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Bondurant's School of High Performance Driving - The Art Of ControlSharpen Your Driving Skills At Bondurant's School Of High Performance Driving. From the July, 2010 issue of Popular Hot Rodding By Christopher Campbell Photography by Christopher Campbell
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As guys who spend a lot of time around cars, talking cars, studying car theory, and driving hot rodded muscle cars, we occasionally feel like we've got all the bases covered on car control. We've read books, we know the terminology, we know what theoretically needs to be done in certain situations, and we're no stranger to a track. In other words, we figured attending a high-performance driving school would be a breeze. Nevertheless, it took actually getting on the track under the eye of a seasoned instructor to realize that we weren't translating that knowledge effectively into proper technique. There simply is no replacement for seat time-and lots of it. Sponsored by GM, Bondurant... Sponsored by GM, Bondurant always has a fleet of fairly fresh Corvettes, including Z06s and ZR1s, and CTS Caddys. But we'll go one step further and say that there's no point in spending lots of time and money practicing incorrect techniques. We had spent a great deal of time (years, really) ingraining bad habits because we'd never taken the time to get professional help. Actually, we had assumed it was just something we could learn by doing. The reality is that no one is born knowing how to handle a car, and only a rare few figure out how to on their own. Sure, some people are just luckily endowed with better reflexes, faster reactions, and a tendency to take to extreme driving with ease, but everyone has a learning curve and everyone will be better after proper instruction. Even pros who earn big bucks to drive multimillion-dollar cars in the world's greatest races take classes. Why? Because there's no such thing as a perfect driver, and it's difficult to see your own shortcomings, but a seasoned instructor can easily observe and pinpoint ways to fine-tune techniques for different tracks. The first exercise is an introduction... The first exercise is an introduction to throttle steering using the instructor Caddy CTS. We drove within a small circular track increasing speed while slowly turning the steering wheel to compensate for the outward push, or oversteer, and the turn radius increases. When instructed, we completely lifted off the throttle while holding the wheel steady. This takes away the forces from the rear tires and causes weight to be transferred to the front, which in turn increases grip. The effect is that the Caddy slows and the turning radius decreases sharply. What we're learning here is that oversteer is caused by carrying too much speed into a corner and that lifting off the throttle can be more effective than braking for correction. Of course we're far from pro drivers; responsibilities limit us to a handful of track days a year at best. And rather than driving a purpose-built track machine funded by sponsors, we have a worked-over street car with a few upgrades paid for with our own hard-earned money. But the rationale is the same; what good are thousands of dollars worth of the best engineered chassis, suspension, steering, and other performance parts if you're not capable of putting them to use effectively? Whether you've got aspirations of impressive lap times at Laguna Seca, or never plan to tackle anything more aggressive than a curvy road, attending a high-performance driving school will absolutely help you enjoy your car more. Bob Bondurant's School of High Performance Driving certainly gave us a wake-up call; we discovered we needed much more work than we had ever thought. Our braking technique was incorrect, our heel-toe downshift was sloppy, and our corner entry was working against us. And the instructors said we were well above average. That actually wasn't to our advantage though; the best thing you can do is leave everything you think you know in your hotel room and enter Bondurant's classroom with an open mind ready to listen. All those previous misconceptions will actually just impede your progress. Of the several schools available, our choice was the package often referred to as the signature Bondurant course, the four-day Grand Prix Road Racing School. This course offers the most instruction and track time for students to really hone their abilities, plus it fulfills the requirements for an SCCA regional competition license. That's a good thing too; we've got plans to put our projects to use. Our first day at Bondurant... Our first day at Bondurant started in the classroom with chief instructor Mike McGovern going over what we'll be doing, why we'll be doing it, and what we should be learning from each exercise. Here he's giving a brief introduction to proper corner entry from the Bondurant Apex Manual that is given to each student. The green line shows the proper route, while the red shows the natural tendency of most inexperienced drivers. This is a critical point that will be revisited and expanded upon with each day's exercises. We'll do our best to recap our adventure, and provide a good primer of the lessons we took away that you can apply to your own driving styles, but there really is no substitute for being there first hand. We'd honestly rate attending the Bondurant School as one of the most transformative things we've done. It caused us to reevaluate our driving in every aspect, and not only made us feel more capable behind the wheel, but more confident-and that benefits everything right down to our daily commute dodging Gomers on the freeway. Plus, we actually get more enjoyment out of our joy rides than ever before. There's truly no better investment for a car guy than learning how to really drive. Know Your Curves
