How close do you sit to the steering wheel?

The method I use is something taught by Skip Barber, move the seat back until your wrist hits the top of the steering wheel when your hands are extended striaght out.

Thing is, whenever I see in-car footage from NASCAR or on the Speed Channel, they are sitting very close to the steering wheel: their arms are nearly bent 90 degrees when at the 9 and 3.

Why do they sit so close?

 

Steering could be pretty heavy on those cars. Don't know for sure though. Personally, I sit at the point where my left leg can fully extend to push the clutch all the way in.

 

Yep, the wrist on the top of the wheel with arm ever so slightly bent is best on the RX8.

 

It's hard to define a rule for the proper seating position. Peoples bodies, and the cars they drive require different positions. You have to remember the positioning of the seat in a race car is a lot different than the seat in your street car. Personally, I sit as close as I can while being able to slide my hands around the entire wheel without hitting my knees. Because I'm tall, that usually means the seat is close to, or all the way back and the wheel tilted up to it's highest position.

I've never tried the wrist thing, but it seems like it would be about right.
EDIT: I just tried the wrist thing, I sit about 3 inches closer than that method would suggest.

 

Having done mostly autocrossing, that sounds too far back for autocrossing. I attempt to sit as close as I can without banging my knees. The limiting factor on the RX8 has been with head clearance, and so my arms are actually a bit less bent than I would like. Autocrossing would seem to require more significant steering input, which is easier to do without taking your hands off of the wheel if you are sitting closer. I'd be interested in what others have to say.

 

I tried sitting closer.. but i can't because legs are long. If i were any closer, i wouldn't be able to heal-toe without banging my leg into the steeringwheel.

-hS

 

I definitely concur on the 3 and 9 hand positions. It seems to give you the most control over the vehicle, allowing you to make better precise adjustments to keep from over-compensating and control any heavy steering feedback. I would suggest a comfortable bend in the elbows somewhere around 30, 45, or 60 degrees. For the left leg, I would suggest that the clutch should be fully depressed when you have your leg extended about 80-90 percent. So that you limit the risk of your foot slipping off the clutch pedal when you're shifting "spiritedly," which often happens when you least expect it.

 

as close as you can, your knees etc. be damned, you get used to it eventually and then it's a non-issue, you need to use your upper body in high g transistions, not going to happen easily the further outstretched your arms are, real race cars with a 1/2 turn lock-lock steering are a different story ...

 

In my case (as I found out at my first event in the RX-8 yesterday) my best sitting position was one in which I can fit my head without having to either lean right or slouch too low in the seat while still maintaining full control of the wheel at a slightly relaxed bend of the arms at 3 and 9 o'clock-ish. I'm a relatively tall guy (6'1") and sitting straight up wasn't an option until the seat was reclined in a suburban-like position. I eventually was able to slouch enough in the seat and increase the lumbar support to provide back support.

I'm now wishing I didn't buy this car as a daily driver and opted not to get the GT package w/ the sunroof.

 

I'm sorry for you taller guys. I'm pretty short 5'7" and the car really is for shorter people I think. The car fits me like a glove. Although saying that, I wished the accelerator was a bit further back. The clutch goes pretty far back when it's fully depressed and it feels like I have my left leg extended and my right leg bent half the time. Maybe I need to sit more diagonally

 

i can actually fit in the car, fully upright, with a helmet... and i'm 6'3"

-hS

 

Yeah, I can if I scoot the seat back pretty far. But it puts my legs and arms a little too outstretched for my liking.

 

other 8 owners say I sit really close up... then agian I'm 5'4".

I sit in a position just enough to extend my left leg to completely depress the clutch.

 

Its not so much height as a whole, but rather height from bottom of one's buttocks to top of the head. Thus, the RX8 don't want none if you gots butt son.

 

This is what I do. In addition to having the wrist lying on the top of steering, the more important part I focused on is having my hands in 5 & 8 position but making sure that my elbow does not touch the side of the seat. Then try moving a hand from 5 to 10 going anticlockwise without having to lean forward and the hand grip doesn't loosen up.

These are tips from the first drift bible (the one with 200sx not the s15) by the drift king

 

This is what I do too!

But this was thought my the real racing driver...

I am 6'1" and I need to lower my seat so the helmet does not rub the roof

 

NASCAR vehicles pull in excess of 2G's at some tracks, try driving like that and your arms will be worn out in 15 laps, you'll probably be in the wall before lap 30 ...