Reading Ultimate Speed Secrets right now and really enjoying it! Lots of great gems in there; finding particularly interesting the section about learning and evaluating tracks and prioritizing corners. Can't wait to get back out on the track.
Also, I totally agree with you about the autocross. I think it is a super helpful way to feel out your car's cornering capabilities. Was definitely a good learning experience for me in the simple mechanics of high performance driving (like looking ahead, two hands on the wheel, steering with the throttle, etc.). Will definitely be doing more of it moving forward. Just found driving road courses so addicting. Once you've had a taste, it is hard to go back.
I read Bentley's "Ultimate Speed Secrets" and "The Lost Art of High-Performance Driving" over the summer and found it really interesting as well.
Speaking with a few of the instructors at SCDA, they all seem to agree that Covid's push to a lead-follow instruction method is getting people up to speed better than the traditional instructor as passenger.
When I autocrossed years ago, I found it hard to actually apply an instructor's feedback quickly enough to make a difference. For instance, he'd point to a braking point or the right line and by the time he said it, I heard it and my brain processed it, it was too late. I couldn't apply it until the next lap.
With the lead-follow on the track, I found it very easy to see the instructor's braking point and line and could apply immediately. By the end of each session, it became much more intuitive.
Headed to a MassTuning event this sunday and they offer both in-car and lead-follow instruction for the novice group. I'm tempted to stick with the lead-follow.
