Search This Blog

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Nurburgring 101 : Why you really shouldn't lift in the Foxhole

The Nürburgring Nordschleife is full of dangerous corners. But danger is proportional to speed and barrier proximity. And nowhere on a tourist lap of the 'ring is a corner faster or closer to the barriers than the Foxhole.

Today's first major track closure was the result of this driver's error. It's a simple one that I've seen more times than I care to remember.

Don't. Lift.

As the car runs wide (possibly a product of excess speed, incorrect line or a mix of the two) the driver comes off the gas. The weight throws forward, the back axle goes light. The steering is pointing left, the rear axle rotates into the grass and it's all over except for the Bongard truck.

A balanced to positive throttle is what you need to pull the car through. And if you were too fast, then there's not so much you can do except let it slide (but in a controlled manner).

Post-game analysis is easy to do. What's not so easy is pulling yourself out of a half-dozen airbags covered in broken glass.

My sincere thoughts and commiserations with the hapless driver of this Golf. He was up and about after the accident, but I still think he'll be sore in the morning.




No comments:

Post a Comment