Driving in the Real World

Race Drivers are acknowledged experts at high speeds on a track. But how do they drive on the street? Do they use their extraordinary talents to blast past unsuspecting motorists or do they mosey along like sheep, obeying the speed limit? To find out, we asked a panel of past and present hot shoes, including Danny Sullivan, Dan Gurney, Bobby Rahal and Kevin Cogan (see page 173 for a complete list of drivers and their credentials), to tell us how they drive to survive off the track.

Playboy: What's your advice to people who want to improve their street driving?

Kevin Cogan: The key to racing is concentration and awareness--and it's just as true on the street. Let's face it: Driving on the street can be monotonous, so you have to force yourself to pay attention. Half of the people out there are daydreaming. Fortunately, that never happens on a track. Another thing: Most people don't know their car's capability. Some hot-shots think they know, but they haven't a clue. If more people took performance-driving courses, they'd be able to practice in snap-judgment situations and they'd be better drivers.

Lyn St. James: Concentration, pure and simple. My friends get annoyed at me, because when I'm driving, I (continued on page 122)Driving(continued from page 118) don't talk with them. To me, driving is very important business, so that's where my mind is concentrated.

Racers use 100 percent of their concentration on the track. Admittedly, street driving doesn't take that kind of effort. It probably demands about 50 to 60 percent of a person's concentration. But most people are using only a 20 percent level. Just think of how much better their driving would be if they could double that percentage.

Another thing: Many people drive with just one hand on the steering wheel. You'd never do that on the track--you'd lose too much control. Always keep both of your hands on the wheel, in a ten-o'clock and two-o'clock position. Check your mirrors and scan your instruments on a regular basis. If you stay alert and keep those faculties moving, you'll see most problems before they develop.

Bobby Rahal: I tell people to drive defensively. You can't predict whether or not other drivers on the street know what they're doing, so you'd better assume they don't. And take good care of your car. An improperly maintained car is as dangerous as an unqualified driver. Little things such as tire pressure can be critical. If you feel that there's something strange about your car, have it checked out right away.

Bob Bondurant: Fast drivers on the track are usually very, very smooth. To cut a series of quick laps, you have to do the same thing over and over again, faster and faster. It's the same on the street. Smoothness and consistency influence every aspect of driving--and, with it, your life on the road. Rough driving breaks traction, cuts down on braking efficiency and quickly wears you and your car out. Smoothness and concentration require a lot of self-discipline. It's more than just an aspect of driving technique, it's a state of mind. It's the way you handle the steering wheel, the alert way you sit, the way you ease off or on the brakes and throttle. Smoothness is everything you do in the car. I tell my students if they want to win, smoothness and concentration are essential--and it's just as true on the street.

Bertil Rods: The goal in racing is to drive as quickly as you can. But on the highway, it's to stay as far as possible from problems. There are a lot of fast drivers, and most of them haven't a clue about how to stop in a hurry. Race drivers know that the brake pedal upsets the balance of a car more than anything else. Most people get into big trouble when they try to stop fast. The key to fast driving is to be an expert at slowing down. Along with that, I train students to develop their own early-warning system. Most people drive with their eyes focused too close to the front of the car. Drivers should learn to expand their field of vision, to avoid surprises and overreaction.

Dan Gurnf.Y: Even an average driver can be more capable if he keeps one thing in mind: Anticipation is 100 times better than reaction. Watch your fellow drivers and try to anticipate what they're doing. That way, you'll have the time you need to avoid problems.

Here's how: As you're driving, observe the scene in front of you. Check continuously to see if your speed is safe for existing conditions. When you see a possible problem, such as entering a street with two-way traffic or approaching a side street with a car that could pull out, slow down to give yourself more time to react. Now, instead of having to maneuver suddenly, you're anticipating a possible problem--and you're ready, if need be, to do something about it.

