Getting You Ready To Go Fast
It's no wonder people drive VW's hard. Racing is in the VW's DNA. The VW Type 1 Bug and Ghia front and rear suspension began life as a 1930's era Gran Prix race car, the Auto Union P-wagen. The "P" is for Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, who designed the car. VW owners felt (if just subconsciously) the built-in racing geometry and engineering, and added to that was the sportiness of the engine itself, an oversquare, short-stroke configuration required of all sports-racing powerplants.
But before we get into four wheel drifts and hand brake turns, we begin with the basics of seating, steering, and pedals.
SEATING: If you have to brace your leg against the door as you corner, if your torso muscles are flexing and straining to keep you upright as you zigzag through a slalom, you are losing time. The driver has to be seated firmly and comfortably. The seat belts must hold you in and down. The stock seats in your VW are too high and too soft, and your stock seat belts too narrow to help much in wild high-G gyrations. If they're all you have, live with them until you can get better. Your seating posture also matters. An actual set of racing harnesses will pin your shoulders to the seatback, so start getting used to driving with your back fully against the seat. Your arms should extend to the steering wheel with a comfortable bend at the elbows. Your feet should touch the pedals with a comfortable bend at the knees. Do not hunch forward and sit too close to the steering wheel, do not sit so far away so that you cannot comfortably push every pedal all the way down. And you should be able to reach down, and shift into 3rd without stretching.
STEERING: Driving gloves exist for a reason. Smooth plastic or even polished wood steering wheels get slippery if your palms sweat. Lace-on steering wheel covers help, but I've seen them loosen in hand-over-hand slapping as a driver frantically forces the wheel from one side to the other. Thick-rim steering wheels are as much for padding as grip, and you'll be surprised how much of a beating your hands will take from a steering wheel in a race. Driving gloves help. Steering wheel covers help if they're laced on tight. A nice padded wheel, in a small, but not too small a diameter for your leverage and comfort, and good gloves, is just right.
PEDALS: Notice that the VW pedal cluster is closely spaced. The bad news first. The brake and accelerator pedals are so close together that lots of people have to wear narrow shoes so as to not catch the edge of the right shoe on either pedal. The good news is the very closeness of the brake and accelerator make "heel and toe" maneuvers possible. That's when you control the gas with your (right foot) heel and the brake with your (right foot) toes … at the same time. But, we're getting ahead of ourselves. For now, just make sure the pedals have good rubber pads or bolt-on aluminum pads. It is actually possible to have your left foot slip off the clutch as your depress (read: stomp) it, and the clutch pedal spring back up and catch your ankle between the clutch and brake. Awkward. You don't need a pair of Piloti driving shoes yet, but do get a good pair of narrow sneakers with grippy rubber soles and a rounded heel.
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