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Hi,
I just returned from driving my 9-5 on Infineon Raceway in Sonoma
California. I signed up for a Russell Racing School class called
"High Performance" which involves driving our own cars on an actual Nascar
track.
I now have renewed respect for my 9-5 and its capabilities.
with apologies to Bill Shakespeare ...
See what a grace is seated on this fender,
Hyperion's curves, the grill of Jove himself,
Headlights like Mars to threaten and command, (just don't bump into an S80)
A station-wagon like the herald Mercury
New-lighted on heaven kissing hill,
A combination and a form indeed
Where every god did seem to set his seal
To give the assurance of a Saab.
------------------------------------------
The turn-out for the course was amazing. There were two Carreras, an
older whale-fin 911, an S4, an A6 with 2.7T, a 330, my 9-5 and a Ford
Taurus.
This was the first time I've driven on an actual race-track. Also,
I learned that I did not know much about driving fast in general.
The trick is to do one thing at a time. Braking and Acceleration are
best done in a straight line. Both involve weight transfer which
mess with what your Saab's communicative chassis is trying to tell you.
Also, handling characteristics of you Saab are much better when it is
in a nice tuck and not shifting about.
Until now, I always thought I should take the in-side track on corners.
For real racing, the trick is to keep as much energy and speed as
possible. So, what is done is to follow arc of a much larger circle.
This means starting on the outside edge, get all the braking done,
turn, apply steady gas, by no means brake or take your foot of the gas
pedal and use your steering wheel to touch the apex of the in-side
track. After the apex and after holding on for dear life during
four wheel skid (if you're doing it right), you just un-wind the steering
wheel and accelerate away. This is where you find out if you handled
the corner well.
The reason for not braking in the corner, especially for a FWD
automobile, is because the front wheels are doing almost all the braking,
the driving, the handling and steering all at the same time and to the
greatest extent. This is especially hard on the brakes which are
closer to the in-side track, typically right front. I made this mistake
a few times, and my excellent Saab brakes nearly burst into flames.
If I kept making this mistake, I probably would have brake pads burnt
to a crisp and a warped rotor.
The reason for not accelerating or easing off the throttle in a turn
is that it messes with the tuck and causes the car to shift and jitter.
This causes the driver not to hear what the car's telling him
and is not good for handling dynamics.
I never thought that a four wheel skid would feel so good, but in a
nice tuck without varying throttle and without even thinking about
using the brakes, a four wheel skid in a Saab feels mighty good. A
four wheel skid is basically when all four wheels are failing to grip
and are sliding side-ways. With the stock Michelin MXV4 tires, four
wheel skid is unmistakable since the tires squeal like stuck pigs.
The trick is to get all the braking done _before_ the corner and then
maintain that speed through-out the corner with steady throttle and
no brakes and then to just shoot out of the corner like a Bat out of hell.
When I started trusting the highly capable rally-race-inspired
suspension of the 9-5 and trusting that I will not have a rendezvous
with the menacing retaining wall when cornering at high speed, I was
a much better driver. Earlier in the day, I was using the brakes in
the corner. My right front brake pads were so angry they were steaming.
Then I was good about getting all my braking done in a straight line
but still varying my throttle in corners. When I put it all together
and kept throttle constant through even the most challenging turns,
I did much much better.
Well, to make a long story even longer, the instructors did not know
what to make of my Saab at first. They're all race car drivers, and
Saab pulled out of racing. So, for the afternoon of racing on the track,
when we were put in pairs, I was put in a pair with the Ford Taurus. One
instructor was assigned to each pair. The instructor would take turns
actually driving each car as well as being passenger in each car. The car
with the instructor would always be in the lead.
At one point the pair with the two Carreras who were passing everybody
came up behind my 9-5. By this time, the Taurus had already suffered
its malfunction. The other instructor in the lead Carrera recognized
the driving style and mistakenly thought that my instructor was doing
the driving. Well, in one or two of the challenging corners I managed
to put some distance between me and the lead Carrera. At turn 11 there
is a convenient open space. So, we begrudgingly let the Carreras pass
because they would have been breathing down my neck in the up-hill
portion of the track. My instructor took stoic pride in teaching me
well enough that his racing line was evident even when I was driving.
All in all it was a very fun day. I don't think I'll do it again, but
it is great to find out that my 9-5 is an extremely capable machine.
Even with 100 degree temperatures on the track, the car performed
flawlessly. I had the AC on, but the power was excellent with no turbo
lag.
thanks
Jae
posted by 172.131.150...
, Tue, 3 Jun 2003 20:35:56
, Tue, 3 Jun 2003 18:33:28
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