Adjust Car Setup or Driving Style?
01-19-2007, 08:11 AM
#1
Adjust Car Setup or Driving Style?
Should you adjust your car’s setup to your driving style or adjust your driving style to your car?
When I started racing touring cars, my brother gave me a car that was already setup to his liking. I learned to drive the car with that setup, never adjusting the car. I have become very fast at my track using the car with his setup but wonder if I would have started for scratch and adjusted the car as I felt, would I be just as fast if not faster.
I feel that the car has dictated my driving style because it was his setup and he did well with it so I felt the setup must be right and my driving needed adjusting. I learned what the car wanted to do and drove it that way. Now, that is my driving style. Which, of course, is different for others that I race with. When I drive someone else’s car it is a totally different feel that they do fine with. I just wonder if my car were setup that way when I started, would that be my driving style.
So my question, should you adjust your car or your driving style?
When I started racing touring cars, my brother gave me a car that was already setup to his liking. I learned to drive the car with that setup, never adjusting the car. I have become very fast at my track using the car with his setup but wonder if I would have started for scratch and adjusted the car as I felt, would I be just as fast if not faster.
I feel that the car has dictated my driving style because it was his setup and he did well with it so I felt the setup must be right and my driving needed adjusting. I learned what the car wanted to do and drove it that way. Now, that is my driving style. Which, of course, is different for others that I race with. When I drive someone else’s car it is a totally different feel that they do fine with. I just wonder if my car were setup that way when I started, would that be my driving style.
So my question, should you adjust your car or your driving style?
01-19-2007, 08:25 AM
#2
Originally Posted by LJae
Should you adjust your car’s setup to your driving style or adjust your driving style to your car?
When I started racing touring cars, my brother gave me a car that was already setup to his liking. I learned to drive the car with that setup, never adjusting the car. I have become very fast at my track using the car with his setup but wonder if I would have started for scratch and adjusted the car as I felt, would I be just as fast if not faster.
I feel that the car has dictated my driving style because it was his setup and he did well with it so I felt the setup must be right and my driving needed adjusting. I learned what the car wanted to do and drove it that way. Now, that is my driving style. Which, of course, is different for others that I race with. When I drive someone else’s car it is a totally different feel that they do fine with. I just wonder if my car were setup that way when I started, would that be my driving style.
So my question, should you adjust your car or your driving style?
When I started racing touring cars, my brother gave me a car that was already setup to his liking. I learned to drive the car with that setup, never adjusting the car. I have become very fast at my track using the car with his setup but wonder if I would have started for scratch and adjusted the car as I felt, would I be just as fast if not faster.
I feel that the car has dictated my driving style because it was his setup and he did well with it so I felt the setup must be right and my driving needed adjusting. I learned what the car wanted to do and drove it that way. Now, that is my driving style. Which, of course, is different for others that I race with. When I drive someone else’s car it is a totally different feel that they do fine with. I just wonder if my car were setup that way when I started, would that be my driving style.
So my question, should you adjust your car or your driving style?
Yes set up the car to your style, but keep in mind sometimes you wont have a perfect car and will have to adjust your style to the way the car is driving. So bassically you do both.
Just find a good standered set up for your self and change things as needed. Conditions change on the track while your racing your equipment may not be working right ex( tires, gearing, flat battery pack, sluggish motor, wear and tear and so on). All these things cause make a car drive different so you may need to adjust your driving line "style".
01-19-2007, 08:34 AM
#4
only you can answer that one i think.
if your on the pace and your comfy and relaxed with the car then all is good
but if your on the pace or struggling and trying real hard then maybe you should try looking at the pros smooth relaxed control
also you if you could follow the quickest driver round your local track and try and hold his lines............. that could answer your question
if your on the pace and your comfy and relaxed with the car then all is good
but if your on the pace or struggling and trying real hard then maybe you should try looking at the pros smooth relaxed control
also you if you could follow the quickest driver round your local track and try and hold his lines............. that could answer your question
01-19-2007, 08:53 AM
#5
So would you be willing to say that there is a such thing as a bad driving style and a good driving style?
One of the things that made me wonder this is, What if I were to put a pro drivers setup on the car? Then adjust my driving until I was fast with the car. That would apply that there are right setups and wrong driving styles. Or is it that the car should be adjusted to fit you?
I'm trying to look at it from a beginners stand point. Should they go to the fast guys at the track and run their setup and learn to drive like them. Or work on the car until at works for them?