Each corner has three main sections: the turn-in point, apex, and exit. Connecting them together correctly produces the racing line. Of course, every curve is different, and the location of the three points will vary. Below are representations of the five major types of curves present on every track and the appropriate line to follow through them.  Constant Radius  Increasing Radius  Decreasing Radius  Right Angle  Chicane  After more classroom time...  After more classroom time and lunch, we met number 31, our toy for the next couple days. All of Bondurant's C6 Vettes are mechanically stock Z51 coupes with Performance Friction brake pads and Castrol brake fluid. Even the hard and heavy Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar run-flats remain; though they only last a couple of weeks at best.  Inside, the cars are nearly...  Inside, the cars are nearly stock as well, with only Corbeau sport seats and a mount bar for the Safe Craft five-point harnesses.  Back to the concept of breaking...  Back to the concept of breaking bad habits: The first order of business was to illustrate proper seating position-something we're not often in while cruising. To illustrate, the seat needs to be forward enough so that all pedals can be fully depressed easily, and the arms should have a slight bend at the elbow when at 3 and 9 o'clock on the wheel-all while keeping your full back against the seat. The driving gloves aren't necessary, but are useful for better grip.  Our first exercise in the...  Our first exercise in the C6s was heel-toe downshift practice. After accelerating to 55 mph in Third gear, apply the brake, clutch in, roll the right foot over to blip the throttle to raise the rpm to match the Second gear while maintaining brake pressure, then releasing the clutch. The concept here is matching the engine speed to the transmission speed to prevent momentarily locking the rear wheels, which can result in sudden tail swing and loss of control.  Here's what's actually happening...  Here's what's actually happening in the floorboard along with lines to show when each step needs to happen when entering a corner. Note that we want to delay braking as much as possible, but everything needs to happen before turn-in while the car is in a straight line. Needless to say, shoe choice is a major factor here, and the only real gear consideration needed before attending the school.  Our weapon of choice: a well-worn...  Our weapon of choice: a well-worn set of Converse All-Stars. Smirk if you like, but we're not the only driving enthusiasts who swear by a well-worn set of Chucks and their almost sock-like sensitivity.  Owning a pair of driving shoes...  Owning a pair of driving shoes may sound a bit snobby, but there is a logical reason behind it; they're designed to emphasize performance driving just like there are different shoes designed for different sports. Standard athletic or walking shoes will likely hinder your progress since they're designed to isolate your foot from impact, not promote feel and maneuverability on the pedals. Don't even consider boots of any kind, or sandals.  Day one also saw the first...  Day one also saw the first of several exercises involving threshold braking without activating the ABS, as well as learning to use the ABS to your advantage.  The braking exercises are...  The braking exercises are meant to increase driver confidence and decrease reaction time in accident or obstacle avoidance situations-something extremely useful on the track and on the street. Here we're about to enter three lanes of cones at 60 mph, a traffic light will flash to signal which lane we must swerve into to avoid a "collision."  After a morning's worth of...  After a morning's worth of introduction to the car and basic vehicle control, we were headed to the Maricopa oval after lunch. Instructor Tim Rose gave a primer on the correct way to lap this basic oval track and what to expect. This was also our first practical introduction to the racing line, and the importance of looking ahead and proper trail braking.  For our first day sessions,...  For our first day sessions, Tim instructed us to keep it in Third gear and focus on our braking, and finding the line. Sounds simple enough, but it does require reprogramming yourself to not dive into a turn too quickly, and to remember to be light on the pedal and control braking. Simple enough at low speed, but as the velocity carried into the corner increases, slip angles come into play.  The Maricopa oval has a constant...  The Maricopa oval has a constant radius corner as well as a slightly more challenging increasing radius, but the first focus was learning the basic constant radius. Here's the line we're looking to follow, as well as the highlighted area which represents the zone for trail braking. It's not just for shaving speed; we're transferring weight to the front end where we need traction for the turn. Prior to that is our initial braking and downshift zone; it ends at the apex of the curve, after which we ideally want to be back on the throttle.  Cones and countdown markers...  Cones and countdown markers are strategically placed on curves to aid students in learning where they need to be doing what. Here, number "4" represents our exit point, numbers "3" and "2" are our initial braking and downshift area, and number "1" is our turn-in point.  Classroom time is minimal,...  Classroom time is minimal, and after the first day we rarely saw it. After a brief introduction to the concept of the skid cars, we were behind the wheels. The hydraulics lift and unload the front or rear of the car to simulate extreme understeer and oversteer, respectively. Here the Caddy is in full understeer and pushing toward the outside of the skidpad. The correct reaction is to lift off the throttle to transfer weight to the front and lightly apply brakes if necessary to increase traction. The key is to avoid adding steering until traction returns to avoid a snap.  Conversely, with the rear...  Conversely, with the rear lifted, the car gets tail happy and into full oversteer when rounding the skidpad. Note instructor Tim pointing to illustrate that the driver's eye line should always remain on the exit point as he steers into the skid and adds a small amount of throttle to transfer weight to the rear. Control is part of the lesson, but just as important is the concept that you always need to look where you want the car to go-a critical lesson for following the racing line on track.  This illustration shows basically...  This illustration shows basically what's happening to the contact patch during oversteer. The opposite is true for understeer. It's actually a little more complicated in real situations without the hydraulic outriggers, since weight transfer will be uneven, but all the same principles apply.  The training wheels start...  The training wheels start to come off on Day 2, so we donned a head sock and helmet. Bring your own if you have one; we borrowed one of Bondurant's.  