On October 2 and 3, I was regaled by Pontiac at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, Arizona as a representative for AskPatty.com. The experience was incredible. Not only did I learn about the Pontiac cars on grounds, but also valuable driving techniques – not to mention an opportunity to really see what these babies can do!It was a very intimate experience, being that there were only five media people including myself. The first day, the five of us met at the school for what would be a great experience. We were all outfitted with our own brand spanking new pairs of high class Piloti driving shoes. Then proceeded to our classroom for a ground course on under- and oversteer. There we had a crash course in physics as it pertained to vehicles in motion, transferring of weight and how to avoid spin outs. By the end of the class, we were ready for the road.
Exercise one was an autocross. Here we were supposed to use the techniques
taught in ground school. One of the most important tools you have when driving is your eyes. Where you look is essentially where you will go. So the idea is don’t look at the streetlight when your vehicle is out of your control. Instead look for open spaces. Your body and thus your car will naturally follow your eyes. Since this is a driving school, there weren’t many dangerous objects to avoid. However, there were those orange cones. Instead of standing on the gas and plowing through the cones, we had to use our skills including our eyes to steer the car quickly and safely around the course.Another interesting technique is to use your pedals to steer the vehicle. Believe it or not, your pedals play an important role in determining where the car goes. They do more than just stop and go. Taking your foot off the gas helps to slow the car and makes it easier to turn before you even step on the brake. While maneuvering tight turns at higher speeds, you don’t have time to say, “Oh shit.” If you do, it’s already too late. Slamming your brakes for anything other than a hard stop will not help you get through the turn.
That which is in motion stays in motion. Therefore, slamming the brakes in a turn will put pressure on the front wheels and will leave the back wheels spinning out, in which case you’ll need to turn the wheel in the direction of the skid to keep your back end from spinning the rest of the car. A lighter
use of the break will help you get around the turn faster and more in control. Why is this important? When driving in icy or wet conditions, this can make a huge difference. Whether you’re speeding through an autocross or gliding on a wet road, it’s good to know that you can use both pedals, your eyes and your steering wheel to control your car.All in all the school was incredible. The teachers were very helpful and the Pontiac cars were a lot of fun, especially the G6 GXP Solstice Convertible. It’s safe to say we all had a great time. Look for more of my articles on the AskPatty blog on November 6 and 13.
