FAQs - I Wanna Go Faster

FAQ’s

Why should I engage your services?

I've learned the hard way - you don't have to!

From competing since 1991, instructing since 1997 and then coaching since 2000, I have experienced and learned an enormous amount in that time. I've been lucky enough to have worked with and learned from some of the best people and organisations in the business.

When I first started instructing, I was racing full time, but I wasn't being particularly successful; I wasn't a regular front runner and I crashed quite a bit!

Having been instantly on the pace from when I started Kart Racing and being an analytical and very competitive person, I was desperate to know why this was.

My experience of instructing, the resources I had access to & the information I gained in this time helped me to understand more about what happens in the driver’s seat and why. The bullet points on the front page of this website give you a brief summary of the things I can help you with, by working with you and analysing things closely I can really make a big difference.

Ask yourself:

How much would you spend on repairing your car after a big crash?

A lot more than a day's coaching to help avoid it in the first place!

How long would a remap or a new set of tyres last? For as long as you keep the car?

Improving your driving will last you a lifetime!

What way do you work?

My style is very 'hands on'. If your car has two seats, the first and main thing I do is sit alongside you - that's the best way to find out what is happening.

I will usually not say too much to begin with; it’s better to see things happen over a duration of time, to see what habits there are with the technique. It’s all very informal though; not like a driving test; I’m here to help! It’s just better to watch and learn rather than try and tell you what to do straight away. The best way is for you to learn and understand areas to focus on with my guidance & input; that way you’ll learn better and those learnings will stay with you.

Performance driving is not just about what you do, but critically the order and the timing in which you do them. Ultimately, it's a very practical thing: you are simply guiding an object around a piece of tarmac as fast as possible. Some cars have more grip than others, different suspension, tyres, aerodynamics, weight, etc. However, they are all inherently the same beast.

The sort of obstacles that get in the way of making that object go fast are things like:

Shallow vision

Tension with the controls

Lack of focus or understanding on where to position the car

The incorrect mind-set (which can be caused by other external or internal factors)

Understanding of weight transfer & the car dynamics

Personal intent levels, etc.

These can all affect the optimum line, flow and ultimately speed.

At first, what I will encourage you to do is work on the following, in the following order:

Learning the circuit - which way the corners go

Positioning - where to place the car on the circuit

Rythm & vision - repeating the above consistently and practicing looking ahead further

Braking, accelerating & carrying speed - only when the above are being done will the pace be encouraged greatly by braking later, accelerating earlier & harder and carrying more speed through the corners

This is the best way of doing things and allows you to pick up the technique and speed in confidence.

What sort of things might I be doing wrong?

Like all animals, Human Beings tend to develop habits from what we initially learn. It's the same in driving; once you develop a driving style - particularly if it is all self-taught - you will tend to repeat those habits and maybe not recognise they are not the most efficient or effective way of doing things. How can you know if you’ve not seen or experienced another way or been shown?

It could be that you are a bit tense on the approach to fast corners making you turn in a bit early & sharp, leading to an early and slow exit out of the corner or that your gear down change is too slow and interrupting your corner preparation, making you linger on the brakes longer than you would if that process was made more efficient

Maybe you are holding your eyes on one reference point for too long, making your vision through the corner a little shallow and therefore not judging the optimum entry speed and accuracy

Perhaps you do not understand how effective your brakes can be or are getting the most out of a new slick tyre

These things happen to even the best of drivers to a greater or less extent - it's simply human nature. The good professional drivers will use their inherent skill experience to recognise this sooner than non-professionals and calibrate everything quicker.

I can help you to recognise these things and improve them in a way that you'll remember.

What tools do you use to help, such as intercom, circuit maps, datalogging and video?

When working in car, I take an old-fashioned point of view that my best tools are ones I was born with - hands & voice! For example, by pointing & explaining where you should be looking

I will use this maybe together with slight assistance on the steering wheel at the right time; subtly and gently, not grabbing the wheel

Combining this with a good debrief after each session and creating a driving plan for the next session is the most effective basic structure. I find this is the best way to help a client improve their technique

To assist in distilling things further, I may also use a paper & pen to to draw corners & lines, usually with the use of a circuit map and I will often use simple keywords at various points, as a distillation of the points discussed in the debrief ie The turn in point is too early = keyword ‘Later’

On most occasions - particularly useful on cars without a passenger seat - the use of a video camera and datalogging is useful. As an official Racelogic supplier I am able to use and demonstrate VBOX Video GPS datalogging & video systems. I am also adept with other systems such as AIM/SmartyCam and Motec

If you do not have your own I can offer basic support for those using one whether supplied by me or not

I also use a GoPro Hero 9 Black camera for basic video footage.

I want to get some tuition as a gift for a partner, but don't know a date and don't want to give the game away by trying to fix a date! Can you offer an open-ended Gift Certificate?

Yes, no problem. If you think your partner might like to do a day but can't set a date, I can offer a voucher for my services. My flat rate for this is £400+VAT plus the cost of using your car on track. Please contact me for more information to discuss options.

Do I get anything to take home?

Yes, apart from the knowledge you will have gained on the day, I also work with a debrief sheet that we gradually fill in over the day. This details the Observations, Causes & Corrections we make on the day to your driving, so you will see the progress you make, what you learned and what you need to continue to work on in the future. I keep a copy of these as a log so we can reference to them at any future date.

If we are using a video system, you will of course be able to take the footage home.