Dirtfish?

Pete: Do you think what you learned will translate to driving a FWD car easily? Did the instructors work with you to help you understand what would be different in how you get a FWD car to respond?

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First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
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Last Updated, January 4, 2015

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Pete: Do you think what you learned will translate to driving a FWD car easily? Did the instructors work with you to help you understand what would be different in how you get a FWD car to respond?

Hahaha this feels like an interview.

Ya definitely the fundamentals transfer over, weight transfer, one of the biggest things that I personally needed drilled into my head was the simple fact of looking forward far enough, simple enough and I've seen it stated on this forum many times, but you don't really understand until you have someone making you do it right haha

Also alot of analogies and statements that just the way you hear it makes a bunch of stuff sense...if you know what I mean?? like an "ooooo" moment

Nate Tennis was great for trying to translate how things will be different in a FWD for me and just talking things out about it. Golden personality as well.

Over all, I think I have a foundation to start developing skills as I go now. I need so much more experience though and seat time. So I'm excited! But it was a good springboard, atleast for me. I learn much effectively in a class environment though so I think it was worth the investment.

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I should also add actually, the main reason I choose Dirtfish (or I should say was chosen for me by my GF) was because my younger brother moved to Seattle in August (I would have been more than happy just visiting him) and me and my GF have always wanted to drive down the Oregon coast and down California (which we did for 2 weeks after the school).

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Thanks for the info Pete! You answered some questions that were on my mind.
Do you feel you got a good amount of seat time vs waiting for your turn to drive? How was there format on the switchng between drivers? IE amount of drive timne between students?

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ChrisKobi
Thanks for the info Pete! You answered some questions that were on my mind.
Do you feel you got a good amount of seat time vs waiting for your turn to drive? How was there format on the switching between drivers? IE amount of drive time between students?

The group I was in had 8 people, so they brought out 4 cars. then they split us up into a first and second group, each of 4 people. typically, except for the last day, you would get into the passenger seat for the first lap of the exercise or course, and the instructor would walk you through it both while you where stopped, then again constantly keep a dialog during their demonstration. Then you would switch to the drivers seat and you would do the exercise for maybe 20-30 mins? then switch out and switch groups.

I always sat in the car as long as I could between group switches just because I would have alot to ask the instructors or just looking for extra input.

you would then watch the other group do the same thing. then after there turn you would do the exercise again but without the first passenger lap. some course's or exercises you would do 2-3 rounds of then go on to something else that would build on what you just did.

I actually didn't mind the getting out of the car and waiting for the other group to go because I found that while I was standing out of the car watching the others I would think alot and visualize on what I was suppose to do better this time. And usually, the second round was way smoother and easier after that little break. give's your body and mind a chance to reset. So I would say I actually liked the fact that we took turns.

So overall, we did about one hour of class really (half in the morning and half hour after lunch) then the rest was driving and I guess you would be driving for half of the left over time.

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I recently did the 8 hour one day course at Dirt Fish, & had a ball.

First I need to commend DF on their entire operation, from the hosts, facility, classroom instructor, to my personal course instructor, all top notch & beyond professional.

My gravel experience pre DF was a few snow/gravel TSDs & a handful of RXs in my Celica. DF was my first time driving a Subaru on gravel, & my first time experiencing a active differential on the gravel. Going into the course I some what knew what to expect from the provided course outline. We started the day with a half hour of classroom time,to be honest, it was a bit remedial but others in the class really didn't know what to expect. To put that in perspective two of the people in my class didn't know how to drive a manual transmission.

My course instructor was Adam Newell co-driver to Nate Tennis & co-driver for Derick at their big win at Olympus. I went in with the goal of learning as much as possible & shedding any bad habits I may have already developed. Adam immediately picked up on some inefencies with my driving style, I was shuffling the steering wheel to compensate for the angle of the car rather than steering the car with the pedals. Also on the slalom course rather than breaking, turning, throttle I was instead turning, throttle, turning. Adam was big on setting the car up for the direction you wanted to go then apply the throttle.

All in all the experience was worth it, the guys were great and I learned quite a bit. Driving a proper gravel car taught me a lot about the current stage car I'm building. Little things like intercom placement, & steering wheel placement to give room for proper LFB. To major things like the need for more suspension travel to make weight shifting easier, & non power assisted brakes for easier to control LFB.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2013 03:14PM by Sean Edwards.