[Mark in Baltimore]

I should also mention that a few of us hired phenomenally-fast Chris Cervelli out of Denver to help set up our cars and to coach our driving. Although my car was set up fairly well, Chris made some changes that really enhanced the corner stability that I thought I already had. More importantly, he showed us how to trail-brake, and I mean truly trail-brake to maximize corner entry speed. I won't give up all of his secrets, but it's not all about getting on the throttle sooner, the words sooner and later, of course, being relative.

Standard disclaimer: Driver's education is not about learning to race, and racing technique is not what Chris taught. The DE program is about safety, first and foremost. Green and blue students, who can read about trail-braking in books, should practice being comfortable at speed, and that includes keeping your braking in a straight line, as Jackie Stewart likes to teach.

For those of you wanting to get faster (and I know that comprises only a handful of people here, right? ), Chris is available for coaching. I cannot overemphasize what a great teacher he is, the words patient, present, incisive and challenging being just a few that would describe his style. I knew him as a well-respected driver who is renowned for his set-up abilities, but I half expected his teaching skills to be lacking. Fortunately, I was dead-wrong. My time with him definitely helped me become a better instructor by giving me another skill set to help my students.

A huge thanks to Potomac and Tom Trew for letting us learn even more. Jim Evans and I really wanted him for his set-up skills, but we walked away with a better understanding of how to take our driving to the next level, something that I have worked on all of last year through suspension tuning and, just as importantly, mental and gonad tuning. We hope to be able to impart some of Chris' knowledge to our Potomac colleagues.

[TD in DC]

Originally Posted by Mark in Baltimore

I should also mention that a few of us hired phenomenally-fast Chris Cervelli out of Denver to help set up our cars and to coach our driving. Although my car was set up fairly well, Chris made some changes that really enhanced the corner stability that I thought I already had. More importantly, he showed us how to trail-brake, and I mean truly trail-brake to maximize corner entry speed. I won't give up all of his secrets, but it's not all about getting on the throttle sooner, the words sooner and later, of course, being relative.

Standard disclaimer: Driver's education is not about learning to race, and racing technique is not what Chris taught. The DE program is about safety, first and foremost. Green and blue students, who can read about trail-braking in books, should practice being comfortable at speed, and that includes keeping your braking in a straight line, as Jackie Stewart likes to teach.

For those of you wanting to get faster (and I know that comprises only a handful of people here, right? ), Chris is available for coaching. I cannot overemphasize what a great teacher he is, the words patient, present, incisive and challenging being just a few. I knew him as a well-respected driver who is renowned for his set-up abilities, but I half expected his teachings skills to be lacking. Fortunately, I was dead-wrong. My time with him definitely helped me become a better instructor by giving me another skill set to help my students.

A huge thanks to Potomac and Tom Trew for letting us learn even more. Jim Evans and I really wanted him for his set-up skills, but we walked away with a better understanding of how to take our driving to the next level, something that I have worked on all of last year through suspension tuning and, just as importantly, mental and gonad tuning. We hope to be able to impart some of Chris' knowledge to our Potomac colleagues.

x2. Thanks Tom for permitting us this learning opportunity.

[Andy Clements]

I'd agree....Chris C. was a great guy. Unfortunately I wasn't one of the lucky ones with deep enough pockets to be able to partake of his time and instruction, but I actually learned things just by hanging around and watching him work. He was a very laid back and knowledgable guy who was able to methodically help them work thru setup and driving issues one-by-one. He helped sort handling inconsistencies in the cars, and break down mental barriers they didn't know existed. Perhaps the most important thing we learned is that TD isn't slow....he was just playing as such in real life.

[Cliff Claven]

Originally Posted by TD in DC

But T4 is also one of the most dangerous places at Summit. May not be worth it to push there during a DE. Maintaining a little safety cushion in the event that one of the air cooled guys spills oil down the chute or more likely one of our FEWC spills antifreeze might not be a bad idea. If you take T4 flat out once or twice, you know you can do it, so no harm in a little lift or tap. You can save the flat outs for races.

The concept here is very accurate, and it is the 944's you have to worry about. The only time my back end has ever stepped out coming out of T4 is when a 944 pissed its coolant out all down the chute. Lucky for me I was as usual maintaining a safety margin and was able to save it, or my car would have been wall art.

[HoodPin]

Originally Posted by TD in DC

But T4 is also one of the most dangerous places at Summit. May not be worth it to push there during a DE. Maintaining a little safety cushion in the event that one of the air cooled guys spills oil down the chute or more likely one of our FEWC spills antifreeze might not be a bad idea. If you take T4 flat out once or twice, you know you can do it, so no harm in a little lift or tap. You can save the flat outs for races.

And let us not forgot the occasional "ground hog" line......

[TD in DC]

Originally Posted by Andy Clements

Perhaps the most important thing we learned is that TD isn't slow....he was just playing as such in real life.

You made me feel slow on Saturday . . . and I am 99% confident that Cervelli confirmed that I am slow.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by TD in DC

You made me feel slow on Saturday . . . and I am 99% confident that Cervelli confirmed that I am slow.

Are you slow...or "not fast"?


If Todd's fast on the track and nobody is there to see it...is he still fast?

What's the sound of one hand clapping?


Ahhh ooom....

[Andy Clements]

Originally Posted by TD in DC

You made me feel slow on Saturday . . . and I am 99% confident that Cervelli confirmed that I am slow.

It was fun feeling like I was faster....even though I knew you were holding back quite considerably since I've seen you run much quicker. Cervelli helped build your confidence enough that you were on your game Sunday, and the tire wall helped flatten MY confidence about the same in the opposite direction.....so the overall swing was quite large. Comparing your relative speed to Cervelli driving your car isn't exactly a fair comparison.....we are all slow compared to a pro.....which is why the memo on your paycheck doesn't read "Payment for driving coach services".

[TD in DC]

I am fine with being slow. I don't even mind if some of my buddies are even slower than I am. In fact, I am pretty ok with that.

Riding while Cervelli drove my car was just stunning . . . really. I will never look at driving the same way.

[turbo23dog]

TD,

Can you provide some small details of what you mean about Cervelli driving (droving ) you car?