Afterward, we picked up our...  Afterward, we picked up our Vettes and headed back to the Maricopa oval to apply all the previous day's lessons, meaning we were heel-toe downshifting when appropriate. Naturally, speeds increased and the lessons learned in the skid car helped greatly with our car control confidence, as the higher speeds resulted in greater rotation, or yaw, through the turn. We were much more precise today having lost a few bad habits.  After lunch, we spent a little...  After lunch, we spent a little time with Tim in the classroom getting a briefing on our next challenge; the lake loop combined with the carousel. Here, we'd find examples of every major type of curve as well as a long straightaway.  Note the tire marks; we weren't...  Note the tire marks; we weren't really using them on the oval, but the lake curves both ways so the racing line involves using the curbs as part of the track. The reliefs in the outer curb are there to let drivers know how close they are to the edge before dropping a tire off the track.  In some cases, it's not just...  In some cases, it's not just corners where the curb is the ideal line; on this section of the lake loop we follow the curb all the way to the last cone before
turning into the next corner.  There are plenty of places...  There are plenty of places for newbies to get themselves in trouble on this track, so lapping begins with a lead-follow behind the instructor Caddy to illustrate the correct line. We did several laps with ever increasing speed. Tim then spaced us out and left us to try what we'd learned.  While the importance of proper...  While the importance of proper braking and turning to stay on the correct line was apparent on the oval, it became much more critical when the turns went both ways. Here we're coming though a small chicane that leads directly into a mild increasing radius turn at the end of the lake loop. Notice the racing line goes over the curb and will continue across the curb on the upcoming turn to set us up for our exit point. We got progressively faster and more precise throughout the day.  Day three opened with the...  Day three opened with the skid Caddys again, but this time we were taking skid control to a new level. Rather than just correcting oversteer, the goal was to
control it and practice an infamous rally maneuver known as the Scandinavian flick to drift a figure eight around the skidpad. Part of the challenge was that our exit points for each curve were on the opposite side of the figure necessitating a big head turn. We'll be perfectly honest; we've never had more fun behind the wheel.  The Bondurant track design...  The Bondurant track design was actually inspired by the Grand Prix of Long Beach with more sweeping corners that flow into one another. Consequently, it's also a faster track which necessitates looking further ahead and not being afraid to turn your head.  Cars are always separated...  Cars are always separated out for practice laps, but that's not necessarily how it will be on track days. As an intro to the race start, students grid behind the GTO Pace Car and follow. After he pulls away, we watch for the drop of the flag and drag race down the back straightaway. It's all over by the braking cone of the first corner, however, and it's back to single file with no passing through the turns.  The back straightway of the...  The back straightway of the west track is a fast one; here we're at about 110 mph in Fourth gear getting ready to break and downshift for a sharp 120-degree turn.
It's easy to take an off-track excursion if braking and turn-in aren't proper.  We got a little heavy footed...  We got a little heavy footed early on, and missed our apex a few times on a couple of tight turns, which caused us to push toward the outside of the track and get slapped on the wrist by the Vette's nanny systems-all of which created a messy line and slowed down our laps.  No worries, Tim hopped in...  No worries, Tim hopped in with each student to diagnose their respective issues, and then took a turn behind the wheel to illustrate the correction. Here he's showing us the correct way to enter the "S" curve just before pit lane.  The biggest difference we...  The biggest difference we had to adjust to wasn't the dramatically stickier tires, but the much more responsive and less forgiving handling characteristics. Properly wielded, the Mazdas could yield exceptionally fast laps times, but there was little room for error and no nanny system to reign in bad decisions. Heel-toe shifting was also dramatically easier, thanks to the closely spaced pedals.  Everything we had learned...  Everything we had learned in the previous three days was leading up to the fourth and final day. Rather than Vettes, we started out in Bondurant's rotary-powered Formula Mazdas on the Maricopa oval.  That same increasing-radius...  That same increasing-radius turn that initially gave us problems in the Vette on day one reared its ugly head again, and caught us unprepared in the Mazda. Our error here was improper trail braking combined with a too quick turn-in. We learned to use the lessons learned from the skid cars to correct ourselves after getting used to the Mazda's handling characteristics.  After lunch, we headed over...  After lunch, we headed over to the lake loop. After an introduction ride with Tim in the Caddy, we did a familiarization lead/follow on the lake loop and carousel. The line is the same as before, but the transitions feel very different in the Mazdas.  Once he felt we were ready...  Once he felt we were ready to handle it, Tim opened up the Maricopa oval so we had the full track. This created a much more technical course that introduced not only two slight elevation changes, but also higher speeds through the corner, making proper braking and corner entry critical. We'll admit it; we did do a slow 180 once in the tight transition from the lake loop to the carousel.  There's always risk when learning...  There's always risk when learning to push your limits, but it looks worse than it actually is. Just like their big brothers in F1, these Formula cars are designed to sacrifice their extremities to absorb energy from the impact rather than channel it to the driver. The driver of this car walked away without injury and stepped into another Mazda to complete his sessions. Luckily, he'd purchased the optional insurance.
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