Driving on the higher plane:

By Richardd Adams: August 2012

During my early teens I had already won my first friendly stock car race. 

I had that “throttle to the floor until the limit is exceeded” kind of approach. I must admit that with my limited car control skills, I still won the race and childishly I believed that I was just a naturally talented racing driver.

Later, I discovered that I may have had what I call an “elevated” experience. Let me try and give you the background to that.

I invested into my first “rally car” comparatively late in life. It was an early 70s Toyota Corolla and by using very used parts and metal from the local scrap merchant, I spent a few days getting it rally legal. 

I never desired to win a rally event; I just loved driving fast on unknown roads at speed in a racing car, so I entered the Toyota in a small event held for part time rallyists.

This was a one day event of some 6 stages, all visible from the spectator’s viewpoints. We arrived, entered and took the car went through scrutiny. But then something strange happened. 

From the start of the event until the end of stage 5, I could not remember anything about the event, the stages or even the breaks in between.

While in this "slumber" the wake up call came when at the end of stage 5 and before stage 6, the Clerk of the course popped over and said that we were leading the event. What? How did that happen? 

So we were cautious in stage 6 and basically drove through it, not wanting to mess up and loose our number one slot. Yes we won, an event that I can’t remember except for the last stage. I did not understand it yet.

The second such experience was during an event when our usual team navigator could not make it. So a club member and friend, who happened to be a seasoned navigator, took his place. The atmosphere in the car was more jovial, as this co-pilot would not be distracted and remained cool and composed.

I noticed during stage one that he called instructions later than my regular navigator. Instead of announcing an upcoming 90 right (square right) at 200 & 100 metres, he called it at 50 metres. As a result my approach speed was higher and I had to fight the car through the obstacle. 

Strange thing was, I did not notice how late his calling of an instruction was done until about stage 7 or 8, when we flew through the flying finish and the end of stage, before I could bring the car to a halt. We then noticed that we were lying 9^th overall and we were the first non works car! 

After such an exhilarating drive, I had my best finish in a regional rally ever. By calling late, my navigator had forced me to drive in a higher zone and it worked!   

The third experience occurred during a two day event, where the last stage of the first day was at night and partially on the local paved race track. Under darkness the rally cars entered the stage at 2 minute intervals, so at any one time there were like 5 cars on the track.

We started the stage on time and while exiting a sweeping right hander, we saw our “know it all” rally driver friend up ahead, in his ex-works Toyota Corolla. 

As he had started 2 cars and 4 minutes ahead of us, catching him would mean we would be setting a very good time and of course, be able to rub his nose in it later. We gave chase running the VW Golf GTi to its limit and beyond, We were driving with only the normal headlights and no spot lights, to “save” alternator drag on the engine power. After a memorable chase, we caught and passed him on the second lap and finished the stage on lap 3. We were very proud of ourselves.

The biggest surprise came an hour later when we heard that we had won the stage. No big deal? Yes a very big deal.

It was an international event and the leading car at the time was the fire breathing AUDI QUATTRO S1! We had beaten that Audi and the 15 manufacturer’s teams, to win the stage with our humble GTi. What happened? I cannot remember the stage, only the taillights of that Toyota up ahead. That blank mind incident again.

I call these incidences as my best racing performances, which somehow happened during a time of extreme concentration or lack thereof.  

But later I read quotes by Walter Rohr, the multiple world rally champion for Fiat and Audi and a Porsche test driver.

He said: “ if you think, you are too late”.

And, a quote from Sarel Van Merwe, the multiple South African rally champion and Daytona 24 winner. He said. “if you think, you are going too slow”.

Strange coincidence, they were both pilots of the superfast and later banned, Group B Audi rally cars. Both multiple champions, both saying - to be fast, you have to drive without thinking. 

      

As I recall my blanked out racing moments, I believe that the racing mind has to reach into an almost superconscious state, where you are no longer driving the car, you are simply "super reacting" to what is happening to the car.

While in this zone your hazard perception, attitude to risky driving and confidence level is re-measured to a more finite level, instantly, by a super computer that you have switched on. There seems a reduction in visual search and the complete picture ahead is absorbed instantly, during this higher order driving.

1.  

And here is an example of driving skills on the higher plane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWRdqabMIEM

and:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R7ws741KpE&feature=related

Driving with a supernatural being in a rally car:

By Richardd Adams: August 2012

I spent a few years driving race cars, from an old Ford V8 Stock Car with too much power and old school everything, to a Golf GTi rally car which was built and set up by VW Motorsport.

