Honestly, your not far off. The best way to learn how to get better is to research what each parameter exactly does. Learning how to balance the aperture, shutter speed and all the others just comes with practice. The picture of the Z drifting is actually really good, you managed to get the smoke without any of the jaggyness that ruins the shot. Just keep mixing the settings and see what you get, after a few sessions you will be a lot better.