Quote:
Originally Posted by STi-MAN
Chris,
So what you're saying is that my right hand should have been at the 12 o clock position on the steering wheel? to help pull down for the right?
I know there are different schools of thought on steering position.. i read and was taught to keep hands at 3 and 9 as long as possible.
I'm sure I'll be leaving myself open to the hate of many but I'll explain what I mean. 3 and 9 is where it's at.
I think it might have been better to reach up to 12 o'clock with your left hand before the hairpin and pull through. Right hand remains at 3 o'clock. On the exit your left hand is bringing the wheel back up and you reach higher with your right, effectivly finding where 3 o'clock was prior to the turn. Right hand grips and steers through the right hander.
There is a lot of different opinions about steering. That's mine. I've read the opposite where it's better to push the wheel than to pull but you have less fine motor control with a push and the push can move your shoulder blade from the seat on the side you need to be bracing with (although this is less of a problem in a car with proper racing seats and a harness). The "push/pull" argument usually comes down to wrist angles when racing but I think the cons of pushing outweigh those of pulling.
Hold your hands up in front of you now like your holding a steering wheel (at 3 and 9). Make the turn you made on the left hand hairpin, with your right hand all the way around to 8 o'clock. Look how crossed up you are. Look at your wrist position. Look at your right shoulder all squashed up and see how it pushed your neck and head over. Is that a good position to be steering out of a hairpin into the right hander? Now start again but reach up to 12 o'clock with your left hand and pull through, with your right remaining around 3 o'clock. As you start to take steering off with the left the right reaches up from the parallel, takes the wheel and pulls through for the right hander. The left gies back down to around 9. Your hands had to leave the wheel but the steering would have been easier and more controlled.
Obviously you're not going to do that for all corners. The yellow strip on the wheel to identify straight ahead is handy when racing so you don't reach to far when coming back out of a corner. Instructors will often use a bit of electrical tape on a students car to help with steering.
I'm not trying to take anything away from that guy in the video. He's obviously a professional. I've never driven that track or even seen it (don't even live in the US) but it just looks different to how I'd approach it. He is also resting a lot at 2 and 10, which is different to me too. Like I said, there is a lot of different opinions about steering.
Am I clear as mud?
Chris.