Tsukuba Driving Workshop in "Course 1000"

Tsukuba Circuit , Ibaraki, on May 22nd, 2002

Weather:Fear

Condition:Dry

Lap Time

Air Pressure of the Tires　（kg/cm2）

- REPORT -

Plus or Minus

The specification of RVR is quite the same as the last TDW . The differnt conditions are the followings:

Making drive better

• Shoes: I bought just right shoes for driving though they are not so-called driving shoes.
• Gas: A half tank of gas today though three-forth at the last time

Making worse

• My job at the office: I took the day-off during a bit hard situation that I have a problem to be solved as soon as possible.

And, I wonder if "Braking by a left foot" I will try today will make better or worse???

Driving Oval

After reconfirming the meaning of "Even throttle" in the room as usual, we moved to the field for gymkhana. By the program with driving along two different kinds of ovals, we can feel the car's outputs against our inputs to the car.

Fully step on the gas on the straight> Begin turning with braking > Even throttle > Gradually step on the gas

We can get advised by the instructors for every trial. For me,

• Do not step on the gas so fully on turning
• Do not begin stepping on the gas so early
• Begin and stop braking more slowly, like trailing

Fortunately, I could be driven my RVR by Senior instructor, Tom Yoshida, with me on the co-driver's seat and other two students on the rear seats. He said,

• Continue to brake to around the apex of the corner

Also, when I asked Tom about the photos of my RVR on the web site of YRS, he advised,

• In order to keep the car's balance, wait for, and feel its next action

I am always advised it...

Braking by Left Foot

I took this lesson with the ovals almost for learning this. I asked Tom about a fundamental posture for braking by the left foot.

• Open both legs widely (it is better with knee pads on the left and the right side of the driver's seat)
• Fix both heals each other
• Put tension on the lower back
• No problem with making space between the shoulders and the seat

I did it better than I had expected, maybe because I have practiced on usual driving. I can expect a good result for driving on "Course 1000" in the afternoon.

Drive "Course 1000"

In the afternoon on "Course 1000", we are timed at the second and the forth session of four sessions of drivingI got I could smoothly pass the turns when I could put the image of the ovals onto the turns well. It was difficult for me to turn the hairpin corner even though I tried so many times. RVR could not be turned to the direction on the hairpin corner as I expect. The result is as the above table. Just before starting the session 4, Tom made advice for each driver. For me,
"As I saw your driving, you seem to step on the gas too much. This session has 12 minutes, so make the even throttle longer on the first half and shorter on the latter half, and compare the results."
However, I may not be able to feel even throttle so definitely, so I could not make Tom's advice good use, not being able to divide the first half and the latter one clearly. But the result that I could get my best lap time on the session 2 instead of the session 4 proved Tom's advice because I intentionally controlled stepping on the gas on the session 2.

Group

We were grouped to four by each best lap time as the previous events. Speaking exclusively for me, it was a good grouping because I could drive with few faster and slower cars than me. Without big accidents, though with some spinnings in the other groups, this event was closed. Today, many kinds of cars like Smart, SUBARU Alcyone SVX, MAZDA AZ-1, and so on joined. You also can join next time! Hopefully in the near future, I will be able to join the class of Sprint Race for the cars with "50 seconds on Course 1000" by YRS.

Bottom Line:Try everythingon your session, assigned just for you!