What I learned in HPDE1

[Mike Panichello]

It's a habit of mine to learn from mistakes and share them with others, hoping to save someone else the hassle of learning first hand. This is the story of my first HPDE day. It's important to know from the beginning that I can't wait for my next one!

 

I didn't sleep well the night before and woke up late. Skipping breakfast, I managed to get to the track just after the mandatory morning meeting started. I was mentally very off-balance, having never even been to a track before, much less a HPDE where *I* would get to drive! Everything was new and competing for my attention, and I found my concentration wandering. I knew I was a little tired.

 

The morning class session was very good, with lots of great information presented in a very easy-to-understand way. "ALWAYS BRAKE IN A STRAIGHT LINE" was a key point. I'm sure anyone who has been in a HPDE before has heard this, since braking while turning is tricky for an inexperienced driver. "THIS IS NOT A RACE DAY" was another one. The emphasis was on driving with finesse and learning the line, not going fast.

 

Due to some problems with my car, I missed almost all of the first driving session, during which the instructor drives a few laps and points out the proper race line. I saw one lap around before the session ended. In the second session, I drove for the first time and tried to "guess" the proper line while being quick. That didn't go well at all; I was all over the track. At the end of that session, my instructor advised that I was driving far too fast and needed to focus more on where the car should be and less on getting there quickly, along with many other helpful suggestions.

 

During lunch, I pored over the track map, trying to understand the turns and how I was supposed to drive them. In the third session, I was more confident and knew where I was supposed to be but still drove too fast – I felt my tires slide a little through a turn or two. I thought that was how I was supposed to drive – hey, I *was* on a race course, after all! I made a few corners really well, linking them together and getting better (and faster!) each lap.

 

Finally, I came in much too fast off a straight and tried to brake in the turn. I remembered the discussion of oversteer and the graphics depicting weight transfer. I heard, in my head, "ALWAYS BRAKE IN A STRAIGHT LINE." I was already well into the turn, though, and the speed and my inexperienced braking combined to cause my car to lose traction and slide. Physics is unforgiving. I held the brake and the clutch and hoped for the best.

 

All things considered, I was lucky; I didn't hit any other cars and my instructor and I didn't get hurt. The same cannot be said for my car, which slid forwards and sideways into a concrete barrier, knocking it back five feet. Transfer of kinetic energy.

 

I hope you never experience the disappointment of having your car towed from the track to parking, past all the other drivers, because you made a mistake. The third HPDE1&2 session was cut several minutes short because of my accident, and of course I sat out the final session of the day, calling towing companies while my friends were out on the track. Everyone was very friendly and offered words of encouragement, but it was hard knowing that I had caused my own accident on the track and cut everyone's session short. What did I learn from this?

 

1) Driving requires solid concentration. If you can't do this, for whatever reason, don't drive. It's better to sit out a day than to put yourself in a bad situation.

 

2) Do not rush to the track. Allow yourself plenty of time to eat breakfast, get there, and get settled. It's a lot to take in if it's your first time.

 

3) ALWAYS BRAKE IN A STRAIGHT LINE until you reach a level of skill that allows for trail braking. If it's your first track day, I promise that you're not there yet. Read this for more about what I did wrong: http://www.getfaster.com/Techtips/Physics23.html

 

4) Learn the track before you go. My first few times around the track would have made more sense if I knew the layout first. You may need to stare at the map for a while to do this.

 

5) THIS IS NOT A RACE DAY. You're not being timed and there is no finish line, just a "playtime's over" limit. Go slow. Pay attention. Learn. In your first few sessions, you aren't competing with anyone, not even yourself. Just learn.

 

6) Instructors aren't mind readers. If you're not comfortable, say something. I should have asked my instructor to drive some slow laps for me, since I missed out on the first session.

 

Those are only a few of the things I learned, but they're important. They all seem obvious, even to me, but for whatever reason I made all those mistakes, so be careful. One last thing, especially important if you've never been to a HPDE and are considering it: DO IT! It's safe, if you slowly build your skills and follow the advice of your instructors. It's also a great time with outstanding people. I had a lot of fun and I'm absolutely looking forward to my next track day. If you see a black RSX at a track in Arizona with slightly mismatched paint, feel free to come over, say hello, and remind me to brake in a straight line.

 

- Mike Panichello

 

(edited because the original post was corrupted)

Edited April 17, 2008 by Guest

[RACER-X]

At least you know what you did wrong and knew before-hand what that was. Now your educated in trail-braking and what the consequences are if not done properly. Next time out make sure to keep your speed to a moderate pace to learn the track. Its much easier to learn a new track hitching a ride with someone else first. Remember, everyone goes off track or spins out every now and then. That's the process of learning. Now get back out there and give it another shot. Don't let a mishap like this keep you from going back on the track.

[Barfly]

Good post. I hope the damage wasn't too severe.

