Inspired by all the "upgrade my car" talk...

I used to think I knew how to drive. The "stock" S2000 wasn't "fast" enough for me. We added a supercharger and gears. We added progressively more expensive / nicer / faster cars to our stable.

Then we attended an Audi driving event and were quickly shown that we SUCKED as drivers. We started autocrossing and we were terrible drivers. After the first season, we worked hard and improved to become crappy drivers.

After a winter of karting and another season of autocross, we're now mediocre drivers. This season of karting I'm holding my own.

But the thing I've noticed... the fast autocross guys... are fast karting guys. They're also fast in any car they drive. That's pretty darn cool. But it also makes anyone crappily driving a "fast car" look silly. "Your Viper got beaten by an 89 Civic on street tires!"

I'm a believer now and respect the driver more than the tool.
While before, I thought of cars like guns... specs rule and pull the trigger and go! Now I think of cars like violins... the fiddle gets respect, but the skill of the musician is what really matters.

So these days, I don't care very much about the next "latest and greatest" car as I'm still a mediocre driver. I enjoy my driving a lot more and an unmodified S2000 is more than enough to make me happy in my daily driving.

I'm still reminded of the time I was filling up at the gas station in our autocross car (had vinyl numbers that were "permanent") and a Nissan Silvia pulled in just to talk about cars. He asked the standard ricer questions: "How much horsepower? Is it fast? Have I taken it to the drag strip?" I smiled and answered his questions. Then I asked him if he's been to the track or an autocross. He smirked and said something derisive about not being a "cone chaser" or something like that.

Of course, he followed me out of the gas station lot and we were at a left-hand turn. I hit it decently and carried good speed while he's stuck with understeer and a poor early-apex line. I wait for him at the next light and ask, "Was that okay?"

He sheepishly said, "It was okay."

But seriously, fast drivers are fast anywhere. In any car. In most different types of motorsports. If the Silvia driver had showed up to an autocross, dominated everyone... and THEN decided that it was boring, then great.

But to go out, suck, and then boost your car more to try and win street races? What's the point? Just buy a motorcycle and beat everyone. Where's the fun / pride in that?

So I ask all the people who are constantly in search of "faster cars..." are you a fast driver?

And if you don't have objective proof / evidence that you have driving skill:
1. You probably don't.
2. Why not?

 

Ask yourself a question - what's the fastest car in the world? Ask another - can I afford it? If not, stick to making yourself a better driver rather than having a faster car, because there will always be a faster car, and its more fun to beat a person on a course than a car - you can gloat afterwards!

These days an Accord is almost faster than an S2000, and its certainly more powerful, but I have yet to have any Accord driver keep up with me after the first bend in the road.

And fwiw, attending a couple autocross events, particularly a school for learning autocross, is the most effective way to become a better driver - you'll learn how to handle a car better than in any other situation imo.

 

Well put!

Faster driver for sure!

Anyone can get a faster car, but being able to capitalize on owning one is the most important aspect of sports car ownership.

 

fast driver for me! i like being the underdog with the car and beating cars that are more expensive

 

You can always tell folks who have never participated in a auto-x event or track day. Those who have are in a totally different frame of mind. They've witnessed cars that are supposed to be "slow" driven by drivers who are skilled. They've witnessed cars cars that are supposed to be fast with alot of hp driven by drivers that are unskilled.

Back in '03, I was at WSIR spectating a track day. There's was a driver in the advanced group with a '02-'08(?) body style Nissan Altima. All he had was upgraded tires. He passed so many modded cars in that run group I lost count. He didn't have the fastest lap times in the run group but he definitely made his point known!

It really does something to you.

 

to be fair, tires are the biggest handling upgrade you can do to a car

...but great example!

One thing I hate though, is when people think HPDEs are a "race" I had a guy come up to me after a session (From the novice group) ask me "Why didnt you pass that Ferrari? That would have been so sick!"

I replied "you arent supposed to be passing anyone here today, unless it is in the straight, and I can only do that if he LETS me"

He simply said "I would have" and walked away

 

I was PM'ing someone about untimed HPDEs being similar to Street Racing... you can't make any assumptions about what the other person's intentions are and if you're going "all out" you're just smoking crack.

I was joking that I was going to put some skinny street tires on the S2000 and drive it like our ITC car to get some data for an upcoming W2W race, but then someone would post, "ZOMG! I beat that modified S2000!!!!!"

 

lol exactly

 

Fast cars are for drag racing, Fast drivers are for autocrossing.

Most people assume fast as drag racing and nothing else.

 

I bought the S2k because I thought there was alot it could teach me as a driver..

I was right