Mt Tam I am's Driving Journal

wstar

Well, another factor is most people are too tense their first event (or three, or five). Death-grip on the steering wheel, leg muscles and torso all locked up, etc. You have to learn to relax while you're driving at speed, and that takes some seat time as well. Then it's not as bad on the physical front. Focus on remembering to breathe (if you pay attention, you'll catch yourself holding your breath through the tricky corners, etc), and start reminding yourself to relax and take each hand off the steering wheel and shake it out (one at a time!) during long straights.

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Mt Tam I am

Such good advice. The breathing thing. Who'd think you'd need a reminder but I hear on some of my track tapes. "Breathe, breathe" And you are correct, as time goes on I do breathe normally.

I have a picture taken of me with my my last two fingers not touching the steering wheel, demonstrating a light grip. What I like about this pic is that my hand is at twelve o'clock while my hold is at 3 and 9 o'clock, and I am traveling WOT at 75+ MPH with 90 degrees of turn. I'll post it some day.

EDIT Nissan 370Z Forum - Mt Tam I am's Album: Turn 6 LS - Picture

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Nissan Motorsports 34R Oil Cooler. Stillen CBE. Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars. KW Variant 3 Coilover System. Stillen Gen3 CAI. Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Stillen Brake Ducts. Carbotech™ XP10/XP8 Pads. Z1 Front Rotors. Z1 Stainless Brake Lines. Two degrees of camber