Ask Ross



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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:

  1. 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”)
  2. If you can wait until I get to your question, email it to me.

Q: Do you have any insights into Ayrton Senna’s throttle use?

Q: “Do you have any insights, or have you ever talked to a data engineer who could explain how Ayrton Senna made that technique work for him? I would have thought that quick, successive stabs at the throttle would immediately break the rear tires loose, which should dramatically reduce their grip level.”

Q: How do I brake lighter while heel & toe downshifting?

Q: “I’m having issues with light braking while downshifting before a fast-ish corner. I drive a Spec Miata so over-braking can be a significant problem. Do you have any advice on how to improve/practice lighter braking while heel/toe downshifting?”

Q: Any recommendations for purposeful practice to improve braking?

“Can you suggest a good way to practice braking (mostly, threshold braking)? I am sure that I can brake later, harder and for less time. My problem is part confidence, and not knowing how to gauge when I’m doing it correctly, at the limit. Can you suggest any methods I can use to practice this skill?”

Q: Can you address racecraft, passing and race traffic?

Q: “I race in the Champcar Endurance Series, formerly Chumpcar. One of the many things I’d like to get better at is dealing with traffic. Sometimes it’s cars that are a lot slower than ours, sometimes close in speed, and then there are the ones that are faster. I’m a long-time autocrosser and the addition of others around me can be a serious overload of stimuli. We just finished up our 4th season so I’m better at this than I was, but still feel like there’s a long way to go. To add to the challenge often we are on a new-to-us track, or one that we only go to once a year. Can you address this topic?”

Q: Can you recommend a driving simulator setup?

“You are a big proponent of simulators. I have a sim seat at home and use it to learn tracks, but my seat, wheels, and pedals just don’t feel right for learning habits. Can you recommend a sim setup (as in actual parts) that will work for most people? I think it is the biggest barrier to entry since there are so many options.”

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 have any insights into Ayrton Senna’s throttle use?

Q: “Do you have any insights, or have you ever talked to a data engineer who could explain how Ayrton Senna made that technique work for him? I would have thought that quick, successive stabs at the throttle would immediately break the rear tires loose, which should dramatically reduce their grip level.”

Q: How do I brake lighter while heel & toe downshifting?

Q: “I’m having issues with light braking while downshifting before a fast-ish corner. I drive a Spec Miata so over-braking can be a significant problem. Do you have any advice on how to improve/practice lighter braking while heel/toe downshifting?”

Q: Any recommendations for purposeful practice to improve braking?

“Can you suggest a good way to practice braking (mostly, threshold braking)? I am sure that I can brake later, harder and for less time. My problem is part confidence, and not knowing how to gauge when I’m doing it correctly, at the limit. Can you suggest any methods I can use to practice this skill?”

Q: Can you address racecraft, passing and race traffic?

Q: “I race in the Champcar Endurance Series, formerly Chumpcar. One of the many things I’d like to get better at is dealing with traffic. Sometimes it’s cars that are a lot slower than ours, sometimes close in speed, and then there are the ones that are faster. I’m a long-time autocrosser and the addition of others around me can be a serious overload of stimuli. We just finished up our 4th season so I’m better at this than I was, but still feel like there’s a long way to go. To add to the challenge often we are on a new-to-us track, or one that we only go to once a year. Can you address this topic?”

Q: Can you recommend a driving simulator setup?

“You are a big proponent of simulators. I have a sim seat at home and use it to learn tracks, but my seat, wheels, and pedals just don’t feel right for learning habits. Can you recommend a sim setup (as in actual parts) that will work for most people? I think it is the biggest barrier to entry since there are so many options.”

Got Questions?

Get Immediate Answers