["Megan"]

(Pwitty, pwitty, pwease don't move this thread, Mods. Can it stay here?? )

Doing a BDD (Burrows Drive Day) at Eastern Creek - $400

Improving my driving skills - invaluable

Sharing the track with a Ferrari F40 - priceless!!! (even if it meant having to watch his back end disappear into the distance)



Have to say, that this $400 was spent on the best modification I could ever get for my car - the skills of the driver behind the wheel Okay, so that is only one day - but 10 track days ($4,000) may end up being cheaper than what it would cost me to mod my car for the relative extra performance without improving my driving skills )

Think about it - with a car like a MINI Cooper S, I doubt many of us can drive our car to it's full potential - so lack of performance may have more to do with our ability to get the best out of our cars. So if you are modifying your car for performance and a few extra kilowatts - the money MAY be better spent on doing a few track days - probably a lot cheaper than some other mods - and it goes with you to the next car you drive too

One thing a track day will teach you - you can never know too much about driving or learning how to get the best out of your car. In fact, it highlights how much we don't know!

Not saying you shouldn't 'mod' a car - far from it - but this particular 'mod' is worth thinking about And may just end up saving your life one day! 'Mod' away to your heart's content, but bear in mind it is worth having your driving skills at a level that can handle those 'mods'.

Being that we own an MCS/JCW - I commented to Nick recently, that it was kind of sad that we may never drive "Scarlett" to her full potential, simply because we don't have the driving skills to do so. (Her power is freakingly scary) I'm not sure that I will ever be able to rectify that in MY lifetime, but I am going to give it my best shot by getting out to track days as much as I possibly can.

Meanwhile, I will be walking slowly towards my bomb shelter, donning my flak jacket just in case of some fall out

[St00ge]

great write up

I have to get along to some driver training/track days, but where in melb? I don't wanna do the BMW one, far too costly... However, i will definately be going to the calder park circuit after my car is fixed to my satisfaction Apparently, its $185 for 7 hours of track time good value indeed.

[MiniFr34k]

whens the next one?

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by etalj

great write up

I have to get along to some driver training/track days, but where in melb? I don't wanna do the BMW one, far too costly... However, i will definately be going to the calder park circuit after my car is fixed to my satisfaction Apparently, its $185 for 7 hours of track time good value indeed.

Thanks

As long as the track days are well organised and monitored, with good instructors, (to prevent any cowboys causing grief), you should be right. Sorry I am not familar with Melbourne circuits, but maybe get clubMINI in Melbourne to arrange one?

Just realised that Events O'Neill do drive days in Melbourne too - check out this link: http://www.eventsoneill.com/

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiniFr34k

whens the next one?

Looks like it is the 19th July - this is the website:

http://www.eventsoneill.com/

[robbo mcs]

Hi,

You are absolutely spot on

"Modding the Driver" by doing driver education days is IMHO the best thing you can spend your money on Also, it happens to be a lot of fun

Cheers

Robbo

[MiniFr34k]

Robbo - any chance you could train us n00bs on the track?

[St00ge]

Quote: Originally Posted by Megan

Thanks

As long as the track days are well organised and monitored, with good instructors, (to prevent any cowboys causing grief), you should be right. Sorry I am not familar with Melbourne circuits, but maybe get clubMINI in Melbourne to arrange one?

Just realised that Events O'Neill do drive days in Melbourne too - check out this link: http://www.eventsoneill.com/

sounds like a good idea. I think clubMINI are already organizing though....

btw, robbo, you should be a MINI driver trainer.

[hyprblu]

Just did the 1 day level 2 Mini driver training day....and I agree with the comments that training me the driver is a very good thing...I learned a lot even though I have been driving for over 35yrs!!!!.......Yep it was costly but at least I wasn't learning those handbrake turns on my tyres.....and the 190K down the straight was on someone elses engine....
I am looking forward to doing some more training days.....they teach a lot.....and let me get some of that speed junky out of me for when i am back on the ordinary roads.
Maybe some advanced driver training should be compulsory for people who buy cars like the MCS.

[St00ge]

i think advanced driving courses should be compulsory for all drivers when they get their P's, and should be subsidised by the government

[robbo mcs]

Quote: Originally Posted by etalj

i think advanced driving courses should be compulsory for all drivers when they get their P's, and should be subsidised by the government

Hi,

I agree. Advanced driver safety courses (not racing) should be compulsory for all drivers. It is far too easy to get a license

Cheers

Robbo

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by robbo mcs

Hi,

You are absolutely spot on

"Modding the Driver" by doing driver education days is IMHO the best thing you can spend your money on Also, it happens to be a lot of fun

Cheers

Robbo

And I should say that the inspiration for this thread came from the conversation I had with you yesterday, 'o wise one' when you said I was already doing one of the best mods to my car by doing the Advanced Driver Training. Thanks again for all your encouragement yesterday.