 

Just a few comments.

 

"..until you reach a level of skill that allows for trail braking."

 

Rarely, if ever, will you need to utilize trailbraking during any HPDE event (or race event for that matter). Get your braking and downshifting done in a straight line.

 

"In your first few sessions, you aren’t competing with anyone, not even yourself."

 

You shouldn't be competing with anyone during any session of any HPDE event. It's not wheel-to-wheel racing or running time trials.

 

Glad you had a good time even under the circumstances. Hope to see you out there.

[99HOSS]

Good words spoken.

 

As an instructor, I've had students that range from a 'sponge' to a 'rock'.

 

The 'sponge' soaks up all the info you're giving and will show signs of improvement by the end of an event, whereas the 'rock' is so set in their ways, it is difficult to get thru to them and actually teach them something.

 

I've brought students into 'pit lane' during a session to inquire '... just where is your head?' when I notice the degree of mistakes, or forgetfulness, is increasing.

 

With a student I've been in spins, a tank slapper, 'agricultural research trips' thru the grass, and have even met a tire barrier at my door, once. It is all a part of the learning curve out there, for both driver and instructor. We are required to maintain control from the right hand seat, sometimes you just don't see it coming.

 

Our satisfaction, as an instructor, comes from seeing a student of ours go on to advance thru the ranks. And maybe even get a comp license.

 

Hang in there, sign up for another HPDE and just go at it a 'lil slower. Talk to your instructor. Set goals before even leaving the false grid.

 

I once had a student (and a friend) comment to me '... I thought there'd only be a couple of hundred things to remember once out on track, NO, THERE'S A COUPLE OF MILLION THINGS TO REMEMBER.'

[nasaregistrar]

Thanks for sharing your incident. You found out how mentally overwhelming the first time can be. One suggestion is to review video of the track you will be going to. There are tons of in-car vids for almost all of the popular tracks.Generally these will be race vids but the track direction will be the same and you will get a better view of what the track looks like from in the car instead of trying to imagine the elevation changes when looking at a 2D map.Going fast will come with seat time, there is no substitute for it. On the rare occasion I actually get to drive at our events, I point a lot by or come in to get room for myself so I can concentrate on driving, and not traffic.Also I always recommend that HPDE drivers take advantage of lunchtime touring laps. You will be on the track for a good while and at a pace much slower than hot laps on a Green track and there is no passing to worry about. You can drive offline if you want to feel the difference, you can work on your visual cues for turn in,apex, etc.

[ninetyfourintegra]

For my first NASA HPDE (though not my first track day...) at Mid-Ohio this year. I got their early enough but I failed tech. My harness was a 'Y' and that isn't legal. So I had to use my lap belt. Well, that was broken (the 'receiver' had exploded at some point)... So I have to get a new harness or find someone that failed tech and has an out-of-date one. The only place selling them is sold out. But the lady points me to a racer that bought one b/c his was expired. But he wasn't there yet.

 

I had to go to drivers meeting which seemingly took forever. We were to go on track @ 9:40 and we got out at 9:05. I found the guy but he was already strapped in and ready to go on track, but he let me go in his trailer and get the harness and pay him later (mucho gracias).

 

So now I have <30min to remove my harness and install a harness I have never seen before. I tried taking shortcuts, but ened up having to remove the entire seate to mount it. I made final adjustments and got to grid with 2min to spare. I gave the instructor a heads up that I was frazzled and that I was just going to sit for a few min and clear my head - - about 5 secs of silence and then he turned to me and said, "Well, thank you".

 

After about 3 laps he said, "you seemed to have calmed down pretty good" - - it just felt good to be on the track finally.

 

I am not sure if this was your first track day or just your first NASA event. I knew that I wasn't mentally ready to go out. But I also knew what to expect when I went out there and I knew when I was 'ready' to head out. The instructor was also aware of where my head was and was paying close attention early on to make sure I stayed calm and didn't screw up - the key is communication.

 

I am sorry to hear about the car but glad to hear no one was hurt.

 

I have had my share of 'agricultural excursions' but have been lucky to have not hit anything. Take each one as a learning experience.

[RACER-X]

'agricultural research trips'

[white_2kgt]

Sorry your day ended like it did. I had a friend's 2nd weekend end much like yours.

 

May I ask, was the reason you didn't get any sleep the night before, late to the track or the reason you missed your first session related to the car you were taking out on track? IE you were working on it/doing something to it?

[FBI AGENT]

Kudos go out to Mike for sharing his experience so that others may learn from his mishap. Hopefully others will learn by reading this and not go through the same. Instructors are the most valuable learning tool that you can get. (along with seat time) Like it has been stated before HPDE is not racing, but a required foundation for it. Thanks again

[Mike Panichello]

Thanks for all the comments and encouragement; you all are great! I will definitely be back out at the track, that was never a question. Some great tips here; someone should start a “Guide for first timer’sâ€

[rmker]

mike, thanks for putting into words what is sometimes is difficult to convey to students. with your permission, i would like to print this and save it to include in future packs we send to new students

[99HOSS]

Mike Panichello said

... rode with my instructor during his HPDE3 sessions.