How many times have you been a passenger in a car when you've seen something start to develop before the driver sees it? It gives you an uneasy feeling--almost like an electric shock. You think that if you'd been driving, you'd have done something much sooner. Well, that's the kind of extra time you'll have when you begin to anticipate. Instead of making a mad stab at the brakes or a swerving change of direction, you'll be able to do whatever's required.

One more point to remember: A lot of people put their trust in invisible barriers--such as a stop sign or a solid white line painted on the pavement. Most of your fellow drivers are pretty distracted. Do you really want to gamble that they'll obey the rules? I usually assume if people can screw up, they will, so I second-guess a lot and drive accordingly. Look, even if an accident is the other guy's fault, it's still an accident.

Skip Barber: Pay attention. On the street, at relatively low speeds, if there's an accident, you might dent a fender. On the track, a mistake at 200 miles per hour means something's going to happen in a big way. To avoid accidents, racers learn the art of concentration, and the good ones never forget it.

Chip Robinson: I frequently give lectures on driving safety to high school students, and I remind them of the differences between fast driving on the track--with all its controls and safety devices--and driving on the street, where there are very few aids. Younger drivers, especially, have to understand why there are separate rules for both situations and why reckless driving on the street is irresponsible and dangerous. Attendance at a race-driving school is a big help, too. Everything you learn applies to street driving--car control, braking, cornering. Even when you're not at racing speeds, these skills are important. To be a good street driver, you have to learn car control.

Patty Moise: I agree. If you can afford it, take a professional driving course. Most people panic when they're in trouble, because they've never had a chance to practice reacting in an emergency. Suddenly, there they are, out of control. On a school track, you can learn how to recover from a spin, and you can often take your own car, which will help you become more familiar with it.

Dominic Dobson: Two things. The first is short and simple--pay better attention. Have more respect for your driving. You can't possibly be effective if your mind is somewhere else. Next, I agree with those drivers who recommend a professional high-performance-driving course. That's the best way I know to learn the capabilities of the car and to discover your own ability. In a controlled situation on a track, you'll develop the skills you need for the street. And you'll do it in a memorable way.

Playboy: Where do you feel safer--on the track or on the street?

Danny Sullivas: I definitely feel safer on the track. Racers are very focused on their driving. I drove a taxicab in New York City for a while. On those mean streets, I learned very early on that you've got to drive defensively--and be very, very lucky--or you won't survive.

Rahal: No question about it, I feel much safer on a race track. Just look at all the built-in safety factors: driving suits, fire equipment, flagmen, doctors on standby--and the cars have roll bars, shoulder harnesses and fire protection. There are few safety features in cars on the street.

Dobson: On the track, you're driving with highly qualified people. On the street, for the most part, you're surrounded by incompetents. My advice is, Never assume anything about the other drivers on the road. Expect them to screw up. Drive defensively and stay alert.

Bondurant: I feel safer on the track, because my senses are heightened, my concentration is way, way up and everyone is going in the same direction. On the street, you can easily lapse into the never-never land of radio, billboards, flashy cars and attractive pedestrians.

St. James: Driving on the street is infinitely more frustrating than driving on a racecourse. I live in Florida, where there are a lot of elderly people and tourists. It's (continued on page 172)Driving(continued from page 122) nothing for a driver there to wander across three lanes at once! You've got to be ready to stop suddenly--or to be able to quickly maneuver your way out of danger.

Robinson: The track is a much more tightly controlled situation than the street. And in a race, despite the obvious danger, you're surrounded by superbly conditioned, sober drivers who know how to control their cars. On the track, you know your competition, and you know who to watch out for. On the street, it's usually one unpleasant surprise after another.

Playboy: How do you drive on the street?

Rahal: I'm a pretty conservative driver now, but that wasn't always the case. After the wild way I drove when I was in college, it's a miracle I'm here today. I realized that was crazy and, besides, I get my share of track time these days.

Moise: I was always kind of wild, but now I work out all my aggressions on the track.

Robin Mc Call-Dallenbach: I usually want to go fast, but Wally [her husband, two-time Trans Am Series champion Wally Dallenbach, Jr.] drives even faster than I do. He gets frustrated going 55. I do, too.

