How to become a better driver on track

In order to be eligible to compete in motorsport events you need a race license, and you earn one of those by completing your ARDS Test. Once you’ve done that, the world truly is your oyster when it comes to forging your own path in motorsport.

Having successfully completed my ARDS Test at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, I knew I wasn’t in a position to get out on track and start competing right away. For a start, I didn’t have a car, or any kind of funding to go about racing. But that didn’t stop me from taking my own next steps in my new life as a qualified racing driver.

In many ways that was a blessing, because it prevented me from rushing into something that really I didn’t know anything about. So instead, I took the opportunity to expand my knowledge and ensure that, were the day to ever arrive, I would be fully prepared for my first proper motor racing experience.

That opportunity came in the form of the Advanced ARDS course, a bespoke day of tuition aimed at turning you from someone who can race into someone who knows how to race. And that is a grand distinction, because the difference between driving, and driving fast, is massive.

Honing your ability behind the wheel

The day begins with a refresher on the important stuff. No driver can head out on track without a clear and safe understanding of the proper etiquette and flag systems. The Advanced ARDS is no different, and I had to complete a quick written test to prove I was up to scratch on the theory.

This was also a chance to learn a little more about how a race meeting works, what I would expect from turning up at a race track, and what I would need to make sure I was properly prepared. As part of that, my instructor carried out an inspection of my race equipment, overalls, boots, gloves, etc.

With that completed, it was time to sit down to get an understanding of what I wanted to achieve out of my day. This was, after all, a session dedicated to my development. In my eyes, I wanted to be a faster, more competent driver. My goal was to be able to turn up to a race track and know that I could compete. This is where the bespoke element of the day begins.

Before heading out on track, my instructor, who had extensive experience as a racing driver, talked me through the deeper aspects of what it takes to drive fast.

First up was weight transfer, the idea that moving the weight of the car around could be used to my advantage. That could then be drilled down further to the tyres, and how you can manipulate contact patches to maximise grip.

We went through a map of the Motor Circuit in minute detail, mapping out almost metre by metre what I would be attempting to do with the car, and how I would go about controlling its behaviour to complete the fastest possible lap time.

It’s a more involved way of driving. You’re no longer just sitting in the car; you’re making it dance to your tune.

Getting out on track

There are few more exhilarating experiences than heading out of the pitlane at Goodwood, but that was heightened by the concentration on my performance in the car, and ultimately improving my lap times over the course of the day. There’s nothing like a bit of pressure to focus your thoughts and this is perhaps the greatest benefit of the Advanced ARDS process. Although you’re out there in a non-competitive capacity, my mindset on this day closely replicated that of a race weekend.

So, I got to work, thinking about the nuance of my inputs with the brakes, the steering and the throttle, feeling the impact they were having on the behaviour of the car. Within two or three laps I got a very clear understanding of the inefficiencies of my driving style and just how much room for improvement there was.

That in itself was an empowering moment, as my mind was opened to a reservoir of potential that suddenly I was able to tap into.

It happened gradually, but I slowly began to put the theory into practice. Maximising the braking zones, and easing those brakes into the corners to improve front end grip and sharpen up the turn in, which allowed me to straighten the car up that much quicker to get the power on.

There’s no better feeling than feeling yourself getting faster and faster lap by lap, and you get a sense that, no matter how long you spend out on track, it’s a learning curve that will never stop. There’s always more time to find, and as the day wore on I got to appreciate every racing driver’s relentless search for the perfect lap.

It’s all about fluency, and that only comes with track time, which is what made the Advanced ARDS course so valuable to me. I was sharing the Motor Circuit with a number of track day visitors, and there was me at the wheel of Goodwood’s John Cooper Works Mini Cooper, mixing it with Porsche 911s and the like. By the time my first hour in the car was coming to an end, I was hanging on to the back of far more capable machinery, which proved to me the value of what I was doing.

Developing an understanding

Equally as valuable, however, was the time we spent over lunch evaluating my performance. Driving on a track is one of those things that’s easy to learn but incredibly difficult to master, so taking time to dive into the fine detail is hugely important.

If you have the tools available your instructor will help you to analyse your telemetry, so you can see in black and white how you’re driving lap by lap, corner by corner, and where you might be losing time.

It’s a great way to further your understanding of what you’re doing when you’re in the car, and especially useful to point out mistakes you might not even be aware you’re making. I was getting drawn in to what the car ahead of me was doing, so I found myself subconsciously braking and turning in too early, which is of course a huge compromise to lap time. This kind of input is invaluable if you want to maximise your success on the track.

Preparing for race day

But it’s not all about lap times when it comes to being a racing driver. One thing that the standard ARDS test doesn’t teach you is how to actually race, and perhaps the most important element of that is the start.

Now, anyone like me has certainly carried out the odd ‘practice start’ at a set of traffic lights, but reacting to the flag dropping at the start of a race is not something that you can particularly prepare for in your own time.

Obviously, it’s one of the more important elements of racing, your race can be ruined by a bad start, and I had the chance to get a bit of practice in after lunch – from pole position of course.

Practice is the only real secret here; every car is different when it comes to clutch, throttle and gear setup, so tuning in to the parameters of the car you’re driving is key. Knowing how many revs to hold, how sharply you can dump the clutch and how quickly you’ll need to grab second gear are all things you’ll get to grips with, and then it's just a case of repeat, repeat, repeat.

I had something like eight attempts to simulate a race start, but it would take hundreds of attempts before I’d be anywhere near consistent off the line. It’s an addictive practice, and one that you could spend a whole day on if you wanted to.

Getting that first signature on your race license

At the end of all this, the goal is to showcase that you understand the nuances of driving on a race track. You’ve already shown you can be trusted behind the wheel of a racing car by passing the ARDS test, but earning a signature on your race license isn’t just a case of turning up on the day. That signature is a symbol of skill and understanding, so receiving my first accolade on my own race license was a proud moment.

Before I’d completed this day out on track, I felt like I could go out and start racing if I wanted to, but walking away at the end of it, that feeling had developed into an assurance that I would be able to turn up and compete with confidence.

I was demonstrably a better driver, with the vision and understanding to go on and continue to improve with the key principles now embedded in my mind. In the space of just a few hours I’d evolved from a driver to a racer. If you’re serious about racing, this is arguably the best £899 you could ever spend.

Photography by Joe Harding.