 

... that is exactly why I do not take a student out on track in my track car, until the end of the event.

 

rmker - if you're talking to me, be my guest. If it's the 'other' mike, sounds good, too.

[rmker]

how bout both mike's

[Mike Panichello]

Absolutely! If someone else can learn from my mistakes, so much the better.

[Gabe O.]

Sorry to hear about your incident. I was at the track that day and actually walked over to check out the damage.

 

Thankfully no one was hurt and you learned what you did wrong. PIR is fun course, but can be daunting with all the walls.

 

Look forward to seeing you out on track again.

[Aaron Kramer]

Yeah that was a tough one. I'm the Chief Steward for AZ and I was out at turn 2 just before your accident. Some of my guys at the station were commenting about how bad it had looked and felt pretty bad for you.

 

Just try to remember, man.... Slow is fast. Hopefully you'll be back in action for the FIR event in a few weeks. That, personally, is my favorite track to run around on.

[Mike Panichello]

Sorry to dig up my own old post, but I figured I'd let you all know the good news - insurance will cover the repairs, but it's going to cost about $13,000 and the car will be off the road for at least a month and a half. My other car is a Miata, so no track time for me anytime soon. I might come out to FIR just for the visit and camaraderie, though! So, an expensive lesson but at least no one was hurt. I'm still really looking forward to my next HPDE day.

 

"Slow is fast." I'll keep repeating that over and over. I'm sure my next instructor won't need to tell me to slow down!!

[mcolangelo2005]

My other car is a Miata, so no track time for me anytime soon.

quote]

 

Yeah, everyone knows that Miatas make sucky track cars

[Mike Panichello]

*LAUGH*!!! True, true...but I don't have a rollbar, so between the safety factor, the rules, and the fact that I doubt any instructor would ride with me, I figure I'll just wait until the RSX is back. But that was a great reply!

[UnderPSI]

Thank you for this excellent write up.

 

My first HPDE is coming up at the end of March and I'm trying to learn all I can prior so I appreciate your help.

[beerkat]

Here is a link that covers HPDE and what to expect.

 

http://www.nasaproracing.com/hpde/index.html

 

Aand here is the link to the rules, it has several chapters about HPDE also.

 

http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf

 

I find myself rereading them at the start of each season.

[Mike Panichello]

Glad this helps. Yes, definitely read the articles included in the first HPDE link...very good stuff there! I read them before I went myself.

 

Since this thread is back, I thought I should add that hundreds of people drive in level 1 HPDE's during the year without incident. I certaintly hope that no one thinks my experience was common; it is very rare that something like that happens!

 

Have fun!

-Mike

[Dawg]

i know what you mean on not being able to sleep the night before your 1st hpde. thought i would go out and beat everybody. i also kind of missed some stuff myself. ended half way thru the first session getting the guy( an instructor)( who turned me on to this) to go out on track with me. i really didn't have a clue what was going on. it's totally different than driving on the street; you have 30 feet or so of track width to use for making corners (turn ins and apexs, etc.). my first attempt was terrible (following a good line)-( in my book the first thing to learn, mixed with good braking and exceleration). then seeing i didn't know the concept of what i was out there for, i ended up getting a ride with an advanced driver in his maserati (which he was going all out), that was about my last mistake. i ended up with a bad headache and decided to withdraw from the event, i felt that this wasn't the right time to be doing this (didn't want to push too much too soon). needless to say i came back for my 2nd event at the same track and understood what they where trying to say and show me to do and why to do it and have been progressing ever since (WHAT A BLAST).

the way i see it i wasn't going to be micheal andretti the first day out. they don't call it driver's education for nothing. i was supposed to be learning something and applying that to the situation i was in. my suggestion is to understand what your doing and why your doing it and then progress with speed and braking.

i'm not a professional by any means just speaking from my experiences and interpretations. i will be trying to do time trials (ttu) this year and if everthing goes well do AI or probably AIX next year. hope i didn't drag this out. YOUR OUT THERE TO HAVE FUN AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Give me a HECK YEA for HPDE's. tha tha that's all folks.

[Dawg]

p.s. Mike i hope i didn't sound like mr. perfect. i've had my own

"experiences" myself but i hope to be able learn from them like you will from yours. motor on!!!!

[everbruin]

one tip i have for novice and experienced alike, that i have to sometimes remind myself of, is that incremental changes are key to reducing risk at the raceway.

 

a bit more gas here, a bit less brake or steering there... if you end up misjudging then there's only a little to correct for

 

great attitude, mike p, and best of luck next time!