June 7 event in Great Falls

[MurrayPeterson]

I am going to this event on Sunday: https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/expo-park-6-07-2015-montana-scca-059851#.VXEJokD0OTs

The venue is quite nice (Expo grounds parking lot), and the events are well run.  They even have an old Miata for a "reaonably priced car" competition.

[majormojo]

Sounds fun, will be looking for your event report and photos! I'm off on a backpacking trip this weekend with my daughter. A non-car related activity, wow!

[MurrayPeterson]

Had a great time, although it would have been better if Jo could have been there.  Super hot; I drank lots of liquid, but still came close to sunstroke.

After taking lessons from Cam, I managed to win the "Reasonably Priced Car" challenge.  Apparently I am now that "madman Canadian, eh"
https://www.facebook.com/SCCA.Montana.Region.105/photos/a.572366726143701.1073741833.289272517786458/850606154986422/?type=1&theater

Here is my best run from the morning: https://youtu.be/SPU1i8ipybw
Results aren't up yet, but I think I held on to FTD PAX.

Notes from my videos:
1. Get my hand off that gear shift except when shifting.
2. Stop letting the wheel spin when coming out of pin turns.
3. Trust my tires to grip in my earlier runs; it takes me too many runs to get up to speed.

[Cagare]

Wow Murray that's a lot of shifting!  The course seemed to slow down quite a bit.  I see what you mean about holding the shifter, it also causes you to misplace your other hand on the steering wheel to control the car.

I think I am just as guilty of letting go of the steering wheel then, you did not seem too bad about it.

[MurrayPeterson]

Wow Murray that's a lot of shifting!  The course seemed to slow down quite a bit.

I was actaully happy about that shifting.  The course was a power course (lots of slowing down and speeding up), and my ability to grab first gear allowed me to keep up (mostly) to the cars with much more power.

I see what you mean about holding the shifter, it also causes you to misplace your other hand on the steering wheel to control the car.

Yeah.  Not sure how to fix this, since the behaviour is entirely unconcious.  I'll have to do something to bring it forward into my concious mind.

I think I am just as guilty of letting go of the steering wheel then, you did not seem too bad about it.

Tim Aro mentioned the problem at the pub one evening at the school.  To paraphrase: "why would you want to let the car take control away from you?".  It hasn't hurt me yet, but I could see it biting me some day and ruining a run.

Results are up -- I did hold onto 1st place PAX: http://greatfallsracing.com/race-results/

[Cagare]

Yeah.  Not sure how to fix this, since the behaviour is entirely unconcious.  I'll have to do something to bring it forward into my concious mind.

Same as an other unconscious though, you need to practice the conscious thought of hands on the steering wheel.  On top of every other thought in your head.  You say it to yourself over and over again until your hands do what you want them to do.

Basically, I practice repeating stuff in my own mind.  It's like a rapid mental check list, gas, shift, steering wheel, brake, turn etc.   At least that is how I think about it.  Like any bad habit you want to correct it seems to take more of your focus.

[MurrayPeterson]

Like any bad habit you want to correct it seems to take more of your focus.

And therein lies a big problem.  At the school, Ilearned that the biggest thing holding me back is my level of focus.  If I pull attention away from the upcoming course elements, I am going to get slower

[Cagare]

And therein lies a big problem.  At the school, Ilearned that the biggest thing holding me back is my level of focus.  If I pull attention away from the upcoming course elements, I am going to get slower

Sounds like you need to increase your focus and neural plasticity  ... whatever that is:

http://www.lumosity.com/

[majormojo]

Something you might try: Advice I learned from the Ross Bentley instructor clinic earlier this year - If you have a student that tends to keep their hand on the gearshift too much, you can usually fix that habit by gently resting your hand on theirs whenever it's on the shifter. Most people find that uncomfortable enough that they unlearn the habit pretty quick.   

So maybe ask your passenger to do that for you; let them focus on your hand/shifter behaviour and not you (until you get it wrong...).

[Reijo]

Keeping/putting your hands back on the steering wheel and not letting your steering wheel slip through your hands are habits you can practice on the street ... and create new habits....leaving the old behind.   

[Terry Johns]

That's great Murray, well done.

Interesting your comments about 2 hands on the wheel, we used to teach our students at Stratotech that it is not only unsafe but with only one hand on the wheel we reduce the feed back through the steering wheel by 50%

Looks like I'm going to get my arse kicked when I see you guys in a few weeks. 

[MurrayPeterson]

Something you might try: Advice I learned from the Ross Bentley instructor clinic earlier this year - If you have a student that tends to keep their hand on the gearshift too much, you can usually fix that habit by gently resting your hand on theirs whenever it's on the shifter. Most people find that uncomfortable enough that they unlearn the habit pretty quick.   

So maybe ask your passenger to do that for you; let them focus on your hand/shifter behaviour and not you (until you get it wrong...).

Jinx Jordan did that to me at one of my first schools; hovered his hand on the gear shift, and told me that we would have "an awkward moment" if I reached for the shifter   Worked very well at stopping me from shifting inappropriately, but it didn't cure me of holding on too long after a shift.  I'll get Jo to help there, although it won't be quite so awkward

[Cagare]

Jinx Jordan did that to me at one of my first schools; hovered his hand on the gear shift, and told me that we would have "an awkward moment" if I reached for the shifter   Worked very well at stopping me from shifting inappropriately, but it didn't cure me of holding on too long after a shift.  I'll get Jo to help there, although it won't be quite so awkward

Yes, exactly.  It is not that you rest on the shifter it is that you seem to hold your shift for 5-10 seconds.  It is a street driving habit in that you expect to shift again momentarily.

Interesting, makes me want to put my camera in the car watching me drive looking for bad habits.

[MurrayPeterson]

Interesting, makes me want to put my camera in the car watching me drive looking for bad habits.

You should do that.  It sure surprised me.

[Terry Johns]

When I was sitting with people Id slat their hand