Splish Splash – taking a spin (or two) – Driver Training

It is pretty much exactly a year ago that I did the last Driver Training. Last year Maggie’s cylinder head gasket blew on the way, and I switched to Miffi – my Mini Cooper – to do the Level 1 training. That was fun and really helped learning to handle the car much better. This year it was finally time to take Maggie for a spin on the ADAC track in Grevenbroich. The day started early, and we had perfect weather conditions. Our group consisted of nine cars – two fast and nice Alfa Romeos, a nicely maintained and tuned VW Golf (this gen), Ralph’s BMW 1802 as well as three Porsche and a Toyata MR2 – oh well and Maggie of course.

Due to some unwanted experiences in the MG with the centrifugal force over the last couple of years – I knew that this training is important and helpful. And I also knew that checking the brakes and tires – especially the rear brakes – is a mandatory preparation. The necessary adjustments were already done two weeks and were tested right away on the first task – but also throughout the day. I was skeptical and believed that the single brake circuit might be a disadvantage – but that was not a noticable the weak spot.

What turned out to be much more challenging than expected is the steering in the MGB. Especially on wet surfaces – the tiniest movement of the steering wheel lets the rear spin out. Two of the unwanted visits on grass-strips I did before the training were on wet tarmac. And after today that a combination of too hefty steering and too much gas was my mistake. During the training you can safely practice how the car behaves and adjust your driving. Below you can see Maggie and me in angles that should not have been exposed to the cameraman if I would have managed better.

The last part of the day is a run on a short circuit. Finding a good line is important but to be honest – with every lap you also try to go a bit faster. What I noticed is that while the tire-profile still looks good on my five-year-old Dunlop Sport Classic – I was losing more grip with every round. In 2024 new tires for Maggie will be important. I just can make up my mind if I go for Dunlop again. the Vredestein Sprint Classic (which I have on my Morgan) or a set of Avon CR6ZZ…ah I am drifting off topic….

Well, drifting on the track is a lot of fun – but not the most important part of a Driver Training. If you drive a classic car – don’t be a fool – attend one of those trainings. Our cars usually do not have ABS, ESP and anything like this. Get to know your car – even – no especially – if you just drive it occasionally. I am already certain that I will do it again next year. Looking forward to seeing you there!