You have recently bought your dream car on Collecting Cars, what is the best way to enjoy it?
I can recommend not crashing. In my early 20s, thinking I was capable of heroic driving feats, I had a low-speed incident that painted a different picture. My Elise (S2 Sport Tourer) paid a high price. While the argument “it is just a car” carries some weight, I was devastated. Thankfully, only the Elise and my pride were hurt. I liken the feeling to the GIF of the martial artist repeatedly getting kicked where it hurts.
A friend suggested I buy their MX5, get into track days, and learn to drive ‘properly’. They are a handy peddler and their words stuck in my head: “I’m an average driver who has had a lot of experience”. A ‘few‘ years later, I’m an average driver who has had a lot of experience. Including visiting Andrew Walsh Driver Training.
Embracing MX5 ownership, I found myself spinning at track days. The adage “Spinning is winning” is incorrect. With a looming first trip to the Nurburgring, I felt spinning there would be suboptimal. This led to booking a driver training day with Andy Walsh. Since then I’ve been back a few times, including a recent Collecting Cars trip.
Andy came highly recommended. Through a structured day of training, Andy coaches and pushes you out of your comfort zone. To understand and experience more about the limits of your car (and driving ability). Each visit I experienced things that changed my understanding and approach to driving.
Day 1: Hand positions and over & understeer
Andy observed I was spinning because of my hand positions and not managing understeer. As I tried to catch spins I was making my situation worse, losing track of my hands relative to the wheel, and failing to apply the required lock. I went from consistently spinning to consistently positioning my hands with Andy’s coaching. Andy then demonstrated I understeered on corner entry, failed to manage it, and provoked oversteering. Understeer to oversteer is usually a snap as the car changes how it grips. I failed to catch the snap and round I would go. Andy talked me through and demonstrated it. I then experimented and practiced his coaching. Understeer managed to avoid the snap. And, provoked to practice catching the snap with new hand positions.
Day 2: Trail Braking
For my second attempt, I carried over the lessons from Day 1 and between visits experienced more track driving. Having initiated and caught a few slides using the accelerator, Andy challenged me to rotate the car using the brakes. To approach the corner faster, brake hard, and control coming off the pedal to get the car rotating. The first few goes were a series of understeer caused by either too much or too little brake pressure. With more of Andy’s coaching and practice it started to come. By the end of the day, I was entering and leaving corners faster.
Day 3: Speed of turn-in = how fast the back moves
My big takeaway from Day 3 was around the speed of turn-in. The speed you move the steering wheel affects the speed the back moves. This may sound obvious, but until I had experienced it first-hand I had not linked the two. I’d focused on steering input to manage understeer, not oversteer. To a cone and my passenger’s detriment, I turned in too fast, anticipated understeer that never came, ate a cone, and started to understand more.
There was a large, many-year, gap between Day 2 and Day 3. Something I aim to not repeat. The gap allowed me to assess my driving and what I had forgotten. Trail braking is an area I had neglected, and worth booking Day 4 to revisit.
Andy provides the environment and coaching for you to safely experience and learn. I’ve avoided situations and become a better, faster, and safer driver with each trip.
So, to answer the opening question, the best way to enjoy your new buy is to upgrade the driver. What are your top learning experiences? Have you experienced an Andy Walsh Driver Training day, what did you learn?
Olly Brand 