OK, serious answer - all of the above and more.

I've raced for 6 years, before that done trackdays since 1999. Driver training from Don Palmer and others, including a friend of my dad's when I was 17 who was a Police instructor who probably got me a just the right time to have a lasting impression.

Do I have an immunity to fear behind the wheel? Certainly not, nor does any other racer I know, but we know when the risks and mitigated and have the ability to concentrate our efforts elsewhere.
Driving fast doesn't scare me if;
a) It's on track and we're all going in the same direction.
b) Everyone around me has a race licence.
c) The car is caged, and I'm strapped in properly, with helmet, Nomex etc.
Under these circumstances, I'm fastest - especially once I get the competitive spirit and then there's no way any thoughts of 'What if' enter my mind.

Driving fast does scare me to an extent when;
There are people around me with more ego than talent and/or a disregard for others (ie. most trackdays to a greater or lesser extent).
I'm in a road car.
There's stuff coming the other way.
Under these circumstances, I'm at 7 or 8/10ths maximum, I want to have margin for my and more importantly other people's errors.

So I'd say I'm quick on track when it matters (ie. racing) but the rest of the time leave a big margin - most other people's driving scares me.

But it's not all about balls of steel and lots of practice, I've driven cars since I was 7, we had an old Chevette we used to hoon around a field in, and from then onwards I've always loved driving, and have always looked for new experiences in cars.

I never set out to be a quick driver, and I'd never claim to be the quickest on track, but I will have fun in pretty much any car I'm in, in fact any vehicle I'm in.
I always look to try new things, and realised a long time ago that it's not what you drive that makes it fun, but how you drive it - I have raced a 40bhp 2CV and a 450bhp Tuscan, both were enormous fun. I'll try anything I think looks like it might be a laugh, and will have more fun pootling around in the 2CV racer on a trackday than the guy in the M3, and I will be quicker through the corners (we surprised quite a few people on the trackday we took the 2CV on ).

I'm certainly not the quickest on the road and I wouldn't want to be, the thought of crashing a road car scares the bejesus out of me - I've done it and it hurts - there's always a bigger idiot than you out there too, always.

It's about loving driving, and learning through experiencing different types of cars and they way they drive - learning more and more tricks to get the best out of different types of vehicle and applying them to new situations. It's about learning why a car does what it does under certain conditions, and from that applying that knowledge on the road to make your driving safer and on the track to make you quicker.

God I can waffle when I have nothing better to do......

 

Cheers for that Mark and feel free to waffle all you like

It's always good to get views from people who genuinely know the score; more often than not people who have been involved in MSport and as you say above, leave the performance driving for the track.

In honesty I'm a circuit racer at heart and the S is really a comprimise for me; a bloody good comprimise but nevertheless a comprimise because if things were different for me I'd be road driving an eco-box and would buy into the lotus7-alike or something similar for track use and potentially later down the line get my racing license and have a go. As it stands atm I have nowhere to put a dedicated track toy so the S is my comprimise as a daily driver/occasional track car.

Maybe down the line my circumstances will change and I'll buy into the track scene fully.

A good firnd of mine recently built an MNR lotus7-alike with an R1 motor with the intention of hitting the trackday scene and then moving onto club racing in the RGB series; It pained me almost to see him do this as it's something I so desperately want to do. One day perhaps

 

You could sprint the S - lots of people do it in roadcars with very little modification (just a bar to break the timing beam).

http://www.britishsprint.org/GETTING%20STA...20SPRINTING.htm

 

hehe; I wouldn't dare use my road car for balls-to-the-walls competion use; too nervous of trying that bit too hard (which I would) and stoving it. It'd have to be a track toy that I dont rely on everyday.

Just watched a bunch of Kartaphilos's sprints on Youtube; a few big moments but good on him for showing it in the raw. Certainly looks to be really pushing hard.

Big armfull of opposite lock at Lydden that'd have had me in the scenery most likely
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9XNkku6C9DM

and this off at Bentwaters which had me tensing up for impact here on the sofa
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bc66-LJRfxg

 

You could enter the Classic class in the graduates caterham series for not many pennies.... can't we tempt you....

 

Didn't notice the question.

There's two reasons for me being considered handy at the wheel. One is all to do with "internet reputation"

But the other is that I am reasonably handy behind the wheel. But it's big fish in small pond.

I had intended to race this year, but spent 4 months unemployed last year which ate into my racing fund maybe next year. I'll race this year if someone will fund me.