With the Ford, either you controlled a light throttle, or you will be fighting the car continuously under a full throttle. In the GTi, the car always seemed to be able to achieve a pace faster than the driver would allow, it was always perfectly balanced.

I arrived kind of late on the rallying scene, having already accumulated some 30 years under my belt. I had the impression that the cars were largely home built for night racing (judging by the number of lights they had). Later, as an entrant, I soon discovered that motor manufacturers built specials, driven by an elite group who  were constantly up front scoring championship points and chasing after last year’s champion.

I never desired to win a rally event; I just loved driving fast on unknown dirt roads in a racing car. Occasionally, special stages were paved race tracks and my time was spent learning the lines for a lap or two, before setting an acceptable stage time.

Then, something happened to change my approach to rally cars forever:

I did a rally stage in a Group B Audi Quattro driven by a works driver…..

It’s was two days after the local national event, we are at the local race track which was the last stage in rally the event.

The temperature hovers around 25 degrees, the weather’s clear. I am standing at the pit wall, far too excited to be sitting. I am to be the honored VW Rallyist to experience a demonstration run in the Group B Quattro.  

There is an eeriness around the race track and the haunting near-silence of the hot tarmac is punctured by the distant and offbeat howl of a tortured in-line five cylinder at full power. The howling war cry is followed by the crackle of a turbo boost limiter on the overrun and it’s getting louder, harsher, as it hauls goes down the main straight behind me.

Then in an explosion of noise, fury and with daytime lit spotlights, the yellow Quattro rounds a hairpin bend, its driver holding it in a smooth four-wheel drift, accelerating hard towards us and then in an instant, it comes to an inch-perfect halt in front of me. There is a smell of hot rubber and burnt oil, combined with the sound of a highly tuned competition engine bubbling away.
I wobble over, slipping the exiting journalist a quick “how was it” but not expecting an answer, his very pale face and googly eyes said something about going to the loo (quickly).

I get a smile from the driver (he knows something?) I slide into the navigator’s seat as my non racing boot slips on the bare metal floor. I don my own helmet, but the intercom plugs differ, so all verbal communication will be erased by the 20 valve Audi engine. The driver lights up a cigarette (what?) and puffs away, while checking the instruments.

I flip the seatbelts to a centre point in an attempt to show him I had done this before (you know) and I am soon strapped in. I give a thumbs up and the cigarette is flipped out as the revs get blipped higher and higher. Then the clutch is released!

– HELL SOMEONE JUST SMASHED INTO THE BACK OF MY SEAT WITH A 100 km/hr HUMMER !!!

The acceleration and noise exceeds that of my Honda 750 tenfold! We are heading into the sweeping left hander in two seconds, then a right, sideways (was that insects splattered on the side window?) then off the main circuit, without braking, onto the dirt road. The car was unbelievably quick, yet rock solid on the rough road. It was devouring the road and everything before it with ease.

The car control of the driver was not that of a humanoid, his minimal steering and pedal input was unbelievable. I am sure that at one stage he was resting his left leg against the (gearbox) tunnel. He steers the car early, using the throttle to control the entry into the corner. He brushed off speed with his left foot on the brake pedal while his right foot never left the throttle. I was thunderstruck by his effortless & calm style.

We turned back onto tarmac at a mind-boggling speed, the four tyres clawing at the road, like a cat having its tail pulled and we hit 200km/hr in seconds, into a four wheel drift around the hairpin (he was braking and accelerating at the same time!), onto the main straight and slowing to a halt at the pit wall.

The Audi settled into an idle as the turbo spooled down – he opened his door, leaned out and picked up the cigarette still burning on the road surface. He smiled and puffed away, awaiting his next victim ….

Anda you wanna example: Here’s one of the best, see the video of maestro Walter Rohl in the Audi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdy8CG09rSU&feature=fvwrel

My years as a Porsche driver: (Episode S Two)

By Richardd Adams: August 2012

Spending some 30 hectic years in the construction industry nationally, did not allow me a lot of time off to go motor racing, or to even go on breakfast runs. However, as our construction sites were spread all over the country, there were motoring advantages to the situation.

While travelling to work (sometimes 600 km away), I never had the early morning traffic congestion and while other slaves were getting up to join the daily grind, I was often on my way out of the city. Yes, many a sunrise or sunsets was viewed from the driver's seat.

Even thou the daily distance I traveled was greater, the time spent on the road was more engaging, as the vehicles I used were handpicked from the company fleet, to suit each planned trip.

