ANother thing I recommend to novices is turn on the AC. The AC will suck power away from your car making you drive smoother. Most cars have TOO much power for a novice.

I did that at one school and everyone thought I was nuts. So I timed them without the AC on and then with it on. And they were 2-3 seconds faster

You can walk a course as many times as you want. Just got to get there earlier.

When I attended DC Tour, NE Divisionals, and Nationals I walked the course about 6 times each day. That's 6 miles I walked each day. Yeah I was worn out, but I knew the course like the back of my hand.