RE: autocrossers, on snow

["Crane, Damien" <d3c@TENNANTCO.com>]

I'm no expert, but I would be happy to pass on the knowledge that I
have.  The same things will hold true on any loose surfaces.  Also,
these comments are for fwd cars only.  Different techniques are required
for rwd and 4wd cars.

The goal is to avoid understeer, which is slow and uncontrollable.  I
don't know why (physics-wise), but on loose surfaces sliding ends up
being a faster way around a corner than driving just under the limit of
adhesion.  It is also very controllable.  The hard part is getting the
slide started.  Once that is accomplished you can control it using
throttle/left-foot-breaking and steering to balance.  This is more
difficult if it is really slippery because the car is even more likely
to understeer.  I find that I need to 'throw' the car into a slide by
making a sharp, quick, exaggerated turn into the corner just as it
begins to get the slide started.  Once in a slide the trick is balancing
the car in order to maintain it.  This is easier to understand (for me
anyway).  If you use more throttle the pulling action of fwd will start
to pull you out of the slide.  If you get off the gas the tail will come
out to increase the degree of sliding.  Left foot braking comes in when
you are trying to go as quickly as possible (power on) while maintaining
the slide (controllability).  If you start to pull out of the slide too
early, you can use left foot breaking to keep the rear end out while
staying on the power.  This allows you to maintain a higher speed and
the slide throughout the corner.  In the rally car (ProRally Rabbit) we
have adjustable brake bias so we can send more to the rear - which makes
left foot breaking more effective.  We also removed the front bar to
make the car more oversteery.  If you have ever seen a rally, or rally
video you will hear the cars' engine notes changing constantly as they
are on and off the throttle and brakes to balance the slide.  To do it
perfectly, you come into the corner faster than you think you should,
and throw the car into a violent slide -- so extreme that the only way
to keep the car from looping is full throttle all the way around the
corner.  It is difficult to do well and takes lots of practice, but when
you get it just right, it is a thing of beauty.  The problem is that
right on the other side of perfect is total disaster.  I strongly
recommend doing this in a big parking lot or other 'safe' place.  

Warning:
The surgeon general has determined that 'enthusiastic' driving of all
kinds may be dangerous to your health, finances, driver's license and
marriage.

That said, if you are ever able to hold a perfect, full opposite lock
slide all the way around a clover-leaf ramp, your life may never by the
same.  Then you find you can't not get into rallying and its all down
hill from there.  Be careful, this stuff is as addictive as any drug.



> ----------
> From: 	Arno Pae[SMTP:arno@ddbn.ee]
> Sent: 	Monday, December 22, 1997 1:55 PM
> To: 	scirocco-l@privateI.com
> Subject: 	Re: autocrossers, on snow
> 
> Hi,
> 
> can someone give some advice about when driving on snow?
> 
> I know i have to turn the car before the curve with left foot braking,
> then
> get it out of the curve with steering it. (right? I dunno much..) What
> do I
> do with the gas? What do I do when the curve comes to early? I don't
> have
> any experience really so it would be damn interesthing for me if
> someone
> would bother to throw in a copple of basics ..
> 
> Arno
> 
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