Your approach to slalom
#26
Lives on the Forum
Originally Posted by RussinStk
Who watches the hood of their car during a slalom?
#28
Lives on the Forum
Originally Posted by ShoelessJoe
Yo Damon B,
Did Dr. Woods give you a "driver training" lesson or somethin?
Did Dr. Woods give you a "driver training" lesson or somethin?
#29
DFW Drunk by Proxy
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Valley Ranch, Tx
Posts: 2,291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by redrotorR1
The secret of the slaloms (tm: Andy Hollis) ---> By taking a slightly wider entry on the first cone of the slalom, you can begin turning in earlier ... thus allowing wider arcs and less steering input. As a result, this allows you to carry more speed through the slalom.
A lesson that I always remind myself of ... there's not a lot of time to be made up in a slalom, but there's plenty to be lost in a slalom.
A lesson that I always remind myself of ... there's not a lot of time to be made up in a slalom, but there's plenty to be lost in a slalom.
#30
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 340
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Glad to see the Evolution school mentioned; I plan to do that as soon as possible. My question: is it a good idea to do the two day school, or do you risk overload from too much, too soon?
#32
Lives on the Forum
I'm with macdaddy. If you have the money and the car to do 2 schools in one weekend I would do it. This isn't like book learning. There are some things you hav to digest but I think you can do that overnight and be chomping at the bit for your next lesson the next day.
I don't know where you are but around here we're lucky to have Evo in town every year. That may not be true where you are so if it doesn't happen often I would jump on it now. I feel that I made huge improvements after Phase 1 and Phase 2.
http://autocross.com/evolution/
I don't know where you are but around here we're lucky to have Evo in town every year. That may not be true where you are so if it doesn't happen often I would jump on it now. I feel that I made huge improvements after Phase 1 and Phase 2.
http://autocross.com/evolution/
#33
Full Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Royal Oak, Mi
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Talking about running over the base of cones, this is a pick from last year. If you look closely, you can see the cone is actually hovering in the air 1in off the ground after knicking it with my front tire. No penalty!
#34
DFW Drunk by Proxy
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Valley Ranch, Tx
Posts: 2,291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Alex
Talking about running over the base of cones, this is a pick from last year. If you look closely, you can see the cone is actually hovering in the air 1in off the ground after knicking it with my front tire. No penalty!
#35
Full Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: 15 minutes due west of Atlanta, GA
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by DamonB
This is an easy question. It depends
If the slalom is evenly spaced ideally you carry a nice even speed and just go through it while working the wheel (no course designer worth a sh*t would let that happen though). You get through any slalom quickest by doing the least amount of steering. This means you turn immediately behind the cones as you pass them. Imagine the rear tires just missing the cones by fractions of an inch. The sooner you move the car over the broader you can make your arc between each cone. This is the key to slaloms.
Depending on where the slalom is you may find yourself needing to accelerate through the slalom or slow down. In those instances you have to be balancing your hands with your feet. If you need to use more of your hands (steer) you should be using less of your feet (brake or gas). This is why the key is to turn so early behinds the cones: by not needing as much steering you can automatically carry more speed without sliding. Most newbs get behind in the slalom; they turn later and later as they progress through and this leaves them needing big steering inputs to round the last cone or two. If they don't slow the car this will leave the car slow at best or sideways/backwards at worst.
Entry speed is the part you have to get right. If you come in too hot it's very difficult to slow the car down while also weaving back and forth because you're asking so much of the front tires. If you come in too slow and try to speed up then you're unloading the front tires and making it harder to change direction again. The keys to slaloms are to turn as soon as you can and to keep all your inputs smooth, even while slowing or speeding up. You can make some adjustments in the slalom but you can't make big ones without it hurting you in some way.
When walking look closely at the slalom and figure out where you want to be on the way out. Many times you can drive the slalom as if the last cone was not even there because you're headed somewhere else anyway. I often see newbs drive right up to the last cone of the slalom and then veer off to the next part of the course. Regardless you should find yourself with your foot to the floor as you pass through the last gate of a slalom. You should accelerate while you're still in it and not wait until after you pass the last cone.
Remember that the front tires take a moment to make the car change direction. This means you need to steer the car before you actually want it to turn. The faster you're going the earlier you need to be with the wheel.
There really is no correct way to drive a slalom. There is only the correct way for the way that slalom is setup and its location on the course.
If the slalom is evenly spaced ideally you carry a nice even speed and just go through it while working the wheel (no course designer worth a sh*t would let that happen though). You get through any slalom quickest by doing the least amount of steering. This means you turn immediately behind the cones as you pass them. Imagine the rear tires just missing the cones by fractions of an inch. The sooner you move the car over the broader you can make your arc between each cone. This is the key to slaloms.
Depending on where the slalom is you may find yourself needing to accelerate through the slalom or slow down. In those instances you have to be balancing your hands with your feet. If you need to use more of your hands (steer) you should be using less of your feet (brake or gas). This is why the key is to turn so early behinds the cones: by not needing as much steering you can automatically carry more speed without sliding. Most newbs get behind in the slalom; they turn later and later as they progress through and this leaves them needing big steering inputs to round the last cone or two. If they don't slow the car this will leave the car slow at best or sideways/backwards at worst.
Entry speed is the part you have to get right. If you come in too hot it's very difficult to slow the car down while also weaving back and forth because you're asking so much of the front tires. If you come in too slow and try to speed up then you're unloading the front tires and making it harder to change direction again. The keys to slaloms are to turn as soon as you can and to keep all your inputs smooth, even while slowing or speeding up. You can make some adjustments in the slalom but you can't make big ones without it hurting you in some way.
When walking look closely at the slalom and figure out where you want to be on the way out. Many times you can drive the slalom as if the last cone was not even there because you're headed somewhere else anyway. I often see newbs drive right up to the last cone of the slalom and then veer off to the next part of the course. Regardless you should find yourself with your foot to the floor as you pass through the last gate of a slalom. You should accelerate while you're still in it and not wait until after you pass the last cone.
Remember that the front tires take a moment to make the car change direction. This means you need to steer the car before you actually want it to turn. The faster you're going the earlier you need to be with the wheel.
There really is no correct way to drive a slalom. There is only the correct way for the way that slalom is setup and its location on the course.
#36
Cheap Bastard
iTrader: (2)
Originally Posted by Alex
Talking about running over the base of cones, this is a pick from last year. If you look closely, you can see the cone is actually hovering in the air 1in off the ground after knicking it with my front tire. No penalty!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
stickmantijuana
3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002)
5
01-11-16 04:08 PM
The1Sun
1st Generation Specific (1979-1985)
0
09-07-15 10:21 PM
stickmantijuana
Single Turbo RX-7's
0
08-21-15 08:35 PM