This sounds a lot more pointed to Track than AutoX IMO.

From an AX perspective, smoothness is good but don't let trying to be smooth tame your attack mode. I've instructed for years with people telling me their "other" instructor told them to be smooth. I say, let me teach you how to be fast.

Go out and attack the course, and find out where to back off or smooth/clean the line up.

Of course on track is a whole different animal, where I defer to the above

 

100% agree. You still have to be setting yourself up for the next corner, but unsettling the car is crucial to get it to do what you want.

 

i would point out the importance of the weight transfer also in racing. When you play with your car weight on her four legs, that is the point where you start having sex with your car

 

I agree and will go on to say that this highly-related issue too often gets buried under 10/12 springs and huge sway-bars. If you are looking far enough ahead and really know your car, you can run a softer set-up and have more actual (mechanical) grip. Uber springs and bars are often - it seems to me, at least, especially in autocrossing - a bandaid that people put on their sucking chest-wound of always being late and jerking the car around to catch up. More time spent in a softly-sprung car so that you can feel and control the weight-transfer will pay off large later.

Note that any anger you detect in the above is aimed at myself. I upped the springs and bars in my first car much too soon. It parallels the fact that I still type using only my index fingers.

 

I agree that being smooth is very important. I have a video that shows Jeremy Foley driving my Evo at an event back in 2012.

He hopped in my car and in one run not only did he get first place in ASP but he also set the #1 PAX time out of 109 drivers. Keep in mind this was at a Texas Region SCCA event where there are many very good drivers and national trophy holders. But the car was well set up and the surface conditions were in our favor so it all worked out.

Watch the absolute no nonsense smoothness going on here. If someone asks what does it mean to be smooth -- this is a perfect example with a 1st place result.

 

Rhythm and flow.
It takes enough time driving that you get into rhythm and stuff becomes second nature. You think briefly of where you want the car to be and your body implements the inputs to take the car there.
When you get into wheel to wheel racing this is important as the line is always changing. Your need to think quick and then your body make the desired inputs.

 

nice read, but i did run into something interesting one day. i don't auto-x much.. so maybe i just need to get used to it.. but i had an entire day of driving very controlled. the tires were at their edge of adhesion; i didn't over drive the car. i was getting better and faster as the day went on. i ended my last run with my best time. afterward, they had a "fun run" session. i pushed the car much harder- just having fun. i was over-steering nearly every turn. my times driving like that were .5sec faster than my fastest "smooth" time. i thought that was strange. my car actually liked being driven like a mad man. i'm glad.

p.s. i do not drive like that at H.P.D.E. as i value my life. LOL.