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:
- 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: Can you talk about the differences between slower corners that need me to rotate the car versus faster corners that need very little rotation, and how it differs between low- and high-powered cars?
Q: “I wonder if you would care to dissect: More slowing, shorter time to rotate, and sooner on the throttle, versus less slowing, longer time to rotate, and later on the throttle… and how these trade-offs work for a car with low torque versus high torque.”
Q: Any tips on managing your breathing during a race? Breathe through the nose or mouth?
Q: “Any tips on managing your breathing during a race? Breathe through the nose or mouth?”
Q: How can I shift gears without damaging the gearbox or engine, but still push really hard to be fast?
Q: “When I push hard, I tend to mistreat the gearbox to the extent that I have already damaged it or the engine on two occasions. This always happens when I’m under pressure. When I focus on managing the gearbox and try to preserve it, I’m consistently slower because I can’t reconcile this with driving in “attack” mode. Do you have any tips to help me drive as fast while managing the gearbox properly?”
Q: If I’m about to crash into a wall, am I better to hit it head-on or sideways?
Q: “If you are about to lose control of the vehicle, i.e. at the end of a straightaway due to brake failure and frontal crash is imminent, would you rather try to rotate the vehicle so it might impact sideways or let it go straight to the barrier? What would be the wiser action to take right there?”
Q: When starting with wheel-to-wheel racing, is it best to buy a car, or rent one?
Q: “I have a dumb question for you. I’m older (mid 40’s) and I am really enjoying track day events in my car. I’d like to do W2W (wheel-to-wheel) racing. Would you recommend a budget-built car and racing in local clubs, or gain experience by renting a race car and have the freedom of renting from well-funded teams locally and throughout the nation?”
Q: What’s the best way to practice my high-performance driving?
Q: “Is there a “best” way to practice and improve my high-performance driving?”
Q: What should I expect and how should I prepare for my first HPDE event?
Q: “A friend has convinced me to take my Toyota 86 to what he calls a HPDE event. What can I expect, and how should I prepare?”
Q: With a Front-Wheel-Drive car, is some rotation a good way to reduce inside wheelspin when exiting a slow corner?
Q: “With FWD in a slow corner is some rotation a good way to solve inside wheelspin on exit?”
Q: How can I improve my night driving in endurance racing?
Q: “How can I improve my night driving? I had my first endurance racing at Spa last year, and I struggled in the traffic. Especially, it was very difficult to see the position and distance of other cars in the mirrors.”
Q: What types of corners should I use trail braking on, and what types should I not?
Q: What types of corners should I use trail braking on, and which ones shouldn’t I?
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: Can you talk about the differences between slower corners that need me to rotate the car versus faster corners that need very little rotation, and how it differs between low- and high-powered cars?
Q: “I wonder if you would care to dissect: More slowing, shorter time to rotate, and sooner on the throttle, versus less slowing, longer time to rotate, and later on the throttle… and how these trade-offs work for a car with low torque versus high torque.”
Q: Any tips on managing your breathing during a race? Breathe through the nose or mouth?
Q: “Any tips on managing your breathing during a race? Breathe through the nose or mouth?”
Q: How can I shift gears without damaging the gearbox or engine, but still push really hard to be fast?
Q: “When I push hard, I tend to mistreat the gearbox to the extent that I have already damaged it or the engine on two occasions. This always happens when I’m under pressure. When I focus on managing the gearbox and try to preserve it, I’m consistently slower because I can’t reconcile this with driving in “attack” mode. Do you have any tips to help me drive as fast while managing the gearbox properly?”
Q: If I’m about to crash into a wall, am I better to hit it head-on or sideways?
Q: “If you are about to lose control of the vehicle, i.e. at the end of a straightaway due to brake failure and frontal crash is imminent, would you rather try to rotate the vehicle so it might impact sideways or let it go straight to the barrier? What would be the wiser action to take right there?”
Q: When starting with wheel-to-wheel racing, is it best to buy a car, or rent one?
Q: “I have a dumb question for you. I’m older (mid 40’s) and I am really enjoying track day events in my car. I’d like to do W2W (wheel-to-wheel) racing. Would you recommend a budget-built car and racing in local clubs, or gain experience by renting a race car and have the freedom of renting from well-funded teams locally and throughout the nation?”
Q: What’s the best way to practice my high-performance driving?
Q: “Is there a “best” way to practice and improve my high-performance driving?”
Q: What should I expect and how should I prepare for my first HPDE event?
Q: “A friend has convinced me to take my Toyota 86 to what he calls a HPDE event. What can I expect, and how should I prepare?”
Q: With a Front-Wheel-Drive car, is some rotation a good way to reduce inside wheelspin when exiting a slow corner?
Q: “With FWD in a slow corner is some rotation a good way to solve inside wheelspin on exit?”
Q: How can I improve my night driving in endurance racing?
Q: “How can I improve my night driving? I had my first endurance racing at Spa last year, and I struggled in the traffic. Especially, it was very difficult to see the position and distance of other cars in the mirrors.”
Q: What types of corners should I use trail braking on, and what types should I not?
Q: What types of corners should I use trail braking on, and which ones shouldn’t I?
Got Questions?
Get Immediate Answers