Bill Buff: I don't drive fast on the street anymore. About a year ago, on a highway in Upstate New York, three Porsches went by in a convoy and just blew my doors off. I thought, That looks like fun, so I chased them at 90-plus speeds. Just outside Bing-hamton, six state-police cars, returning from a drug bust, nailed us all. After the tickets and heavy fines, I've decided it just isn't worth it.

Bondurant: I find street driving pretty dull. So to help my concentration, I often look for the correct racing line adapted to street use and follow it. You don't have to speed to do this--and it's a very good way to perfect your driving skills as well as to stay focused.

Playboy: Has the just-rescinded 55-mile-per-hour limit helped or hurt American drivers?

Gurney: Since the 55-mile-per-hour limit was imposed, there's been a real decay in driving discipline. People here used to drive more like Europeans--with the faster traffic staying in the left lane. Now we still have unrealistic speed limits passed by politicians that have very little to do with safety.

Barber: I'll admit it, I break the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit frequently. It's just a revenue enhancer that's given us a new generation of terrible drivers. The slow lane is simply gone and, what's worse, we've lost all sense of highway discipline.

Sullivan: The 55-mile-per-hour limit was ridiculous. That's why I try to keep a sedate car in the States, and it's why I really like driving in Europe. Being able to drive at those higher speeds overseas is the main reason European drivers are so much better than the average American.

Cogan: I've never been in favor of the 55-mile-per-hour limit. On many rural highways, it's just not necessary. I'm glad to see that it's being raised to 65 miles per hour in some places. It's about time.

Bondurant: When we started driving at 55 miles per hour, I remember thinking there were suddenly all these houses and scenery I'd never seen before. My mind slowed down so much, it began to wander. That's what happens to most people on the highways today. They just plunk their fannies in the car and tool on down the road, thinking about everything but driving. And, what's worse, they don't know how to avoid accidents, so they almost always overreact in emergencies by jumping on the brakes, locking up the wheels, losing traction and going off the road. I can't overemphasize the importance of learning how to squeeze on the brakes, keeping yourself out of a skid situation. Some of today's cars offer an antilock brake system. If all cars had it, you'd probably eliminate about 70 percent of accidents.

Rods: The 55-mile-per-hour rule was completely wrong. It's too slow for the interstates, and it is too fast for many small roads. But, worst of all, it's turned people into criminals.

Playboy: When you're in a high-performance car on the road, do you drive faster?

Sullivan: Absolutely!

Moise: I drive a quick street car, but it's not the same as racing. After all, "fast" is a relative term when you've been driving at 190 miles per hour. On the other hand, 55 miles per hour seems real slow. I end up driving a little quicker on the street than most people.

McCall-Dallenbach: I always want to be in front of other people. When the lights change, I like to be the first one away. I'm not reckless, but I sure don't drive at 55 miles per hour.

St.James: I'm not a slow driver and I don't drive slow cars. When I pull up after a quick trip, the car is usually panting. But compared with the track, even high speeds on the street are very tame. I've got a new five-speed Thunderbird Turbo Coupé, and I drive it fast!

Cogan: I've never really driven a high-performance car that impressed me--and I've driven them all. After a 225-mile-per-hour race car, there's just no comparison. Sometimes, I drive a little faster to see what a car feels like; but, overall, I'm really pretty conservative on the road.

Rahal: I had a new Ferrari Testarossa, and while I won't say I was always going 55 miles per hour in it, I didn't drive at 125 miles per hour, either. I did take it out to the boonies once in a while to run it fast, but even there, you're just not as safe as you are in a race car on a track.

Barber: Sure. Any time you put a good driver in a decent car, he's gonna do it. I've got a BMW 635CSi and I drive it quickly, but I probably drive just as fast if I'm in a Corolla. People with driving ability will always go quickly. Put Bobby Rahal in a Tempo and you'd still see speed.

