Driven: Hyundai I30N Manual - Learning Curves
On my voyage of self-improvement, I had recently stumbled across a stoicism passage on the topic of mastery. It went something like this: ”You never reach mastery. The student never stops being a student. Even the teacher is still a student at heart.” This rings true as I’m sitting down with Deon in the loft of his farm-based barn in Atlantis. Its timber surrounds creak and splashes of natural light shine through, a vivid setting for our discussion on a late afternoon summer day. We’re surrounded with motorsport memorabilia including a treasure trove of personal photography he’s collected over years of racing across the globe, tangible evidence that as he speaks it’s all based on a wealth of experience.
“I’m a hater of a one-make series as the pinnacle of the sport” He pipes up, much to my disbelief. “From a learning perspective it’s brilliant but from a crowd attractor, it’s not. For every one person that loves a Volkswagen, you’ll find someone that doesn’t and that’s why you need various manufacturers fighting out in your pinnacle series.” Racing helmets neatly stacked in order, a blown-up still of his exploits abroad and a blackboard. How perfectly apt. He speaks with a commanding authority that is near impossible to counter with any argument. Dare I even try?
Asked about the current issues in Motorsport, Deon responds: “The problem with motorsport is that you don’t need many heroes, you only need one or two. If I had to say to you...”Sarel vd Merwe vs Ian Scheckter, you’re going to be there to watch that. You’re not going to care about the rest...the problem now is publicity is shared amongst everyone when it should be focused on those few heroes that earned it out…in South Africa today, there aren’t any heroes” Best I assume my new role for the next 3 hours of being the student to the master of SA racing, Deon Joubert.
The conversation has a steadily increasing cadence as I probe into Deon’s insights around the history of SA motorsport and what’s needed to fix it. “The idea that Motorsport South Africa or any governing body can fix a sport is wrong. Entrepreneurs should fix it.” With every bold statement, I find my pre-conceived opinions being shaped on the fly and get the feeling that I’m not going to be able to slow down the conversation and I’m ok with that. “One of the things in touring car history is that you couldn’t actually pay for a seat. They paid you. They chose who they thought were the best and we were perceived by the public as the best in the country.” I’m hanging on each word, scales being wiped off my eyes. I check myself around that ‘journo’ integrity ethic and put the hero-worshipping on the back burner.
Motorsport is an ego game at most but somehow, ego has eluded Deon. I’ve met my fair share of self-assured racing car drivers. Their ego, inflated by the effects of self-assumed notoriety and cocksure belief within a small world. Deon is anything but that. A simple character but not a simple person, possessing a strong view of the motorsport world which has been earned. A myriad of layers exist and I find myself searching and prodding to try to peel away what I can. 30 minutes turns to 1 hour. 90 minutes arrives within a flash thereafter and I’m strictly needing to cut this short and get to the matter at hand, the driving lesson.
Deon has his bag on the ready and we set off. Myself in the I30N and Deon arriving at the track in an I10 Grande when back at the ranch (Literally) are Supras and GT63AMG’s to choose from. This man has nothing to prove. I know my place. Destination, Killarney International Raceway. It’s five corners, not quite unfamiliar territory to me and certainly not to Deon.
I’ve been around the track with many seasoned professionals but with Deon, who has driven more cars around Killarney than anyone else, speaks with a different intensity. “I’ve driven approximately 150 different cars around Killarney. We don’t have such a variance in weather so the track differs about a second throughout the year. It’s a great place to gather data. Not like England where there’s about 10 seconds difference due to the weather. I’ve only crashed one car, a Lamborghini that had brake issues”. It’s evident that he possesses a deep sense of understanding and the practical side of the lessons being dished counter most that I’ve been dealt with before. This neurological reset button I find figuratively pressing at every kink, turn and straight. Fast drivers shouldn’t scare you in a car. I maintain that. There’s a level of trusting that gets invested when you’re riding shotgun with someone who has achieved such mastery and with that trust, comes calmness.
The lesson is well articulated. He chimes in while hitting 190km/h down the back straight: “Killarney isn’t very wide so there isn’t much variation between what everyone else does. What I try to do is drive the shortest around the track, cut the corners and straights wherever I can.” Every square inch of the track and then some is explained from angles I’ve never considered. We stop on the piece of concrete on the outside of the rumble strip on the exit of turn 3 to demonstrate what angle the wheels need to be at, ”This is where you want to be, not understeering or oversteering” we intentionally run wide around turn 4 to demonstrate the scenario that in event of a serious ‘off’ it’s better to run wide than hook towards the inside of the track. A place that has attracted many, much to the angst of a crumpled-up race car and a heavy bill to follow.
The lessons evolve and I’m starting to take away that sometimes it’s not about the perfect line. It’s about perspective and application of it. “The real time is earned into the corners, not on the exit.“ The racetrack is an ever-changing environment and I’m reminded that you need to constantly be reprogramming the scenario. “As we approach this corner here, we don’t actually know what’s happened here since we were here last. We get presented what we need to do next…where do we brake, what’s the grip like…and how fast can we turn in but once the car’s been turned, anyone can drive it out” Sounds simple in theory, right? I’m left thinking that racecraft is an art application versus what I’ve come to learn about bashing out a qualifying lap of methodical repetition. I’m finding myself gravitating to this new way quickly realising that I’m going to need to unlearn certain bad habits. Paradigm shifts they call it. The real hard work comes in when you’re hunting those final 10ths and that’s what this conversation is about. This is more evident than ever before.
It’s my turn to drive next. To somehow balance the reprogramming part with binning the old way and ushering in this new way. Triangulating the corners, I’m apologetic as it’s more difficult than what it seems. I try my best and I believe there are a few moments where I get it spot on, if it’s anything to with judging by the “thumbs up” received from Deon. If anything I’m now wide open to critically assessing my entries into every corner, ensuring the car is correctly balanced and trail braking into each turn, hunting each apex like Deon’s taught. A perfect lap time is something we’re not bothered with. As a matter to prove, we’ve intentionally left the timer out of the car. This has all been about learning curves and I have little doubt that upon the start of the new season, armed with the backing of Deon’s teachings, I’ll be faster.
About the Hyundai I30N - Quick Facts & driving impression
Engine: 2.0L TGDI 4 -Cylinder Turbocharged Petrol 6-Speed Manual
Power figures: 202 kW 350 Nm
0-100 Km/h: 6.1 seconds
Top Speed: 250km/h
Curb weight: 1429kg
A quick impression of the I30N after my time with it. Despite the EV revolution that is well upon us, revel in the present, the I30N is a fire-cracker of a hatch and its significance is both critical and appreciated. Taking aim at GTi dominance, it doesn’t mince its intentions of slashing the GTi jugular and that’s important as it keeps the GTi honest and hot hatch competition alive. Precise in its package, sharp steering, potent turbocharged 2-litre, 6-speed manual gearbox with rev-matching the downshifts and electronic differential, it ticks the right boxes that a hot hatch should always do. Incredibly stiff and confidence-inducing with a rather neutral setup. Perfect for the weekend warrior. Hatches shouldn’t be hyper, I maintain. 202 kW and 350 Nm of torque is everything you need. Sure, the weight could be less, but this is a serious package and as a GTi owner, if you’re not considering this as an option, you’re doing so at your peril.
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