Good reading, I'd like to add some points if anyone is interested. In regards to the seat time comment, a lot of people may laugh or scoff at this, but I whole heartedly feel lots and lots of practice on computer simulator with a quality wheel/pedal set pays dividends; the acquired skills are transferable. I have countless hours on an old sim called Grand Prix Legends. For me the largest gain has been aquiring the ability to maintain a heightened level of concentration for long periods of time. Also gained are the “ingrained driving habitsâ€, hitting all your points, shifting, etc, almost becomes subconscious. Shifting: Many rookies, and even the pros, have a tendency to downshift too early. This should not be used to help slow the car down but rather to match rev’s only. Also, I always tell people if they can “heel and toe†shift on the street smoothly under light to medium brake pedal pressures, they have it made. It is much easier maintaining consistent braking pressure when mashing on the pedal. As Mark pointed out, this really is something one should be well practiced at before putting a wheel on the track. I also feel the “heel and toe†term isn’t really the best one to use and can be a bit misleading. I personally find it easier to roll the foot off the brake pedal in more or less an upright position, not cocked at a weird angle. I welded an extension on the gas pedal to aid with this too. I’ve also seen the pros do it this way on TV. Also, a lot of people don’t want to bother auto-crossing and jump right into road racing. My heart was never really in it, but I’m soooo glad I did. Again the skills are transferable, but at least in my area where the courses are very tight, I’ve always felt it doesn’t teach finesse as there’s much more man-handling of the car. If anything it will prepare one to participate in a controlled, sanctioned event. As silly as it sounds, this alone can be a bit nerve racking the first few times out.