Session 11 Debrief: The Car Feels Good

I took the car out to the testing grounds with a buddy. The broader objective was to get a feel of the machine underneath. This was a critical point because, during my first ride, I was surprised by the power of the vehicle.

There was a clear run plan which somewhat went out of the window as time progressed. Some aspects were accurately executed to identify areas of improvement.

The day was busy because there was a lot of stuff at work, which killed the excitement in a way.

Regardless, I got it over with and made it to the current debrief.

Session 11 Recap

The car had to be turned before we set off to the training ground. This was done by a friend of mine who scraped the rear-left mudguard during the maneuver. Just a minor scratch that didn’t reach the body. 

Shit happens.

Anyway, we reached the training ground and he recommended back and forth to refine my launch off the ground and braking to a halt. I was making a couple of mistakes in both cases.

While launching the car, I engaged the clutch too quickly which started the car off with a jerk.

Later I fixed it by holding it halfway through and letting the car move slowly. Earlier, due to impatience, I was releasing the pedal a bit more, transmitting more torque to the wheels, resulting in a jerky start. 

As of now, it is a conscious action and will become a default muscle memory as I gain more hours behind the wheel.

Similarly, during braking, I was hitting the brake to the fullest. The pedal is to be pressed lightly to ensure the deceleration isn’t too steep. This was a critical mistake as doing it on the road can get you rear-ended.

Some practice runs around the field helped improve my approach toward starting the car off the line accurately and bringing it to a halt.

I wanted to drive on the road around that field, but couldn’t due to a lack of time. Today was a Monday, which translates to a loaded workday, leaving little juice for the fun stuff.

Other things I practiced were sharp turns and a wider figure of eight. The sharp turns were decent, to be honest, considering it was an open ground and I had no visual markers to map the relative position of a car during steering maneuvers. 

The wider figure of eight wasn’t all that jazz either. The loops of the ‘8’ enclosed cricket pitches, making it difficult to turn the car around them (see above para). Moreover, the pitches were located at off angles to one another, skewing the ‘8’ further.

To top it all off, there were a million pieces of debris on the field. Empty beer bottles, broken glass, nails, holes, bricks, and stones. 

Doing a skewed ‘8’ with no visual markers when you approach them while being a driver who barely had two hours of driving under his belt in ten sessions in a field full of crap can be a tad tricky.

Areas of Improvement

Presently, it’s all about digging the tracks into the sand.

I am aware of the best driving practices, including checking mirrors and giving turn signals. However, embedding them into the subconscious will take hours and hours of training. 

Additionally, these things are developed as a lot more laps are completed.

One of the things I wanted to practice a bit more was shifting (both ways) while driving around.

This is another fundamental aspect of driving a stickshift. The finesse about everything, launching the car off the ground, braking it slowly, checking mirrors before braking or turning, etc., can only be achieved with time.

There is literally no need to rush the process at the moment. My friends are here to tell me when I mess up, which is all I need currently.

Looking Forward: Driving Around The Field

The next training session, which is most likely tomorrow, will feature me driving on the road adjacent to the field in the shape of eight. I can just focus on the racing line and not on the debris around me or any kind of crap.

I will also try to turn the car at the very beginning of the session, on the street, near my home. The goal here is to execute fine clutch and brake control during the maneuvers.

Until next time,

Tara

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Next Chapter: Session 12 Debrief: An Hour Long

Previous Chapter: Session 10 Debrief: Back to Square One

Index (with Prologue): The Path to Driving License