bad approach because as a newbie, you take things literally, unless you're so arrogant that you feel you can pick and choose which advice to follow.

You still sound like an arrogant n00b...


Definitely threshold braking, and looking to where you want to go.

[T Verdier]

Look ahead. I still have to tell myself this constantly.

thats the the first thing i learn when riding a motorcycle. also when faced with an obstacle never look at it, "look where you want to go" some times i would barely miss a board in the road and still not know any details about it because i was staring at my exit line.

I would still have my front valance if i had remembered this about a month ago.

The novice bible says:
Brake in straight line, until the turn-in point. Turn-in and keep a steady throttle to the apex. Smoothly back on the throttle toward the exit point while unwinding the steering wheel.

When you become a better driver, it goes like that:
Do most of the braking in straight line. Start to turn in with some residual braking. It will put pressure on the front wheels and will help you steer. Let the back end slide a bit, putting the nose of the car toward the exit of the corner way before reaching the apex. As you need less steering input, you can apply more throttle before the apex with the car at an angle.

Being able to be on the throttle before the apex means you'll exit quicker.

Well said! best post yet.

[Danny]

How to enter corners slower.

Also not to lift.

[T Verdier]

Auto-x and track are very different. A lot of this stuff is good for track while in my opinion smooth isn't always best for auto-x. Am I right?

[Massive Lee]

Auto-x and track are very different. A lot of this stuff is good for track while in my opinion smooth isn't always best for auto-x. Am I right?

Yup. As different as making love and jerking off... ;)

[BigD]

well it's a skill that takes time to master (and teach). saying soft eyes to a beginner would mean nothing, hence "look ahead". and your instructors are correct in making you do it in increments. another way to do it is to stick a small peice of tape on your windshield at the horizon level. keep your eyes over it to avoid looking too close.

You're right, plus every instructor I've encountered coaches students through this skill in a personalized way. I just see this phrase all over the web in various driving tip writeups, without qualifying it in any way. I think if the authors choose to mention it, then they should elaborate, the way the document you posted did (perhaps not in such detail but in that general direction). And I still think that "scanning" is a better way to describe it than just "looking ahead" but that's just me, I guess everyone has their own key words that make an idea click for them.