[RallySnake]

Tin-Man,

You got some good advice here, but not the BEST advice. Taking your new Cobra to a track day is a bad idea. Going to a driving school is good, but not the best first step. I have been driving my Arntz Cobra 25 years now and have had many "near death" experiences. My Guardian Angel is pretty beat up! I will explain how to stay alive.

The first step is to take your Cobra to an SCCA Solo2 event. If there's any question about which class to enter, just ask for B Street Prepared. These events are set up on large parking lots and the course is lined with rubber cones. You drive around the course as fast as you can and the electronic timing gives you a very accurate result. The important thing is, that you do this at low speeds. You may hit 50 or 60 on the longest straight. At these speed, you can make massive mistakes and lose nothing but a little rubber off your tires and a ding in your ego when the workers laugh at you. It is tremendous fun! You will find out how badly your car handles and what is going to happen at the limits of traction without endangering fellow motorist. The people at Southern California events are very friendly and can give you tips on tire pressures and suspension setups.

On my first event, I swung around a left hand curve and my rear end suddenly snapped to the right at about 45 mph and the side of my helmet was pelted with bits of gravel and rubber. That's when I learned how important a front roll bar is. On another event, I couldn't get the front wheels to grip and slid them through the turns. That's how I learned that I needed a rear rollbar. As I progressed, I kept improving my car and my driving.

Early on, you learn to get your braking done before you turn the wheel, then, use power to accelerate through the turn. Later, you learn that if you leave the braking until the last possible moment and stab the brake pedal hard just before you turn in, the brakes will help you rotate the car. If you get it just right, the car will slide and you will countersteer, apply throttle and catch it and come out of the turn with the rear tires smoking and feeling like a hero. If you are a very slight bit too late on the brakes, the car will continue all the way around and rubber cone will fly in all directions amd you will encounter more laughter. When you have reached this level and are very confident knowing exactly when the tires will let go and how to handle the situation, you are ready to proceed to run your car at higher speed at a track day.

RS