what's the best way to gain performance driving skill for a beginner?

Originally Posted by JPotter

I wholeheartedly disagree.......

Computer sims, 'iracing', doesn't do anything but teach you lines and basic physics. There is no substitution for seat time and feeling real Gs and how the car behaves PAST it's limit.

Try doing that on a track as a novice and you'll end up without a ride very quickly. Or you auto-x for awhile, then get on a big track. So when you get loose for the first time on the big track @ 90+mph you know how to handle the car - THANKS to Auto-X.

I speak from experience. I did an HPDE after I had one auto-x experince. I simply did not have a good enough feeling of the car to push it past 7/10 on the track. I was scared to wreck it. I've played sims all my life, and the didn't prepare me for Gs. Sure, I knew all the basics of weight transfer, grip circle, lines, etc. But I can't stress it enough, until you FEEL them in a car, it is very different.

Fast forward to this year after I've had a lot more auto-x experience and I'm fully confident on a track. Driving 10/10's and having a blast.

It may be two different activities, but G's are G's, and car control is car control. There is no substitute for seat time, period. I can push my car much harder now, if I tried to learn it all on a 'big track' I would have spent a ton more money and time building confidence in the car and the limits. I got much faster, much more experienced, and a much better road race driver thanks to Auto-X since all I had to worry about when I pushed to far was hitting a cone. I didn't have to worry about those concrete barriers. Sims don't help with that either.

And pgrmst has is right on:
"a good autoxer makes a great road racer, but a good road racer doesn't necessarily make a good autoxer"

or another one I like:

"Drag Racing is for Fast Cars - AutoCross is for Fast Drivers"