driving position

[geesus69]

not sure if this is in the right section

but what is your preferred driving position for track/race driving?

me and my brother are in disagreement as to what is best in the clio, (part of the problem being he has slightly longer legs than me ) it has a snap off steering wheel boss, which brings the wheel closer to you by around 5cm

therefore i would rather sit closer to the pedals/wheel, meaning when i press the clutch to the floor my knee has a slight bend on it still and my arms are fairly bent when holding the wheel, he wants to sit further away meaning my leg is totally straight when pressing the clutch to the floor (almost to the point of being awkward) and my arms are straighter when holding the wheel

his arguement is that you dont need to press the clutch to the floor, just enough to release it. but from what i have seen on tv and pictures, race car drivers (touring cars and the like) sit very close to the wheel, presumeably for a better feel? granted they all probably have pedal boxes meaning they dont have to stretch to use the clutch etc, but it makes more sense to me to sit closer to the wheel

what i have been trying to explain to him is that when tanking it round a track, you want to feel totally at ease in the car, without having to stretch or strain for any controls, plus with a bigger bend on your arms it is easier to man handle the manual steering

i know most of this is down to personal preference, but there will be 2 of us driving this things, so we have to come to a compromise, sadly

 

[geesus69]

for your consideration........ (fill in the blanks due to the swear filter)

http://ll.speedhunters.com/u/f/eaga...es/AndyBlackmore/GALLERY/c**kpit/cp_bmwuk.jpg


http://ll.speedhunters.com/u/f/eaga.../AndyBlackmore/GALLERY/c**kpit/cp_chilton.jpg

this is the sort of position i would want to be in!

 

[Greeny.]

therefore i would rather sit closer to the pedals/wheel, meaning when i press the clutch to the floor my knee has a slight bend on it still and my arms are fairly bent when holding the wheel, he wants to sit further away meaning my leg is totally straight when pressing the clutch to the floor (almost to the point of being awkward) and my arms are straighter when holding the wheel

I will be doing basicly this when I start doing track days next year.

 

[H182]

I sit close like you, everyday infact, as you never know when someone wants a blast I feel more in control of the car.

Bit of a bugger getting in and out though, I twatted my knee on the steering column this morning.

 

[richy22]

I found sitting closer I didnt feel as comfortable when I did my trackdays this year. I had it closer then I have it for normal driving but not as close as the piccies you linked

 

[ianeire]

Your reasoning is far more sound than his. When sitting in the seat, strapped in, you should be able to rest your wrist on the top of the wheel.

 

[SlowLow&Sideways]

closer with arms bent. if ur arms are out straight you lose feel through the wheel as ur putting more strain on ur arms. but you also what to sit low down in the car. making the centre of gravity as low as possible.

 

[geesus69]

cheers for all your comments, i will be moving the seat back to where it was (closer) asap, he will just have to deal with it! lol

closer with arms bent. if ur arms are out straight you lose feel through the wheel as ur putting more strain on ur arms. but you also what to sit low down in the car. making the centre of gravity as low as possible.

another good point, i had the seat very low and tilted backwards ever so slightly, it felt awesome, like sitting on the floor, he said it was too low and so i have raised it up

i will be putting that back to how it was aswell! lmao

 

[clio_luke]

i sit fairly close anyway, gives a good feel of the car imo. arms bent like you said. knee is still slightly bent when fully down on clutch. dont like the feeling of having to 'reach' for the clutch.

 

[LouisQ]

For track days i would say its always bolt upright with bent arms at quarter to 3 on the wheel. If your legs are to close heel-toe becomes difficult and so does clutch control

 

[MarcoB]

When Im hossing I sit like the first pic but general driving I sit like the second pic. I want to see exactly what Im aiming for when Im turning at speed.

 

[Alex H]

Chilton's driving position looks about where I'd want to be too. Put just half a turn of lock on with one arm, from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock and there should still be a significant bend in your elbow. If your arm straightens at any point, you're too far away and won't be in full control.