TicketBait

I picked up my ZO6 Oct 19th of 2005 and in less than a year will be instructed the right way to drive it

Taking the Spring Mountain Driving school in October 9th-11th 2006
anyone else going that time too?

The hardest thing to learn I have been told is Heel-toe. Should I wait till the class starts or is there any reading someone could suggest for learning heel/toe ?







I am so looking forward to this






I did the Corvette Track days in April of this year and had such a blast, I signed up for November Corvette Track Days too!!

yellow01

Who told ya that? I guess it does take a bit of getting used to but honestly it becomes 2nd nature really quickly.

My advice - practice practice practice practice. Everytime you are on the brake, EVERYTIME, practice blipping and downshifting (assuming traffic conditions allow this safely of course - I don't bother if I'm stuck in heavy traffic for example). Even if you are in a situation where you are not going to downshift, practice braking with the left side of the ball of your foot and just feel the gas pedal there...

It isn't exactly the same on the street, you're not pushing as hard on the brake, or revving as high but it will give you the feel for working both pedals with your foot, and feeling both pedals.

The other thing it provides is practice braking in a straight line, shifting, then off the brake and on the gas to turn. Even on the street this is the right way to do things (unless of course you have to come to a stop). [ on a side note my wife takes 90% of her turns with the clutch in and it drives me nuts ]

Start practicing now and by the time you take the class what you'll be doing is fine-tuning it to track specific conditions. That way you won't spend time there just getting the basic feel of doing it.

Just my honest advice.

Enjoy!!!! You will love driving your car like that (if you've never done it).

Olitho

One of the big lessons they will teach you at Spring Mountain is how to turn your car while trail-braking. It is the best way to turn a Z06 fast. But be careful, because the front tires really bite when you do this and the car really turns quick. All my early track spin-outs were from over-application of this fantastic turn-entry technique.

Check-out my other thread for some in-car video of the Spring Mountain track and even the specific date you were there.



PS. I am a Spring Mountain Level I graduate.

RichieRichZ06

It is really not that bad. I would, however recommend having somebody show you the correct way to do it. like the others said, it is very easy and all it takes is practice practice practice. Start by just matching revs on a country road without braking, just coasting. After you are used to the way the car sounds at each RPM, start adding in a little braking as well. Good luck and when you get it right it will feel great.

yellow01

Depends on the corner IMHO.

9/10 corners here are faster on the gas.

JMHO. I'm no expert, and didn't stay in a holiday inn either.

joemoia

[QUOTE=TicketBait]I picked up my ZO6 Oct 19th of 2005 and in less than a year will be instructed the right way to drive it

Taking the Spring Mountain Driving school in October 9th-11th 2006
anyone else going that time too?

The hardest thing to learn I have been told is Heel-toe. Should I wait till the class starts or is there any reading someone could suggest for learning heel/toe ?

IMO, learning how to heel-toe is like learning how to ride a bicycle, you just flounder around for awhile and then it just comes to you. Everybody's foot size and dexterity is different, so there is no "correct" technique. A good set of driving shoes helps. You'll get enough practice heel-toeing up and down the straight at SM.

Carl Johansson

first of all Master t.Bait,

They will not let you in the class with that silly Darth Vader Helmet! - just look at the pictures you posted - see all the white helmets under the table?

Second of all start now on the heel & toe. I think very few people actually use the heel and the toe - I (and I think almost everybody else )- uses the ball of the foot to apply the brake - then rolls the outside of their foot down and onto the gas petal.

for me this means the heel of my foot is between the gas and brake petal - For starters don't worry so much about matching the revs to the speed - first concentrate on the actual "Brake - roll onto the throttle let off the throttle get off the brake (somewhere in here get the clutch in and downshift) let out the clutch and away you go. If you get deacelleration on clutch engagement- not enough gas petal ,engine was at too low of rpm.