[MickyD]

Quote: Originally Posted by etalj

great write up

I have to get along to some driver training/track days, but where in melb? I don't wanna do the BMW one, far too costly... However, i will definately be going to the calder park circuit after my car is fixed to my satisfaction Apparently, its $185 for 7 hours of track time good value indeed.

funny how people say that all the time, but when you consider it's in their car, using up their tyres and brake pads, it suddenly doesn't seem all that expensive...
(having said that, I think $1000 for the full day one is a bit steep)

[St00ge]

Quote: Originally Posted by robbo mcs

Hi,

I agree. Advanced driver safety courses (not racing) should be compulsory for all drivers. It is far too easy to get a license

Cheers

Robbo

exactly. So many people just don't know how to react when something goes wrong. i.e understeer, braking, avoiding mishaps, staying calm, etc

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by robbo mcs

Hi,

I agree. Advanced driver safety courses (not racing) should be compulsory for all drivers. It is far too easy to get a license

Cheers

Robbo

And ain't that the truth!!! After the 'safety' of the race track yesterday - it was out into the zoo, known as public roads!!

When Liam learns to drive, it won't stop at getting a license, we will be ensuring he gets some Advanced Driver Training too - we cannot protect him from ever being in an accident - but want to give him the best skills possible to be able to avoid one!!

And you are right, it isn't racing - it is all about improving your own driving, not trying to compete with other drivers on the track. Not having to worry about speed limits is a bonus, but I think I only glanced at my speedo a couple of times yesterday out of curiousity, because it is not about the speed, but about the control.

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by MickyD

funny how people say that all the time, but when you consider it's in their car, using up their tyres and brake pads, it suddenly doesn't seem all that expensive...
(having said that, I think $1000 for the full day one is a bit steep)

Absolutely agree that $1000 for a full day is steep, especially since you can do one for around $400 with BDD using your own car - although if the $1000 a day was the only option, I would probably still do them - just fewer and further between

And doing it in your own car is fine, as long as you follow the instructors instructions, barring mechanical breakdown, it shouldn't cost too much - just lessens the life of your brakes and tyres - but may extend a human life or two, which is kinda priceless

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by etalj

exactly. So many people just don't know how to react when something goes wrong. i.e understeer, braking, avoiding mishaps, staying calm, etc

I will never forget finding out that when losing control of a car you should steer in the direction of the skid (because in effect the steering wheel needs to catch up with the wheels) whereas our minds are wired to instinctively tell us to do the opposite!! And sometimes, it is not until you physically do it (in a controlled situation) that you can convince your brain it works that way.

Advanced training doesn't prevent you from making stupid mistakes or judgements, but it can certainly help you get out of them! And strangely enough, it can help you keep calm in a sticky situation - there is plenty of time to have a freak out or kick yourself for being stupid later on

[St00ge]

Quote: Originally Posted by Megan

I will never forget finding out that when losing control of a car you should steer in the direction of the skid (because in effect the steering wheel needs to catch up with the wheels) whereas our minds are wired to instinctively tell us to do the opposite!! And sometimes, it is not until you physically do it (in a controlled situation) that you can convince your brain it works that way.

Advanced training doesn't prevent you from making stupid mistakes or judgements, but it can certainly help you get out of them! And strangely enough, it can help you keep calm in a sticky situation - there is plenty of time to have a freak out or kick yourself for being stupid later on

very true. The thing is, you can never get the practice you need to avoid mishaps unless you're in a controlled environment like a track. You're not gonna rip hand brake turns or kick the tail out on the public road, but on a track, should you have to avoid an accident, you'll know exactly how to behave. I just wish it was somehow possible for the government to organize these safety courses, as i'm sure they've considered it.

BTW Micky, all i was saying is that its far too costly for me, at the moment. When i'm out of uni and i'm working a full time job it is something i'll definately do. Obviously i could have saved the money that i spent on mods, but ripping the hell out of someone's car on the track and learning to be safe would be great for that day, but i can enjoy my mods everyday....the only thing that would be stay with me from the training that i would actually use every day is the cornering techniques, and to be honest, most of my driving is done during peak hour, and only get to use straight line power. That said, holidays are coming

[faster,Tobias!]

'Tighten the nut behind the wheel' - sound direction on what anyone's first mod should be I took my driver training two weeks ago (as reported in the Canadian forum) and I have to agree, it was the best $450 I could have spent on improving my car's driveability.

[Babes]

Gotta agree, driver training is a must in these beasties. One thing I discovered today however is the traction control cuts in even when its turned off if you get airborne