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Feeling out interest in a 'Sidecar Racing' school?

 
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Moike the Squid



Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 123
Location: Santa Cruz, CA

PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:43 pm    Post subject: Feeling out interest in a 'Sidecar Racing' school? Reply with quote

So since the weather sucked so much up in PIR and we had a large amount of sidecar teams in attendance, it allowed to board and the overall membership to have a discussion. The result of which was a neat idea which I'd like some feedback on.

This sport is not exactly what I would call newbie-friendly. You can't exactly walk into a dealership, buy a street-legal F1 or FII sidecar, and go 'practice' somewhere being a driver or passenger on a nice quiet back road or out at a track day before coming out to race. And even if you could, where do you start and who teaches you the basics to get you started? At least with cars and motorcycles most of us have some sort of experience with both on some level before we decide we want to race them.

That's where this idea comes in. A sidecar racing school set up similar to CSS or Class. Obviously attendees wouldn't be showing up with their own sidecars, they'd be showing up with the minimum boots/gloves/leathers/back protector/helmet requirements and the rigs would be provided.

The class structures would be laid out...

Quote:

Professional Passenger ~ Novice
Professional Passenger ~ Intermediate
Professional Passenger ~ Advanced


Professional Driver ~ Novice (F1 or F2)
Professional Driver ~ Intermediate (F1 or F2)
Professional Driver ~ Advanced (F1 or F2)
(Prerequisite passing all three passenger classes)


Our first test attempt at this would start with Professional Passenger ~ Novice

Depending on the interest in the class we'd rent out a track for the day under a 'test & tune' format. We'd bring out 4 to 6 Formula 1 sidecars and professional drivers. We'd have veteran passengers and a structured/prepared classroom/training course curriculum to keep things flowing and in an ordered fashion.

~

Physical instruction would begin with static sidecars and instructors demonstrating passenger theory and movements. Students would then replicate the instructors on the static sidecars.

From there it would move to the paddock where the sidecars would run around figure 8 cone sets at low speeds so the instructors could demonstrate left/right body positions and left/right transitions. Students would then replicate the instructors on the figure 8 course at low speeds with the instructors inside the figure 8's providing input to fine tune the technique.

~

Next would be straight line acceleration and braking body bracing and positioning drills to teach the students how to properly brace on the passenger platform against the serious amount of G's a modern F1 sidecar pulls under acceleration and braking forces in a straight line.

The second part of this drill will be timing when to 'go out' for a sharp left or right hand corner at the end of a long high speed straight under braking. This drill will have the sidecar accelerating up to speed to a set of cone markers, decelerating down hard under brakes, and then making a predetermined left or right hand 90 degree turn at the end of the braking.

Students will learn how to brace for braking under hard deceleration, listen to the engine, and time a quick and smooth transition from braced for braking to transitioned to left or right counterbalance for the corner.

~

From there things would move out onto the track starting at low speeds in a follow the leader fashion with a professional passenger in the lead and the students in tow. At a slow speed the instructor would provide all the correct body technique, transitions, and bracing points for the track configuration being run for two or three laps. However many deemed necessary for the instructor to feel that the students in tow have the track feel down.

The pace would be picked up, and the instructor would lead each student around the track for two laps providing visual reference of the exact transition points along the race course. After two laps the instructor sidecar would drop back one position and lead the next student around the track for two laps, allowing the instructor to provide transition points and technique for that student as well as keep an eye on the student they just lead around the track to provide helpful input as/if needed once the session is over.

It'd look like this...

Quote:

(2 slow laps)
(student) (student) (student) (student) (instructor)
(2 faster laps)
(student) (student) (student) (student) (instructor)
(2 laps)
(student) (student) (student) (instructor) (student)
(2 laps)
(student) (student) (instructor) (student) (student)
(2 laps)
(student) (instructor) (student) (student) (student)
(2 laps)
(instructor) (student) (student) (student) (student)

~

After that session, and a break... The day would most likely be wound up with a simulated six lap sprint race the students at the hands of our professional drivers.

~


Cost?

Depending on the interest in this, and if we can get together enough numbers (like six, eight) for a first attempt at a classroom session, we were thinking like 100 bucks a student. I think that's pretty reasonable given that all you have to do is literally show up with your gear and everything else is provided for you in the realm of hardware and instruction. Maybe like 10 bucks for lunch or something and we'll whip up our usual big pot-luck thing we do at the tracks.

~

Can I get some feedback, would anybody be interested? This would most likely be a Buttonwillow event on a short configuration of Buttonwillow so as not to overwhelm the new passengers with too much info at once. I think they call the config Race 2 ~ http://www.buttonwillowraceway.com/images/race_02_config.gif

Thanks,
-Mike- Big Grin
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Paul



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 182
Location: Utah

PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a great idea to me. I'd do it - unfortunately I live about 3,000 miles from Buttonwillow....

I do think people will be less interested in only doing the passenger thing for the first several sessions. If it were possible to work in at least one try at driving - maybe with a throttle limiter? - on the first day I bet you'd get more attendance.

I also think you're insane if you only charge $100 - track rental will cost you more than that.
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A JOURNEYMAN



Joined: 27 Jan 2007
Posts: 24
Location: Saint Louis, Missouri

PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:11 pm    Post subject: school Reply with quote

I am only 2000 miles away ,but depending on all the variables, I would try to come. Exclamation Question
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