Driver Development (pics!)

[GrahamC230K]

I had a good day out at the Warwickshire based Prodrive proving ground yesterday.

Accompanied by Sym, I spent the day under tuition, on a circuit, tight handling course and a skid surface emulating black ice.

If anyone is interested and I can recommend it have a look at www.driverdp.com

I know you all like pics so here you go:

Part way through a chicane

 

[GrahamC230K]

on the way out the chicane..

 

[GrahamC230K]

On the skid pan.......

 

[GrahamC230K]

The car was suprising controllable at these angles (and greater). Flicking the car into a slide and then catching it before spinning was the idea. I was actually able to get the car at such a dramatic angle I was using full opposite lock at times. The benefit of four wheel drive being that after you have powered the car sideways, caught the slide with opposite lock and backing off the power, applying more power then holds the drift momenterilly prior to bringing the front end back round.After catching the slide back in the other direction the car can be eased back into a straight line.

Sym might be able to comment more, he was in the back!

 

[sym]

<still being sick> !

 

[Dieselman]

<still being sick> !

A nice smooth drive from Graham then..

 

[gina2201]

That not only looks like good fun but good experience too, hmmmm, might take a look at having a go

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Was that the quattro, or wrong-wheel drive version?

I'd rather do a skid pan with right wheel drive

 

[BaldGuy]

Its Grahams own modded S4

 

[GRAV888]

PMSL at Sym.
In the 1st 2 pics, he is smiling and looking like he's enjoying it.

In the last pic, he looks like he's just filled his trousers

 

[GRAV888]

Graham, have you found your instructor's toupe in your car?
It appears he lost it between pics 1 and 2

Seriously, looks like a fun day out.
Might give it a go sometime myself. Fancy sitting in the back?

 

[sym]

In the last pic, he looks like he's just filled his trousers

yeah - last pic is the 'very realistically slippy' black ice simulator ... not quite as much fun to sit thru as the 120mph track (Graham - I'm not going to mention the 'B' word !) ... I have video footage from the rear round the black ice ... will share some time soon - you'll see how hairy it was getting from the commentary !

 

[MBManInKen]

Graham, have you found your instructor's toupe in your car?
It appears he lost it between pics 1 and 2

LMAO!

 

[Brian WH]

yeah - last pic is the 'very realistically slippy' black ice simulator ... not quite as much fun to sit thru as the 120mph track (Graham - I'm not going to mention the 'B' word !) ... I have video footage from the rear round the black ice ... will share some time soon - you'll see how hairy it was getting from the commentary !

Can't wait for the video then mate.

Looks fun Graham, new tyres and brake pads now required eh??

 

[GrahamC230K]

New pads all round yesterday

Castrol SRF brake fluid next week too as even the premium dot 4 fluid I had in the car (about 10 months old) cooked after ~10 laps of hard abuse.

Tyres didn't come off too bad, better than expected actually.

 

[jaymanek]

and i always wondered what that place was when driving past it every week on the M40!

 

[GrahamC230K]

and i always wondered what that place was when driving past it every week on the M40!

You are thinking of the office, this is up near J15.