I know that someone will never learn to drive a badly setup car that they have to fight with but which direct should they go. Work on driving or work on setup?
One of the things that made me wonder this is, What if I were to put a pro drivers setup on the car? Then adjust my driving until I was fast with the car. That would apply that there are right setups and wrong driving styles. Or is it that the car should be adjusted to fit you?
I'm trying to look at it from a beginners stand point. Should they go to the fast guys at the track and run their setup and learn to drive like them. Or work on the car until at works for them?
I know that someone will never learn to drive a badly setup car that they have to fight with but which direct should they go. Work on driving or work on setup?
01-19-2007, 09:05 AM
#6
From what I've been learning as a beginner is that the fast guys setups can be too touchy for beginners, usually "loose is fast" but that setup can require alot of confidence and hitting lines close to perfect to make work. Every time I get into a situation where my car is too loose I get more inconsistent. I also wouldn't say that I've developed "my" driving style yet, there is a style but it isn't pretty 
I've gotten to the point though where I can make small changes to the car and feel the difference, I wouldn't think that the setup you have is going to be the best it could be if you've never tried any variations.
I've gotten to the point though where I can make small changes to the car and feel the difference, I wouldn't think that the setup you have is going to be the best it could be if you've never tried any variations.
01-19-2007, 09:07 AM
#7
just from watching the pros you can see that smooth driving is a way of achieving consistant fast laps.its something we all dream of but cant some how get it right.but its great fun trying!!
maybe buy a second kit a start from scratch to see how things pan out?
it could be a different learning curve to master
maybe buy a second kit a start from scratch to see how things pan out?
it could be a different learning curve to master
01-19-2007, 10:00 AM
#8
I thought of doing that but I think that my style to too tainted by the other car's setup. When I drive a car that suites another's driving style, it just don't work for me.
When guys come to me for advice, I let them drive my car to see if that is the direction that they want to go in or not.
Maybe I should get them to develope their driving more?
When guys come to me for advice, I let them drive my car to see if that is the direction that they want to go in or not.
Maybe I should get them to develope their driving more?
01-19-2007, 10:46 AM
#9
Is the setup you're running very far from normal? Do you adjust your setup much as it is? How long have you been driving? What car?
It seems to me that setup and driving style are two things that will evolve with each other as skill progresses. The more you experiment with both the more they will develop and change to your liking.
It seems to me that setup and driving style are two things that will evolve with each other as skill progresses. The more you experiment with both the more they will develop and change to your liking.
01-19-2007, 12:27 PM
#10
Copy pro setup and match your driving style to drive it. If you still can't drive it, then start little adjustment to your liking. Pro setup usually feel twitchy for beginners. You can use harder springs at front to reduce twitchy feeling.
In my experience, as you become more experienced driver ( less hitting the wall ) you should be able to drive your car with pro setup.
In my experience, as you become more experienced driver ( less hitting the wall ) you should be able to drive your car with pro setup.
01-19-2007, 08:04 PM
#11
For a beginner, it is really a combination of both, and should go similar to how you have done it. A beginner does not really have a style as they don't really know how to drive. They should start with a nuetral (base) setup and just drive that and learn how to drive, lines, corners, accelaration, etc. Once they are comfortable with driving they will then starting seeing/feeling where the car is hindering them getting the line or getting it consistent, then start adjusting the setup to help them drive.
For example, I just started racing rubber tire on road with a history in off road racing. I am running a T2. I downloaded the Xray base setup for a T2 and showed it to the local guys to see if that was a good starting point for our track, and they all agreed. I ran the car with that setup for many practice/race days learning how to drive, watching the other guys running and trying to drive their lines. After 7 or 8 days, I started to see where I was having problems getting the car to consistently drive the line the way I wanted, so then I started making adjustments in the setup. Then when it felt good again, I again left the setup alone and just drove the car more continuing to learn how to drive. That is where I am at now, but assume it will continue that way.
For example, I just started racing rubber tire on road with a history in off road racing. I am running a T2. I downloaded the Xray base setup for a T2 and showed it to the local guys to see if that was a good starting point for our track, and they all agreed. I ran the car with that setup for many practice/race days learning how to drive, watching the other guys running and trying to drive their lines. After 7 or 8 days, I started to see where I was having problems getting the car to consistently drive the line the way I wanted, so then I started making adjustments in the setup. Then when it felt good again, I again left the setup alone and just drove the car more continuing to learn how to drive. That is where I am at now, but assume it will continue that way.
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