New to co-driving

[Josh Barnes]

Hello everyone,

My name is Josh and I will be co-driving for a new team this year. I was hoping if any one has been a driver or co-driver or currently is one, could give some pointers. ie what the different responsibility's are, what is the best way to communicate, etc... any info will be good info.

Thanks for the help.

 

[george.felix]

 

[jakecarver91]

Watch the mirrors and make sure you pull over when caught! That's the biggest failed responsibility of a co dog. Other than that, call corners and hold on lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[george.felix]

I think the worse thing you can do is annoy the driver....whatever that means varies from driver to driver. Personally, I'm not fond of a lot of discussion about a corner we blew 2 miles back......a simple "my bad" is good for me. The other thing is being really good to the point I rely on you then you miss a hard corner coming out of a fast section.....I hate it when that happens! Lol Then I have to start paying closer attention again.

It seems like a lot harder job than driving to me. You have a ton of responsibility and no control. Trying to manage the gps.....I'd probably erase the course map banging into buttons.

 

[kornfed]

George is spot on. It is all about what is in front of you. Also know the equipment inside and out. You need to know how the GPS works and what to do when it doesn't, how to fix the normal issues (Tires, Belts, Axles, Hubs), know how to communicate to your driver, how to communicate to race support and how to communicate to your pits. One point on communicating to your driver. If you are not paying attention, he will start trying to figure out what is going on and lose focus. Figure out what bothers your driver and give him updates. I worry about belt temp and Faster/Larger Cars, so my Co-Dawg gives me updates even when no issue.

Also know what to do when you crash, because you will. Get help on the way and practice getting you and your driver out of the car quickly. Also you have to be the one that is calm and cool and be the one to jump into action. There is an issue, YOU fix it. You can ask the driver to come help if it is too big of a task, but you are the guy.

Now for a quick story, I have not been racing very long, but I have given my co-driver a concussion and I have knocked him out cold during a race. In San Felipe we hit a tree, he hit is head the A pilar and at the 500 I hit a whoop so hard his head whipped forward and he went out. You are going to take a beating. Make sure you are both focused on your agreed upon priorities. Our number 1 priority is getting home safe, number 2 is winning. Different teams have different priorities, make sure you and your driver are aligned.

Good luck...

 

[facteryfmf]

I would lose my mind if that was my Co driver

 

[goMRgo]

I would lose my mind if that was my Co driver

What do you prefer?

 

[george.felix]

I would lose my mind if that was my Co driver

The video is at the top of the thread but worth seeing again. Give the guy credit for trying to do the best he could. Cory was a very calm instructor.....I'd say dude was about par for just learning. I'd be curious what others think? Personally, I've had better but also had worse.....like one who kept telling me to slow down for 200 miles! Finally I flipped the car just to make him stop.....

 

[facteryfmf]

What do you prefer?

Well it doesn't hurt that cory has been on the course 10+ times over the years as much of us have been. But I personally feel the co-driver isn't talking near enough. Even on the slight turns.

 

[Co-Dawg 1915]

Make sure you and the driver are on the same page as far as your terminology, such as calls for turns. I used 1-4 to call turns. So it might be something like, R2 in 100 yds followed by an L4. I did not call turns just on how sharp they are, but also based on current speed. a corner at full throttle might be a 3, but at a slower speed might be a 2. Remember the driver controls the throttle, but you can control the driver with your calls. you can slow him down or speed him up by how you call turns. All the above is good advice, especially knowing the gps is critical. Practice getting out of the car and changing a belt or tire, and getting back in quickly. Always know where you are on course. if you break down or crash you need to be able to let your crew, and rescue where you are. other than all that have fun. it is the best roller coaster ride you can experience.

 

[motive]

Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors. And listen for sirens behind you!

Honestly it took our team many races before we settled into a grove of what the co driver does and how often he does it. Have a team meeting after every race and ask the driver what he liked and what distracted him. Don't just sit there as dead weight but always be thinking of what you can contribute to that moment. Check the mirrors, check the gauges, look back on sharper turns to see if someone is back there that you can't see through your own dust. Encourage but also calm your driver when the adrenaline is pushing him to hard. Go watch the S3 videos. "don't over drive the car" ---rolls car. "Only drive what you can see."----- BAM. Hits another car in the dust. I make fun of them because they are such great guys and have a driver/co driver relationship that works very well. (Although I didn't see Shane's name on the entrance list for the Mint. New co driver for the team?)

Work ALL the light switches, radio with the pits, change flats, call turns, keep a mental tally of who you passed or passed you and use that to help the driver set his pace. Be the holder of the microfiber cloth, wipe the drivers visor if needed (co drivers always wipe their visor 50x more than the driver does. We are babies like that.) Joke that your catheter leaked and you are sitting in a puddle. Or be serious that you just pissed yourself. Give rock horns to all the photographers and the middle finger to other cars that won't get out of your way. Sit and look stupid when the driver is getting interviewed at the end of the race. Wipe the GoPro lens. The list never ends...

 

[goMRgo]

Lots of good info on what to do in above and earlier posts. Also make sure you and your driver know how to communicate when the intercom quits (murphy's law) for a variety of reasons. Work out some hand signals before this happens. I would put my hand in the driver's view and point my hand straight, or in the degree angle of the next turn and if a 90* turn is coming up I'd make sure he understood that too.....but don't just sit there and go along for the ride! My $.02!