How did you/ do you learn your Evo?
Evolved Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,815
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From: Davidson, NC
Learning on the street is definitely NOT the way to go. As stated above the limits on this car are high enough that when you get it wrong (and you will) the consequences will be bad.
Autocrosses are not that expensive and are probably the best place to get started. If you don't have the money to go to a few autocrosses you don't need a high maintenance car with tires that wear out in 10,000 miles (if you're lucky) and expensive brembo brakes.
Road course stuff can get expensive for sure but, until you feel confident with your car on the autocross course there really isn't much point to going out on an open track with other cars and being a hazard.
Autocrosses are not that expensive and are probably the best place to get started. If you don't have the money to go to a few autocrosses you don't need a high maintenance car with tires that wear out in 10,000 miles (if you're lucky) and expensive brembo brakes.
Road course stuff can get expensive for sure but, until you feel confident with your car on the autocross course there really isn't much point to going out on an open track with other cars and being a hazard.
Originally Posted by TheTumblerIX
Obviously the Evo is capable of a lot more than most cars. For those of you who really push this car, how did you learn the car, and really come to understand its limits, where it's going to lose traction, etc? I REALLY want to use the car to its full potential, but its handling limits are so high, in a lot of situations if you do lose it it'll be too late, so practice on a day to day basis is scarce. So, any hints?
When you are first starting out THE ABSOLUTE BIGGEST MISTAKE that everyone makes is following someone else's line. That is not the way to go at all.
All HPDE break down into skill level and an instructor has to OK you before you can move up, so when you first start you will be in beginner section. That means that everyone around you is noobie and you DEFINITELY do NOT want to follow any noobies lines.
Study the track, determine your best line and try to relax. Take the course slow, til you get the rhythm of the course and slowly increase speed at your own comfort level. MOst beginners make the mistake of not using the whole course and turning the steering wheel more than they need to.
After you are more comfortable with the line and rhythm of the course have an instructor sit in your car and tell you what you are doing wrong and how to improve. They will teach you apexes and braking zones so you dont have to do too much guessing.
Don't worry about heel-toe and downshifting until you get the lines down. There is no point in learning how to heel-toe when you can't take a proper line. You'll just have more things to worry about. You aren't going to be the fastest out there even if your car is fast. You will get passed by Hondas and Miatas and don't get insulted by it. That just gives you more motivation to learn. But in no way should you ever feel cocky about how fast your car is, because those are the types of people that end up in a wall because they thought they were Mr. Hotshoe and tried to catch up to the miata that passed them.
I have seen it many times. People in high powered expensive cars get offended that a 120hp econocar passed them so they try and get their respect back by driving beyond their own limits and end up crashing, which I can tell you for sure will crush your pride. So take it slow and easy and only do what you are comfortable with. It will take time. I would say it takes about 10 track days at the same course configuration before you can really even go 9/10ths of the way to the limit.
All HPDE break down into skill level and an instructor has to OK you before you can move up, so when you first start you will be in beginner section. That means that everyone around you is noobie and you DEFINITELY do NOT want to follow any noobies lines.
Study the track, determine your best line and try to relax. Take the course slow, til you get the rhythm of the course and slowly increase speed at your own comfort level. MOst beginners make the mistake of not using the whole course and turning the steering wheel more than they need to.
After you are more comfortable with the line and rhythm of the course have an instructor sit in your car and tell you what you are doing wrong and how to improve. They will teach you apexes and braking zones so you dont have to do too much guessing.
Don't worry about heel-toe and downshifting until you get the lines down. There is no point in learning how to heel-toe when you can't take a proper line. You'll just have more things to worry about. You aren't going to be the fastest out there even if your car is fast. You will get passed by Hondas and Miatas and don't get insulted by it. That just gives you more motivation to learn. But in no way should you ever feel cocky about how fast your car is, because those are the types of people that end up in a wall because they thought they were Mr. Hotshoe and tried to catch up to the miata that passed them.
I have seen it many times. People in high powered expensive cars get offended that a 120hp econocar passed them so they try and get their respect back by driving beyond their own limits and end up crashing, which I can tell you for sure will crush your pride. So take it slow and easy and only do what you are comfortable with. It will take time. I would say it takes about 10 track days at the same course configuration before you can really even go 9/10ths of the way to the limit.
