Asking for some technique advice

[yinzerinmass]

Do any of you have any tips to remember to keep your hands and arms relaxed when performance driving, other than you know...remembering

I feel like I always slide into that bad habit of ending up with a death grip and tense during an autocross run.

I don't have a ton of experience maybe 15-20 events. That has been one of the best tips I've received that improved my driving, yet I end up starting the day like that too often it seems

Thanks!
Dave

[pengajim]

Do you have a 4/5/6 point harness in your car yet? If not, get a set. Its amazing how much you can relax once you're not trying to hold yourself in the seat.

[19Spec3]

Do you have a 4/5/6 point harness in your car yet? If not, get a set. Its amazing how much you can relax once you're not trying to hold yourself in the seat.

100% this.

[NeilM]

Yes this.

Hard to keep a delicate touch on the wheel when you're hanging on trying not to let the g-forces extrude you out the window.

Neil

[golgo13]

So, I can't speak for everyone but for me I had the death grip even when I had a properly installed race seat and six point harness.

It came down to me still worrying about having an incident on track. It wasn't until everything clicked for me on track and I had enough situations where the car got away from me at speed and I safely corrected did my death grip go away.

Like my 100mph slide here:

https://youtu.be/4TqxJe37-Wk?t=31

[bionicbelly]

I flex my fingers on every straight. One of the guys on my team uses three fingers to grip the wheel, and puts his pinkie on the inside of the wheel, so that if he grips to hard, it hurts.

[snakebit8]

I actually found sitting closer helps me keep from being tense. I sit pretty close for my height and I always felt like it helped me relax... well that and a harness.

[yinzerinmass]

Thanks, for the tips.

I should have prefaced my message with that I'm driving a 2000m roadster.

Suspension is H&R sports, Koni Single adjustable, AKG rear subframe bushings.
Tires are (don't blast me now) Pilot sport AS3+, tires were brand new when I bought it last summer. I Spent my money getting the car reliable and driving right so real tires are off the table for now. Plus I think that I can improve my car control a little more if the tires are less forgiving.

The seat back on those cars is such that a harness wont work over the shoulder parts (too sloped) if i understand correctly.

I do slide the set back and set the belt so it engages the lock and then slide forward until the belt gets tight and I'm at a comfortable distance.

What I noticed especially with this car is that if I am too rigid I have a heck of a time keeping the car from oversteering when the course goes from one side of the runway to the other, I can usually save the first one then get whipped pretty hard back the other way.

Our last event is this weekend, Ill be happy if I can really keep the light touch in the front of my mind for the morning and afternoon sessions.

[Pat533i]

I like to put my thumb on top of the steering wheel face (always the top hand of the direction I'm going)

This helps keep a lighter grip and lighter steering inputs during cornering.

[golgo13]

I like to put my thumb on top of the steering wheel face (always the top hand of the direction I'm going)

This helps keep a lighter grip and lighter steering inputs during cornering.

I believe this also keeps you from breaking your thumbs if the wheel snaps left/right during an incident.

[Damon in STL]

Not that this will help....but: It's funny....a while back I was watching some of my video. While going into and through a left hand turn that takes some finesse on the wheel...my pinky and third finger would lift off the wheel and I would just use the thumb and first two fingers to "Feel" my way through the corner. I was not aware of it until I saw it in the video.

One tip that may help is that if you back off a hair....you may find that you will go faster. This has to do with overall relaxation....

[yinzerinmass]

Thanks for all the responses. My game plan for Saturday, is really focus on the light touch. I'll try to back off a bit, one thing I did notice as my touch got lighter I was steering the car A LOT less.

Ill try to use the thumb on the wheel grip too.

[dallas02E39]

Another alternative is make a point of taking your hand off the wheel, on straights, and point at your gauges briefly which also develops the habit of looking at them. You can alternate hands.

[olemiss540]

Another alternative is make a point of taking your hand off the wheel, on straights, and point at your gauges briefly which also develops the habit of looking at them. You can alternate hands.

But absolutely can NOT do both hands at once.