Ask Ross
Skills
Types
Subscriptions
Got questions? I’ve got answers. This is where I post answers to the many questions I receive. You may find the answer to a question you have here (you can use the “Search” tool), but if not, you have two options:
- If you want the answer immediately, sign up for my SpeedSecrets.ai app (think of it as “Google on steroids, focused solely on performance/race driving,” or “ChatGPT trained to only pull from the 5 million+ words and content I’ve personally created”)
- If you can wait until I get to your question, email it to me.
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the advice of driving a stock Cayman S to help me learn?
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the advice of driving a stock Cayman S to help me learn?
Q: Have you had an out-of-body experience while driving?
Q: “Have you had an “out of body” experience while driving? And if so, have you been able to consistently repeat it while driving?”
Q: Should I be pushing hard against the dead pedal with my leg?
Q: “Should I be pushing hard against the dead pedal with my leg? In an ideal world you would not have all this tension in your leg to better feel the car, but you also don’t want to be a wet noodle in there flopping all around either.”
Q: What’s going on with the way Fernando Alonso turns the steering wheel so aggressively?
Ask Ross: “What happens at the contact patch when steering is applied during the first few rotations of the tire? Is there a momentary increase in grip at the rubber-pavement interface? Does Alonso know something? Or am I chasing unicorns here?”
Q: How does endurance racing work?
Q: How does endurance racing work?
Q: How do I adapt my braking and turn-in for off-camber corners?
Q: “How do I adjust my optimal turn-in and braking for an off-camber corner to minimize understeer?”
Q: How do I go faster in my new Porsche Cayman?
Q: “I’ve recently gotten a Porsche Cayman for the track, and I’m a bit disappointed that I’m not a lot faster than I was in my previous car. Sure, I’m faster on the straights, but that’s just horsepower, and not me. I don’t seem to going any faster through the corners, which I think I should be. Am I wrong? What am I missing?”
Q: Does the friction circle change with more speed? Do I have less grip at higher speeds than I do at lower speeds?
Q: Does the Friction Circle change with more speed? Do I have less grip at higher speeds than I do at lower speeds?
Q: When looking at in-car video, how do I determine where the actual turn-in begins?
When looking at in-car video, how do I determine where the actual turn-in begins?
Q: Can and should I use the amount of wear on the upper sidewall of my tires to determine the best pressures?
Q: “My tires have a small, raised triangle on the sidewall, near the top of the tire where the tread starts. Local legend suggests optimum/maximum tire patch is gained when the sidewall deflection/rollover/rub line (chalking tires) just touches the tip of this triangle. Is this true/false, a quick-and-dirty gauge, or totally wrong? I’m not suggesting this method, if viable, is a replacement for temperature readings across the tire. However, I’m curious because as an HPDE-only type, I don’t have the equipment, crew, and track time to properly use the temperature gauge method. I noticed that my street tires – Michelin Pilot Super Sport 4S have a tiny Michelin Man in a similar spot as the triangle on the R888R’s. So, it’s gotta be there for a reason, right? The question is: For what purpose?”
Got Questions?
Get Immediate Answers
Skills
Types
Subscriptions
Got questions? I’ve got answers. This is where I post answers to the many questions I’ve received. You may find the answer to a question you have here, but if not, you have two options: If you want the answer immediately, sign up for my SpeedSecrets.ai app (think of it as “Google on steroids, focused solely on performance/race driving”), or email it to me.
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the advice of driving a stock Cayman S to help me learn?
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the advice of driving a stock Cayman S to help me learn?
Q: Have you had an out-of-body experience while driving?
Q: “Have you had an “out of body” experience while driving? And if so, have you been able to consistently repeat it while driving?”
Q: Should I be pushing hard against the dead pedal with my leg?
Q: “Should I be pushing hard against the dead pedal with my leg? In an ideal world you would not have all this tension in your leg to better feel the car, but you also don’t want to be a wet noodle in there flopping all around either.”
Q: What’s going on with the way Fernando Alonso turns the steering wheel so aggressively?
Ask Ross: “What happens at the contact patch when steering is applied during the first few rotations of the tire? Is there a momentary increase in grip at the rubber-pavement interface? Does Alonso know something? Or am I chasing unicorns here?”
Q: How does endurance racing work?
Q: How does endurance racing work?
Q: How do I adapt my braking and turn-in for off-camber corners?
Q: “How do I adjust my optimal turn-in and braking for an off-camber corner to minimize understeer?”
Q: How do I go faster in my new Porsche Cayman?
Q: “I’ve recently gotten a Porsche Cayman for the track, and I’m a bit disappointed that I’m not a lot faster than I was in my previous car. Sure, I’m faster on the straights, but that’s just horsepower, and not me. I don’t seem to going any faster through the corners, which I think I should be. Am I wrong? What am I missing?”
Q: Does the friction circle change with more speed? Do I have less grip at higher speeds than I do at lower speeds?
Q: Does the Friction Circle change with more speed? Do I have less grip at higher speeds than I do at lower speeds?
Q: When looking at in-car video, how do I determine where the actual turn-in begins?
When looking at in-car video, how do I determine where the actual turn-in begins?
Q: Can and should I use the amount of wear on the upper sidewall of my tires to determine the best pressures?
Q: “My tires have a small, raised triangle on the sidewall, near the top of the tire where the tread starts. Local legend suggests optimum/maximum tire patch is gained when the sidewall deflection/rollover/rub line (chalking tires) just touches the tip of this triangle. Is this true/false, a quick-and-dirty gauge, or totally wrong? I’m not suggesting this method, if viable, is a replacement for temperature readings across the tire. However, I’m curious because as an HPDE-only type, I don’t have the equipment, crew, and track time to properly use the temperature gauge method. I noticed that my street tires – Michelin Pilot Super Sport 4S have a tiny Michelin Man in a similar spot as the triangle on the R888R’s. So, it’s gotta be there for a reason, right? The question is: For what purpose?”
Got Questions?
Get Immediate Answers