Once you learn it it saves lots of wear and tear on your gear box as well as your clutch - and you are much faster around the corners.

it's easier to do that it is to write all the instructions for.

if you get the feel of doing this - the school will clean up your technique. I think the first morning is up and down the straightaway heal and toeing back and forth all morning long!

carl Johansson

Olitho

Joe, I think you did stop by a Holiday in before turn 8 and 9 at Big Willow... at least that is what I think you meant. You are right, for turns 8 and 9 (Big Willow does not have a turn 10) you want to get back on the gas early. In fact that is the case for most of the turns at Willow Springs International. That track is much faster if you get back on the gas early. In fact, seriously, it is even faster if you don't use the brakes much. But WSIR is different than a lot of tracks. Many turns at Spring Mountain, Streets of Willow Springs and Buttonwillow just don't go nearly as fast if you don't trail-brake. A Corvette will almost always tend to understeer going into the corner if you don't let off the gas abruptly and or just drag the brake slightly to scrub a little more speed as the front tires bite. Doing this lets me get back on the gas sooner and harder for the apex. Now excuse me while I go check into a Holiday Inn to make sure this is right.

Olitho

I agree. I don't actually use my heel either. I tend to use the side of my foot in front of my heel. As the brakes wear and the pedal goes down further, after awhile I actually start using the side/top of my arch because the gas pedal is so high compared to where I have the brake depressed uder track conditions.

I also use a set of aftermarket brake and gas pedal add-ons that I think enhance heel and toe quite a bit on the Corvette. Sean at Orange County Corvette sells and installs them although they are easy to install. I did mine myself.

Z11409

You can never BLIP the gas petal to much.If you want to get a jump on the Level One--buy a pair of wrestling shoes or drivng shoes from Sportmart--Move your driving position foreword until your elbows are bent,not straight out to the wheel.Hold the wheel in 9-10 and 2-3 positions on steering wheel.Practice rolling your foot from brake to gas..

Then take a ride in the 6 speed padal shifter--you will be impressed how easy it is to drive fast.

Joy of 6

You will practice the heel and toe every day and learn it their way so I would not bother. It is only part of their school and practicing will not give you any advantage or make you faster. Watch out for the tortoise near turn 7. I believe you will learn more from the ABS drills.
Have fun most of all. Be sure to stay in Pahrump and not do the drive from Vegas

yellow01

I should have worded differently...

9 out of 10 corners on the tracks here seem faster if I just let the car plant then turnin on gas, but again, no expert

I'm a Texas guy, so I've never been to those tracks. There are few trail brake corners here, some going into S's that are ideal because you can just let the car scrub and you can keep a little more speed.


Jon

TicketBait

Thats why they told me to get Black so they could differentiate myself from the rest of the group for safety reasons

In fact I don't just wear it when tracking my car but practically ALL the time, as the photos below indicate This photo was taken as I was rumming along side my car on a very steep banked turn



I am the one in the middle



Thanks got those!

Not stayin in Vegas or a Holiday Inn, but I am Stayin @ Best Western Inn in Pahrump



Is this something you had permanently installed or just for the track? How much $$ ? do you have a picture?

Olitho

I have them permanently installed. It is not practical nor desireable to remove them. They enhance the overall pedal feel , but mainly they facilitate better heel and toe action.

I think they were only about $90.

I will try and click a picture of them for you.

emf

Bah, just get bigger feet.


Seriously, on the H/T front, good shoes and seating position will be 99% of the magic. That, and consistency. I went in to the class regularly h/t in turns, but got a different perspective during the drills. Having something where you can actually FEEL the pedal is paramount.

Practice, practice, practice . . . you'll get the hang of it in no time. As you already have seen, SM is a great technical track that is set up for learning -- the L1 and L2 classes are a blast, and well worth it.

emf

well, heck . . . THAT'S your problem . . . 8 and 9, you never get OFF the gas. Just have to make sure you avoid that washboard crap in the entrance of 8, and don't drop anything in 9 (inside OR outside). In fact, if it looks like you're about to drift off on to the pit road @ the exit of 9, you're probably JUST going fast enough

Z11409

Turn 9 down the straight,over to the FAR right and dive bomb Turn 1

TicketBait

Heres turn 8,9 & 1 with various cars for Corvette Track Days in March 2006








practice ,practice , practice



and finally turn 1

emf

Uhhhh, actually . . . that'd be 10. Turn 1 would be the one at the other end.


Spring Mountain 8-9-10 is deceptively fast as well . . . just have to be patient with 10. 8 allows you to carry far more speed thru than you'd imagine (or, care to think of). I'm still too bad Charles didn't get video of me trying to drift 8

Carl Johansson

Me - being a cheap guy with a POS C-4 - I just cut out an plate from 1/8 aluminum slightly wider than the original petal - put some pilot holes in it and screwed the plate to the gas petal - solved all my problems - but doesn't look real cool!
Carl "functionality is my motto" Johansson