Crossover From Mx5 to R/T

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by GEORGE

How can drivers switch from one type of car to another and get up to speed quickly. Or, for that matter, never get up to speed.

George,
I've had your question on the backburner for some time, so today I'll reply.

I enjoyed Pat's comments, and would like to add I think it has a lot to do with experience in each car, and experience overall. If a driver has a lot of experience in both MX-5's and Formula cars, it should be easy to transition between the two, given a short warmup to re-calibrate. Or, if a driver has many years of expert experience overall, learning new cars (or new tracks for that matter) takes much less time.

Yes, the H-pattern shifter vs. a sequential can be a real challenge. But, my point is that if you have a lot of experience in both, swapping between the two is pretty straightfoward.

A couple winters ago I tested my client's USF2000 car for the first time. At that time, those cars were still using a 4-speed h-pattern gearbox. I was able to shift it easily as if I had driven it for years. I give credit to my years driving the old Skip Barber school cars with their 4-speed h-pattern non-synchromesh boxes.

When switching between cars that are vastly different you'll adapt to differences in power delivery, weight management, brake response, overall grip, shifting, etc. Each of these adaptations are truly a matter of experience.

Age of the driver is less a factor. Even older drivers can catch up on experience and switch cars more easily.

Good question. Would love to see more replies on this one.