am i sitting wrong? in all those youtube videos and bmi, the one with stig(just forgot the name). the driver sit very close to the steering wheel.

I sit sorta far away from the steering wheel compared to them. and I dont think they do it cuz they are short.

Does anyone think the s2000s dead pedal and gas pedal is sort of akwardly positioned? sort of makes it uncomfortable for the whole left leg?

 

for racing it's a good idea to sit close. on the street it really doesn't matter. your arms should easily be able to reach the steering wheel with a little bend in them. any closer and you are just trying to do your best nascar impression!

When I'm on the track I always move my seat one or two notches closer. It gives you better control, but on the street it's not as important, IMO.

 

according to Carol Smith in "Drive to Win" the steering wheel should be close enough to you that your can grip the steering wheel at 10 and 2 with your elbows bent and the back of your shoulders rested against the seat back.

For me, that puts the steering wheel about 18" in front of my chest.

waaaaay closer than most people normally sit, and I would venture to guess that it is much closer than the way most production cars and their airbags were intended to be used.

I would never sit that close without a harness.

 

I should also point out that I have always interpreted the "rules" of your relation to the steering wheel to mean that the wheel should be close to you and not that you should be close to the wheel.

If you notice, many race cars will have the driver sitting well enough back and the steering wheel will be extended back to them.

 

Im 6'3" I have to sit with the seat all the way back

 

racing is certainly one facet of life where I am glad that I am short.

An interesting tidbit... Lou Gigliotti, owner and driver of the LG Motorsports ALMS GT2 Corvette, is a pretty short guy. I think he is like 5'4" or something close to that. His co-driver is well over 6' tall. For reasons of simplicity, quickness in the pits, and to avoid messing with the weight distribution, the LG Corvette has pedals that are attached to servos that allow them to move between two different positions. The tall guy gets in and they push a button which takes the pedals back. LG gets in and they do the opposite.

 

My wife would love that since she drives the "S" sometimes ^

 

Just make sure you have a good bend in your elbows.
With straight arms and locked elbows you have poor control over the car and bumps in the road can cause you to accidently swerve as there is no give in your arms to dampen any impact bumps in the road may have on your body.

 

From what I learned when I attended a performance driving school (Bondurant's in 1997...holy crap, that was more than 10 yrs ago!)...shoulders and back flat against the seat, then your wrists should be able to touch the top of your steering wheel (12' position) with your arms totally straight. Supposedly gives just the right amount of bend when holding at 9 & 3.

I know sports evolve over time and things change...do they still teach that driving position anymore? Or has someone figured out something better?

 

this is what they taught me at mid ohio's high performance driving class last summer