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

StackTrack

It's the easy answer, but not necessarily the complete answer. As was hinted at above, the seat time needs to be QUALITY seat time + in-car instruction + quality in-class instruction (which you almost never get with Autocross, and is a crap shoot with most HPDE's.)

I disagree... MOST karts that people will drive are low on power, but even worse, low on torque. And that's PERFECT for figuring out how smoothness and the correct line through a turn (or complex of turns) affects momentum and performance... and you figure this out easily and directly, even without instruction.

IMO... iRacing is the only sim that should be used to work on driving techniques and/or to learn a track. They (to my knowledge) are the only sim who laser scans each track in the sim for the absolute most accurate representation. The do the same for the cars in the sim (although I have learned that they might base a new vehicle physics & adjustments model on a similar existing vehicle in the sim.) They are constantly updating and improving the physics of the vehicles, again, for the most accurate representation of real driving.

That said, the two most important things you will never be able to re-produce in a sim, is the g-force (seat of the pants) feel, and the sense of speed. In a real car, windows down, corner coming up... your brain starts using inputs your body gives you (kinesthetic) as opposed to JUST visual input (all you have in sim.)

There's one more thing that hasn't been mentioned (but I hinted at it above)... if at all possible... start your HP driving "career" in a low-power, balanced vehicle.

I know that's not a popular suggestion, but you'll be a better driver for it in the long run.

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Stacy (Stack) King
Track Events Organizer
www.AsphaltVentures.com