**mods you can move this want but I want to hear from people that actually track their cars**

As I approach my first trackday of the year I'm kinda wondering if the Evos power is sometimes used as a crutch.

Although still a little new to tracking my car I consider myself to be an OK driver. I attend trackdays to better myself as a driver and get my speed kicks. After taking ride along laps with better drivers in slower cars I'm starting to realize that I'm really not that great of a driver. During my last trackday I decided to intintally turn my boost down(14lbs) and just work on my lines. I don't understand how but I was running faster than I ever have. Is this a good practice to become a better driver or do I just need to stop beeing a little pansy and drive?

Does this makes any sense or do some of you seasoned track vets have any take on this?

 

There's been a lot of argument from different people of different backgrounds/grassroots whom unanmously consider the evo to be a crutch not only in power, but power to weight, handling, braking, etc etc etc. Aka it covers up a load of mistakes that would get you into trouble in a 150hp rwd BMW. Others would say they are just jelious that we don't have to "try" near as hard as they do to get consistant, fast laps. My personal take is that I try to attend some of 3 day driving schools to practice in a VERY specifically setup car that is made to reviel mistakes made and also provide feedback from qualified drivers when in doubt. Turning the boost down is one cheap way to find out but then again, how much are you REALLY noticing? Some would argue if you got a decent suspension setup, it's still hiding things from you. It all falls back to the driver's prefered style of learning, driving, and how they LIKE to have fun. Such as people like a different kind of hot in their hot sauce

 

Well put Balrok.

I bought an Evo BECAUSE it is easy to drive. I was in the middle of building a 240 and while I liked the car and knew it could be fun , fast and cheap I knew full well that I would have to pay all sorts of attention to the car all the time as it would try to kill me in a new way every time I drove it fast. In part because it was old and in part because of the nature of a light moderately powerful RWD car.

For me I ended up figuring out that I WANTED to just get in and enjoy the drive. I didn't want to have to babysit every last detail at every moment and in the end I think I made the right call. The car is so so easy to drive fast and it makes me look faster than I am. At the same time I know this and the car is still fully capable of teaching me all the lessons I need to learn if I am a good student.

Could I do more faster in a lesser car? Maybe, thing is I feel safe and enjoy the ride so color me pleased.

 

Evo is a crutch, especially the awd, the power, and if you have a good aftermarket suspension, that too. If you get a car that does not drive itself (in my case, a Miata) and learn to drive that on the track, you will be much faster when you get back in your Evo. It worked for me.

 

I will agree that driving a slower car may help you lear lines better. But only because you have more time to think before entering a corner and set-up. Its exaggerated while auto-xing. By the time im on the brakes sometimes, its just too late. And when I drive my brothers 2.5rs I never have that problem, and always nail the line I am aiming for. So, in some ways having more power is a disadvantage. Now Im working on braking, so that I can use the evo's power and speed AND hit the correct line better.

 

Best crutch ever.

 

i will agree that it can be a crutch to make an ok driver great, but when u drive it correctly there is no stopping it or you.

 

Well I bought the Evo because I love rally and this is probably the closest I'll ever get. I see what everyone is saying about the Evos abilities and covering up mistakes.

 

I'm not a huge road racer, but its something I want to get into, but in the drifting world what your talking about is true. I personally started out with a SR20'd 240sx, full suspension, coilover, etc. and it was humbling to watch little 120hp Corolla GT-S kicking my ***. As I continued to go to locals events I noticed the guys that had the Corollas moving up to 240sx and more powerful cars and doing amazing. I'd say they could easily keep up with the professionals. I think the fact they started with an underpowered car help them develop their technique better than those like me who had more power and could rotate the car easier by pressing on that right pedal.

 

I think Balrok is absolutely right. The power, handling and Turbo/AWD platform make the lancer an incredibly easy learning platform... unfortuantely it doesn't make you learn some aspects of driving. ...Which is okay so long as you're going to stay turbo/awd.

BTW, Oldschool: Thank you for being honest. You truly are a refreshment in the internet world of bragging anover-indulgence. It will take you far and you will learn at an astounding rate, which will quickly make you one of the best at anything you put your mind to.

 

Thanks man. I've never been a power junkie, always about the drive. It hit me hardest last year when I was stranded mid lap at the Ring due to rotor failure(long story). We had to bum a ride from a German dude in 140hp Renault Clio. There were many times where I thought that little thing was gonna skip right off the road, but dude flat out drove the **** out of that car. Fastest I've even been around the Ring was in a 140hp Clio

 

Thanks, I don't have that quote in my sig for nothing

 

Lol, yeah the fastest lap I've been around the Ring was in a Golf Diesel. Did the Ring car rental thing last year, and the owner of the rental place took us (me and another guy) on a scouting lap. He absolutely drove the snot outta that car - with 3ppl in the car we were passing Porsches, hehe.

The power in the Evo is not the real crutch... IMO its the AWD. There are things you can do (i.e. habits that you form) that would get you in a world of trouble with other cars. IMO one of the best things that anyone tracking their Evo can do is to attend an HPDE in the rain. Taught me a few things about my habits last year. Nothing like coming out of a turn ***-first to make you a more disciplined driver.

l8r)

 

I would just put all seasons with a high wear rating on the evo. That'll humble you up when you take the high mechanical grip of the Advans or any other high grip tire out of the equation. It will teach you what the car does at the limits of adhesion and how to compensate for it, a line is a line there are thing you can do in a Miata that you can't do in an evo, period.

For example I have to take a different line than the Miatas at a local track here in Norcal. I can follow the same line as the Miata, but the understeer of the stock suspension and tires scrub off too much speed, not to mention body roll. I have to experiment and learn what works best, seat time will teach you what happens when you overdrive the car.

 

As others have said, the Evo is a crutch a damn fine one for the money.

However, I'm very glad I didn't start tracking in it. My first 20 or so trackdays were in an '89 325i. It was an excellent platform for learning and taught me to carry momentum.

However, I feel that some of my driving skill is slipping away so my next car will definitely be RWD, even (almost certainly in fact) if I'm turning slower laptimes.