 I seemed to prefer the 4 door sports sedans for the overnight trips, as these allowed a quick 40 winks in the less cramped interior. Many days were filled with my wringing the revs out of a twin carb 1800cc OHC Nissan Stanza SSS travelling up the sparse West Coast, which she did with the speed of a econobox, while gobbling up fuel and issuing the sound effects of a rally car.

Or I would be in the throatier 4 choke twin cam Alfa Giuliette. This was used inland through semi desert, as it had the sunroof, air con and more supple suspension. To meet appointment deadlines these sporty cars were hammered often, but remained comfortable in the sub 160 km/hr (100 mph) highway speeds.

For the one day trips, I preferred the 1977 Alfa GTV, a wobbly sports car that ran noisily, but steadily, at 180 km/hr plus. However, prior to exiting this car, I spent 5 minutes switching off all the switches (as these were not connected through the ignition). But this 4 choke twin cam 2 litre seemed to require a tune up after each trip, maybe because the regular driver never "exercised" her often.

 Another one day trip car was the 1983 model Porsche 944 2.5 litre twin cam. This car felt fundamentally like a Golf GTi, but with harder suspension. She seemed to lack the agility, but remained a good cruiser. The many trips in her accumulated around 100 000 trouble free km and a few years later it was traded in against a 1990 model 944 S2, a modern high speed machine, even by today’s standards.

The S2 had the 3 litre twin cam 16 valve 4 cylinder engine and she was happy cruising around 200 km/hr. I could leave home at 4 am in the morning, travel 550 km in under 4 hours, spend a full day on site and arrive back home before 9 pm, having just covered 1100 km on the same day. She appreciated the longer distances, but the smooth highway became very bumpy around 230 km/hr. I could never understand why it had white seats and white carpets thou!       

When you first read this, you may ponder on how I could mention the other cars alongside the Porsches, but the reasoning is simple. Each car did the job well, with sporty fun, in reasonable comfort and safely (except when hot cigarette ash was blown into my eye in the Nissan).

The difference is that, with the Porsche (even the older one), the drive was almost separated from the journey. It was like experiencing two different days at the same time. I did my daily office job today but I also took a stimulating drive on country roads too …. as with the Porsche, the roads often became a make-believe twisty race track. It always delivered entertaining non taxing handling and on request, exhilarating all round performance, before arriving at work.

The Porsche 944 was built during the period 1982 to 1991 on the same platform as the 924, However 924 production still continued to 1987. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944 "S3" model were eventually sold as the 968 instead. T

See the 944 TV advert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=0LDWyFta4tU&feature=endscreen

and just for fun, watch her first Porsche drive:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=H9i7vQWgv7w&NR=1

My Toyota  Works Drive:

By Richardd Adams : August 2012

She started life on the assembly line of the Toyota Manufacturing Plant in South Africa, but before being saddled with the family oriented engine and luxuries, she was yanked off the line for greater glory.

The bare shell was put under the watchful eye of Ove Anderson of Toyota Team Europe and later of Toyota Formula One fame. Then from the Toyota Motorsport workshops. she emerged a vicious twin cam 4 choke 5 speed limited slip Bilstein equipped athlete, which could run with the best on gravel.

                                         Driven by yours truly

Driven by rally greats Leif Asterhag, Hannu Mikkola and Jan Hettema, amongst others, the little Corolla was at home on the World Rally Championship circuit and it was world class. Years later, I inherited the still running, but very tired, Toyota rally car when I swopped my Porsche 356 for it (see Porsche Speedster blog). What was very apparent from my first test drive of this car, was that the law of a carpenter blaming his tools, did apply here. This car would make any driver look good and in my case, look talented. It had the natural ability to maintain a high speed on dirt or tarmac roads and if any driver induced mishap occurred, the car’s recovery was almost instant. My driving this car, I had then joined the elite in driving a correctly set up (admittedly tired) Works prepared racing car. The performance difference was astounding and I realized that the works drivers were very fortunate and would always have a race advantage.

This shape was the sportiest of the popular  Corolla range. This model is the third generation, being the TE37 version sold from 1975 to 1979. Rally prepared it had the 1588cc twin-cam big valve rally engine with a close ratio five speed gearbox and limited slip differential. It had four wheel disc brakes, safety roll cage, adjustable pedal box, high ratio steering, Bilstein suspension, alloy wheels, electric fuel pumps, strut brace, Terratrip Odo etc.

After spending a year trying to restore the car to her former glory, she was sold off when a very lucrative Rally VW Golf GTi offer came along, but that’s another story. . .

See the car in action on the WRC circuit: Watch the video from 2:32 on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFi7lHS_eJ0&feature=related