Since I first started driving I've practiced car control, on wet grass, icy car parks, sandy beaches, and anywhere else I had the opportunity to slide a car around. When I started racing I completed a skid training course at the Jim Russell International Racing Driver's School at Snetterton Circuit. More recently I've even been paid to give drifting rides in a Vauxhall Monaro.

Although sideways driving is not the quickest way (on a race track at least), it's a very useful skill to have. Ultimately if you're driving a car on the limit, whether on a track day or in competition, at some point you're going to go over that limit. At that stage it's good to have at least some idea of what to do and preferably have had some practice in advance! Perhaps even more essential is to have some idea/practice of car control skills for road driving for the times you get caught out by a diesel spill on a roundabout or an icy patch.

I can provide varying degrees of car control training, from doing it integrated into a normal track day training session, to full skid pan facilities.

Tim Arnold