I started in karts about 8, driving on the grass in teh back yard on slicks. So I understand rwd pretty well and just because the back end slips I don't panic. So the early start definitely helped.

I also grew up in lincolnshire. Open roads, no traffic, high speeds.

There's 3 essential ingredients to going quickly in a non race perspective:
Practice
Feeling
control
racing line

Feeling is knowing the attitude of the car, understand how transferring the weight of the car front to back/side to side etc affects grip. Knowing at what point a car is going to let go. All cars talk to you, even the supposedly non-talkative S2000, it's all about listening to it though. Some are just harder to listen to. Practice helps.

Control is knowing exactly how to respond to a situation by instinct. Hence the practice coming first. The best example of how I knew I was an ok driver was the car going sideways at 110mph through craners at donington. I panicked in the back of my head, but I the rest of me just took over and got the job done, not lifting and correcting the steering a little. Practice helps you ingrain this into you.

Lastly, when you know how to feel and control the car, understanding the racing line, knowing that braking later is not necessarily quicker, understanding that it's usually about maximising your terminal speed on the fastest straights, at that point. At that point understanding the racing line is useful.

I've seen people going slowly on the perfect racing line. And I've seen people with excellent car control not knowing where to put the car on the track. The former is more common though.

Some people call me brave. But I'm not. I'm just more aware of what the car can do.

The only real times I have are for the ring, and I don't have accurate ones, but I can do circa 8:30 in the S2000 and 8:15 in teh M3. Which aren't bad.

I'm happy to answer any questions, and I'm happy to demonstrate in person at any track. I'm a bit skint, but will happily drive someone else's car

 

I can confirm that Chilled's driving is better than his counting.

I think a huge part of being a fast driver on the track is being comfortable with the car, it's limits, your limits and how the car will react.

I'm sure I'm not as fast a Chilled (don't tell him that!) but then again I only did my first track day in 2006 and have only done 6 in total... I think I'm plenty quick enough given my experience.

It's not knowing the car limits which slow me down. I tend to push that extra little bit each lap, where as the likes of Chilled seem to know where that limit is instinctively.

I've not been in a car with MarkB driving, but he has passengered with me and the advice he gave hit nail on head which is more than can be said for some of the instruction I have received (ask Chilled about my lesson at Anglesey!).

Both Chilled and MarkB are comfortable with the car, it's limits, their limits and how the car will react. I suspect if you focus on these things, your track enjoyment and speed will probably increase.

The easiest way of doing this is some decent training (Andy Walsh and Don Palmer seem popular) and then doing some well organised track days on a forgiving track.

 

I agree,

As a relative trackday newcomer, I think I'm up to about 10 now, I find I'm getting better at practice, line and, to a certain extent, control. I've become a fair bit quicker without a doubt.

On track instruction has been very useful in this aspect and has vastly increased my enjoyment of track days as well as my speed.

I've also found "Going Faster" by Skip Barber very helpful. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Faster-Maste...33705111&sr=8-2 although some sections are for racers only really.

However, I really lack knowledge of finding the beginning of "the limit" and stepping over it. Also, controlling/recovering when the "limit" is breached is an area I lack skill. I guess this is where Don Palmer would help me the most.

 

Chilled, What happened at Anglesey

Thanks chaps; It's always really easy to think you are a good driver and it's really refreshing to find that most people on here are quite honest about thier ability.

As I've said before, I'm pretty much a novice with the practical stuff and am reasonably clued up with the theory (I've also bought a number of books over the years LG, think I have the Skip Barber one).

I will at some point this year attend a training day with one of the various instruction outfits that have been mentioned in this thread as I feel I would come on leaps and bounds if I can overcome the fear of overstepping my limit (which I have done quite a few times on track resulting in close calls, especially at the Ring where I really dont know how I didnt hit anything twas a miracle and no mistake) and having the cool mindedness and skill to control the car when I do.

So, getting back to the OP's original post (apologies for sidelining the thread) generally Don Palmer gets the biggest thumbs up by the sounds of it? I'll take a look at the courses that he runs.

 

One day perhaps Dreamer; I very nearly signed up to do the academy a number of years ago; Contacted Caterham with my credit card quivering in my hand They sent me to Croft to test a car which was a great day out. I had to be realistic though and common sense prevailed (Damn f**kin common sense) as I have no garage so the pipe dream never went any further.

I need a solution to 'where to put a track car' and realistically it's gonna mean moving house, and atm thats not something I'd even contemplate until the world gets back to normality.