For each of the skills taught during the four-day course, the pattern was the same:  an instructor would introduce a topic in the classroom, then we would hit the training grid where three students would ride along with each instructor.  The instructors would demonstrate the skill in their yellow SVT's or Tauruses, and describe the proper technique while doing it.  They would repeat the technique a number of times, answering questions, stressing specific things to be aware of.  Next, each student practiced the skill in his own Mustang for a while, as our instructor flagged each us in so he could ride along for a bit to critique our performance and offer helpful hints or corrections.  Then back solo to continue practicing the skill .  (The school's policy of having one instructor for every three students proved extremely helpful for me.  My instructor always had time for me and was able to offer many, many helpful hints.)

Around and Around We Go

The first skill we learned was called Brake and Turn.  The Brake and Turn area consisted of two concentric circles, one small and one large, drawn on the asphalt.  We would start by putting the car's left front tire on the inner circle and circle slowly to the left.  Then, without moving the steering wheel, we would increase the throttle and the car would pick up speed and move out wider and wider, ties screeching away on all four corners.  When the right wheels reached the outer circle, we would back off the throttle, and the car would dive into the center as if it had been pushed.

The Brake and Turn maneuver demonstrates the effect of weight transfer on turning ability.  As the throttle is increased, the weight shifts to the rear of the car, taking weight off the front tires, leaving them with less contact area with the pavement, decreasing their turning ability, causing the car to swing wide.  By backing off the throttle quickly, the weight shifts to the front, increases the contact area of the front tires, gives them much more grip and makes them yank the car into the center.  You can try this one at home, kids.

Too Many Pedals, Not Enough Feet

Next up was the Brake and Shift section, which ran the whole length of one side of the grid, where we would accelerate to 60 mph, then brake hard, and while braking, downshift from third to second, using the heel and toe technique.  At the end of the straight, we'd turn around and do it again back the other way.  We got to do this over and over and over.  At first I was terrible at it, getting it right about one out of four times, but slowly I improved to where I got it right most of the time.   The amount of repetition the Bondurant School gives you is a major part of their success.

The purpose of the heel and toe technique is to downshift in such a way as to match the revs of the engine with the revs of wheels--while you are braking.  Your two feet need to operate all three pedals at the same time.  The toe (actually the ball) of the right foot presses on the brake pedal while the heel of the right foot presses the throttle.  The technique is needed because the effect of mismatched revs is weight suddenly thrown either forward or backwards, and at racing speeds any sudden weight transfer can cause a spinout.  Spinouts are bad.

Now Let's Try the Practice Oval

The next basic skill we learned is called Trail Braking, a technique used at the entrance of a turn.  When heading into a turn, instead of braking hard in a straight line, then turning, we were taught to brake moderately hard in a straight line, but turn while we were still on the brakes (with the weight forward), then as we entered the turn, slowly trail off the brakes.  We were told to imagine a string tied from the bottom of the steering wheel to the brake pedal.  As the wheel turns, the brake pedal will be lifting along with it.

We practiced the technique on an oval track laid out on the asphalt grid, with bright orange cones placed at various landmarks around the oval.  There was a cone indicating where to start braking, a cone at the spot where we should start turning (but continue trail braking), and a cone halfway through the turn about ten feet from the curb to show us how far away from the curb we should be at the middle of the turn.   At the apex there were two cones about fifteen feet apart.  The idea was to have our car right against and parallel to both cones.  Then get back on the gas and head for the cone at the exit.  Top speed down the straight was about 60 mph.

My instructor, Patrick Salloway, a sprint car racer who isn't happy unless he has dirt all over his face, stressed the importance of looking ahead for the next landmark, not the closest one.  So on top of heeling and toeing into the turns, trail braking, and trying to hit the apex correctly, I was also trying to look out ahead as far as I could.  The more I looked ahead, the smoother and faster I got.  It suddenly dawned on me that you can't tell how much you need to brake or how much you need to turn by looking just ahead of you.  You need to look forward to where you want to be in order to judge the right amount of input.  This was the most valuable lesson of the course for me and several others. Thank you, Patrick.

I went around that oval so many times, I started wondering things like, how can this car take this amount of punishment over and over and not fall apart?   How long can my tires last the way I'm abusing them?  Don't they know that I'm tearing the hell out of this car?  When are they going to stop me?  They didn't.   I got tired and stopped before our practice time was over, my mighty Mustang still in one piece.  They have no rev limiters and no speed limits at the Bondurant school.   You go as fast as you want, and don't worry about breaking anything.  They only charge you if you wreck the car, but they sell insurance to cover the costs, with a $1,000 deductible per car, per incident

Our next skill was collision avoidance, and the training area for this skill is famous.  You accelerate towards the middle of three overhead traffic lights, all green.  At the last instant, two lights turn red while one stays green.  You have to lift off the throttle, agressively change into the green lane, then ease back onto the throttle to straighten it out and return to the center lane.

They started us a 25 mph, which was relatively easy, but a few of the guys missed the correct lane even at that speed.  Each time around we increased our speed by 5 mph, and each time the lights loomed closer and closer before they changed.   Most of the guys were doing fine, even as we approached 40 mph.  The first time at 40, I lifted when the lights changed, whipped the car into the left lane, but then punched the throttle way too hard.  The front of the car turned right, but the rear started passing the front, and it was clear I was going to hit the pylons marking the exit lane.  Hitting those pylons would have been disgrace, so I whipped the wheel back the other way (yes, I turned into the spin), but kept my right foot planted.  Of course now the rear wanted to pass the front on the right, so I skidded toward the other side of the exit lane, right toward the other row of pylons.  Whipped the wheel back again, this time lifted, and got the car straightened out, no pylons touched.  One of my classmates later told me that looked like the best ride of the day.

When I Say Stop, Stop

Same training area, same lights, only this time we were to approach at 40 mph, and all three lanes would go red, meaning we were to stop instantly.  Since the Mustangs were equipped with ABS (saves a lot of flat-spotted tires), the technique was simple:  hit the brakes hard and stay on them until you're stopped.  The second time through, we were to hit the brakes in the center lane, but steer into the left lane as we were braking.  Same thing third time through.  You'd be surprised at how easy this is with ABS.  No problem here for me, no more thrill rides, just sudden stops.

Next up was something they called Anything Goes.  We would approach the lights at 40 mph, all green.  Sometimes the lights would all go red, sometimes only two, you never knew.  Now *this* was fun.  I admit, though, that I don't remember breathing very much while approaching those lights.  I do remember my death grip on the wheel.  The first time through all lanes stayed green and I did nothing except continue going, but I do remember flinching slightly when I hit the "decision spot".  Second time through I had to change lanes to the right, third time through stop.  Each time, though, it seemed as if the lights were right on my windshield before they changed.  Each time I'd think that there was no way I was going to respond in time.  Later, they showed us the spot where the cars were when they changed the lights.  It was a full fifty feet away, but I guarantee that those are the shortest fifty feet on the continent.

Tomorrow We Hit the Racetrack

We finished Monday with some more heel and toe practice.  Tuesday we would hit the racetrack with the Mustangs and try to put it all together.  Wednesday morning would be more Mustangs on the track, but with the Formula Fords in the afternoon.  Thursday morning would be a student race in the Mustangs, with Thursday afternoon back in the Formula Fords for the rest of the last day.

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