I have been driving since I was 14 and I have never stop enjoying it. It is all about the experience, being able to communicate and operate with distinct tactility like the car being the natural extension of you. That experience, in my view, is far more rewarding than driving at blinding speed. And that’s probably the reason why I love driving experience more than racing.
And over 23 years of doing it nearly every day and through many of dumb things I did, I learnt many things:
- Looking further ahead will give you more time to see what’s coming up and execute the right inputs.
- Constantly redlining the engine does not necessarily mean you will get the best out of the engine. But in the right power band is.
- Balance. The weight shifts to the back when you accelerate and shift forward when you brake. Turn right, weight shifts to left and turn left, weight shifts to right. So, when you apply too much braking and then steer for a corner, the rear will over rotate and if you can’t react in time, it will induce a spin.
Driving it right begins with finding the right seating position. You need to sit straight up with both shoulders against the seat back, and as low as possible with eyeline just above of the steering and itself within reach. And you need to get both your legs slightly at an angle with ability to fully depress throttle, brake and clutch pedals comfortably. By doing it right, your back will the feeling of the rear end while the steering will provide movement for both front tyres. And when you combine these two elements together, you will form complete feeling of how the car would rotate for a corner.
Driving is also about establishing bonding and trust. I’m unashamedly admit that I’m a slow learner on all cars I’ve ever owned and driven. Because it takes time to get to know its character, its strengths and also things we need to respect. And equally important is its state of health. Getting the car prep and maintained properly by the right people is important. Tyres, suspension and brakes are something that should and must not be compromised. And only then you can enjoy driving with confidence.
There’re many ways you can enjoy driving it: sunday driving, track driving and simulator racing. I love all of them and each has its own application of purposes. Let’s go through each one with videotorial examples. I let you be the judge which is the most rewarding :)
Track Day
Simulator Racing
