D. Eisele Winter driving training 2017
16.11.2016
D This offer comes as a surprise: “So if you need help washing your car or refueling, I'll be there,” Matthias Trautmann offered on the evening before the event. While the organizers are immediately analyzing the cost-saving potential, the orthopedic master just wants to come to and into the vehicles.
Audi provides the cars, Bridgestone the right footwear
After all, partner Audi has the best on display brought what could be found from the garage: TT, RS 4, RS 7, SQ5 and so on. Bridgestone provides the right footwear and also gives a little tutoring on tires and driving safety - whereupon Trautmann has to admit that it is time to replace the tires on his private vehicle with new ones as soon as possible. On the approximately 22 hectare site of the Ice Park Obertauern in Austria, however, an astonishing number of participants lose themselves in photography. let the triggers click on numerous smartphone cameras. Only when the instructor duo from the Sachsenring - Uwe Neubert and the 2009 German rally champion, Hermann Gassner junior - kindly indicated that sightseeing was at the expense of driving time, the participants jumped into their cars.
Although, of course, a certain entertainment factor cannot be denied when driving on a closed-off area - in other words: it is a lot of fun - the learning effect is in the foreground. In addition to the knowledge that the braking distance is dramatically increased on slippery surfaces, the individual routes also help to identify at a comparatively low speed what exactly is meant by a load change and how it can possibly be used for more precise driving. But also that less (speed) usually means more (traction) and thus helps with precise cornering should be conveyed.
Switch? How did that work?
Michael Bader recognizes this quickly: “As banal as it sounds: But just being able to safely try out how a vehicle behaves when braking and swerving on snow is worth participating here . ”Occasionally, however, the participants benefit from the winter training in completely different ways:“ I drive an SQ5 myself. So I can say a lot about it herelearn how the car behaves on a slippery road, ”says Maren Reinhardt.
So Uwe and Hermann direct the group over the perfectly groomed slopes, warn to brake earlier, encourage them to accelerate earlier. And by the way, skills that were believed to be buried can be dug up again: “You are a little spoiled by the automatic transmission. In the manual TT you learn coordination again - steering, clutching, shifting, braking, accelerating, ”reports industrial engineer Bader. Others, on the other hand, see themselves confronted with excessive power - like Sven Pflumm: “The RS 7 is crazy. You notice the incredible performance at all times, you have to be really careful with the gas. ”
In fact, at the beginning of the event, most of them still believe that a lot of gas is necessary to be able to accelerate quickly. The greater the astonishment that the alarmed control electronics rigorously turn down the performance. “You can only achieve a certain basic traction with a lot of feeling in your right foot. And then the ESP, with its sensitive control, will help you get the car really precise over the smooth course - and not even slowly, ”explains instructor Neubert.
Meanwhile, the speed level increases, as does confidence into the vehicles and their own skills, and yet the recovery vehicles (in three categories: Q7, tractor, snowcat) remain unemployed. One or the other is amazed at the capabilities of the vehicles.
Learning to use all-wheel drive
Thomas Lehmann, for example, who was given the training for his birthday, deals with all-wheel drive for the first time: 'Driving with all-wheel drive can be a challenge, because the cars always have traction - and then you are pretty fast with it.' new for most: experience speed on wooden sleds. In the evening, the group celebrates the successful day in the Gamskogelhütte on the Katschberg - and of course also themselves - in order to then plunge into the valley on two runners. In the meantime, the snow on the Audi vehicles freezes in places to form an ice sheet. Strangely enough, nobody can remember the wish to help with the car wash.
Next winter training in February 2017
The winter training will take place on February 9 and 11, 2017 in the Ice Park Obertauern, with arrival the day before and departure the day after. The participation fee is 999 euros. This includes: rental vehicles for training, meals during the day and the evening at the hut. There are also costs for two nights in a hotel. Experienced instructors bring participants closer to safe driving on snow in various sections. Further information and a registration form can be found here .