Robinson: Generally, the answer is yes. Right after a race, I don't have much ambition to go fast. But I've noticed that the longer I'm out of a race car, the more aggressive I am in a street car.

Rods: I know I drive more quickly than the average person, and what's slow for me is probably fast for most people. An expert driver adjusts his speed to the existing conditions--you don't just go fast everywhere.

Dobson: I have a Porsche 911, and in that car, or any sports car, you stand out like a sore thumb. So I don't drive at 100 miles per hour and I try not to draw attention to myself. When I want to really make time, I use my old nondescript Datsun beater. But I just don't get a thrill out of driving fast on the street anymore. If somebody comes up and obviously wants to play, I generally back away.

Playboy: As a racing driver, do you get special treatment if you're stopped for speeding?

St. James: I never get off. Once, I was stopped for speeding and I even had my driving suit and my helmet in the car. I told the cop I was late for practice. He just smiled and gave me a ticket anyway.

Buff: Not ever. Here's an example: A friend and I were driving home from Wat-kins Glen in a Porsche a few years ago when we were pulled over. The cop saw our helmets and driving suits, and he knew where we'd been. "I followed you for a while," he said, "and you're really a fine driver. But, since I'd already decided to g ive you a ticket, here it is."

McCall-Dallenbach: The cops couldn't care less if you're a racer or not. I get tickets, just like everyone else.

Rahal: I've never gotten special treatment. I haven't been stopped in quite a while, but I suspect that if I were, I might get some very unspecial treatment.

Cogan: I haven't had a ticket in seven years, so it's hard to say. I suppose how you're treated would depend on whether or not the cop were a race fan. Chances are, if he were a fan of mine, I might not get a ticket. If he were a Bobby Rahal fan, I'd probably get the summons.

People get in trouble when they stop fast. The key to fast driving is to be an expert at slowing down."

Driving In The Real World's" Wild Bunch

Skip Barber: This ex-racer doles out racing knowledge at tracks in 14 states from his headquarters at the Skip Barber Racing School in Canaan, Connecticut.

Bob Bondurant: Former racer Bob Bondurant's School of High Performance Driving at Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma, California, is a mecca for would-be driving experts.

Bill Buff: The maven of Mercedes, pro rally driver Buff coaches Mercedes-Benz salespeople on the art of fast driving at his Long Branch, New Jersey-based Concept Learning Systems school.

Kevin Cogan: An Indy-car racer and Playboy Products spokesperson, Cogan finished the 1986 1 7-race Indy series in sixth place, winning the Dana 200 along the way.

Dominic Dobson: The owner of Zephyr Racing was the 1986 Championship Auto Racing Teams Indy-car Rookie of the Year.

Dan Gurney: Gurney is currently fielding an International Motor Sports Association (I.M.S.A.) GTO team, after making his mark in Formula I, National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing and the Indy-car circuit.

Robin McCall-Dallenbach: In an Oldsmobile Toronado, McCall-Dallenbach represents Dallenbach Racing in I.M.S.A.'s American Challenge Series.

Patty Moise: A Buick is her choice of wheels in the rough-and-tumble world of the Busch Grand National stock-car competition.

Bobby Rahal: 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner, C.A.R.T. champion and Driver of the Year, Rahal finished first six times in 1986. He was also on our panel of experts for Cars '87: The Best (Playboy, May).

Chip Robinson: Winner of I.M.S.A.'s GTP 24 hours of Daytona, Robinson is also a veteran of Le Mans.

Bertil Roos: A well-known racing veteran, Roos owns The Bertil Roos School of High Performance Driving in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania.

Lyn St. James: She holds the current women's closed-course speed record at 204.223 mph in a Ford Probe but prefers a speedy Mustang while competing in I.M.S.A. GTO races.

Danny Sullivan: 1985 Indy 500 winner as well as the winner of seven Indy-car races in the past three seasons, Sullivan broke in as Can-Am Rookie of the Year in 1981 and set an earnings record during his Indy-title year.