Ask Ross
Q&A with Ross Bentley
Q: What does “taking a set” mean, and how do I use it?
Q: “I’ve been track driving for a good while and don’t understand the car “taking a set.” How do we sense when the car sets, why do we need it to set, how do we take advantage of car set? My Tahoe does what might be described as taking a set on entrance ramps, and when it does it will take more throttle. My V8 944 with Moton suspension never seems to “set” when running on track.”
read moreQ: Why do I sometimes go slower in the afternoon?
Q: “Sometimes I go to the track and set my best time of day on my third or fourth lap in the first session of the morning. It makes for a discouraging afternoon. I suspect tire pressure build up might be part of it, or maybe track conditions, but I think it has mostly to do with me. I usually don’t see lap times till the session is over. Any suggestions?”
read moreQ: Do drivers talk about getting into an altered state?
Q: “What I’d like to ask you is, do drivers ever talk about the altered state of being while behind the wheel? I love it, it’s total focus, no drifting of thought, time is irrelevant, here/now/input/output blazing away. I like to think it’s getting in touch with Fight or Flight, eat or be eaten. 99.9999 percent of our lives is not in that realm, thankfully. But it feels so wonderful to pull into the paddock, drained, mentally and physically.”
read moreQ: How do I know if I’m over-slowing by left-foot-braking?
Q: “I am very comfortable using left-foot-braking and have found many situations where it seems to be an advantage, but other than lap times, how can I know if I’m really using left foot braking too often or too much? I switch between right and left foot, depending on the corner, and sometimes I feel that I over-slow the car when braking with my left foot.”
read moreQ: How far ahead should I be looking on track?
Q: “The brain takes 1/4 second to process and recognize visual images from the eye. At 100 mph you’re traveling at 146 feet per second, or 37 feet per 1/4 second. What you “see” is 1/4 second in the past. So, at 100 mph, when you “see” your tire at the apex, you are actually 37 feet past the apex. We are essentially driving in the future. This doesn’t take into account the time to send a signal from the brain to body to control the car, around another 1/4 second. There is something going on here rather mysterious to me. Experiments show brain wave activity occurs prior to consciousness and movement. When we look ahead at where the car is going maybe we provide input to allow the mental calculations of position. Maybe when we are in the zone, groove, rhythm, we are in some predictive state allowing driving in the future. So do we need to look 1/2 second ahead?”
read moreQ: Window up or down when track driving?
Q: “Do you have an opinion on windows all the way up or down with respect to street cars without window nets being driven on track during DE.”
read moreQ: When should I downshift?
Q: “When you are running a road course, how do you determine when to downshift?”
read moreQ: Could Ayrton Senna’s throttle technique still work in modern F1?
Q: “I want to know, could Ayrton Senna’s throttle technique still work in modern F1?”
read moreQ: How do I get in the zone while driving?
Q: “What do I need to do to drive more often subconscious ‘over’ the limit, in the zone (when you are driving completely automatic over your conscious limit)?”
read moreQ: When should I trail brake & when shouldn’t I?
Q: “Through the years I was taught trail braking and using the rotation of the car to aid in getting through the turn. Everything has worked well for me until I had a professional driver and coach sit right seat. This pro driver suggested all the braking be done prior to entering the corner and be sure the vehicle is settled well in advance of the corner. We were able to implement this technique and see positive results. I would classify it as a medium speed corner but that may be because it’s at the end of the front straight and I’m hard on the brakes. Now I’m confused. I have two different approaches to driving and want to continue building my skill set, however, I want to solidify and build on a technique that is safe. What are your thoughts?”
read moreQ: Which is more important, tire pressures or temps?
Q: “My question is: Which is more important, tire pressures or tire temps? Or more importantly, how they influence each other respectively.”
read moreQ: Any recommendations for data acquisition books?
Q: I am about to venture into using data analysis. Is there a good book you can recommend to a neophyte on this quest? Subjects such as what to expect, how to make sense of data, relationship between data and what me and or the car are doing, and what to do different to improve my racecraft would be welcomed. Among others subjects that you believe are important.
read moreQ: What data acquisition system should I buy?
Q: Okay, say I have the $5k it takes to set up a really nice data system for my SpecE30 (about to start my 3rd season). Should I put the data system in first and then get some strong coaching, or is the $5k best spent on that coaching first?
read moreQ: How do I drive 1 to 2 tenths of a second faster?
Q: “How do I get 1 to 2 tenths of a second faster in each corner? I know my car can do it as other drivers on my team are that much faster than me but I don’t know what to do to find just that little bit more and it really is taking the fun out of racing for me.”
read moreQ: Where should I be focusing when trail braking?
Q: I really like the idea of focusing on the point where you are off the brakes as opposed to where you begin. But if it is a trail braking corner where are you focusing on exactly???
read moreQ: How do I know what’s the right corner entry speed?
I was talking to Josef Newgarden at the Phoenix test this year, and I asked him how he worked up to speed in Turn 1. He told me that his approach on ovals is to go flat, and if the car starts to move, then he slows down… but how do I know what’s the right corner entry speed?
read moreQ: When should I “blip” the throttle when heel & toeing?
Q: I have a question that’s kinda bugging me about heel-n-toe downshifting. Is there a noteworthy difference of when to “blip” the throttle (while selecting the new gear OR after selecting the new gear)? I know that the ultimate goal is a smooth shift with the clutch engaging at appropriate engine and transmission RPM’s so that the car is not unsettled.
read moreQ: Do you have any tips for identifying the brake release point in a turn?
Q: I have heard/read you discuss focusing on brake release points rather than brake initiation points in a turn, and understand how the braking paradigm should change if I can focus on the brake release point. However, for the less experienced driver, determining the right brake release point can be as difficult as finding the correct brake initiation point.
read moreQ: Could you please tell me what a momentum car is?
Q: Could you please tell me what a momentum car is? I know from your tips that a car has to be driven on the rugged edge of it. How does it relate to the term? And, if I am racing how cautious I need to be thinking about crashes?
read moreQ: Any guidelines for how to set and monitor brake bias?
In the afternoon race on Saturday at Thunderhill, I had two snap spins going into T10. The first time it happened, I was trying to go a little deeper before braking, and I did mash the brake pedal pretty hard. The second time, I went maybe a little deeper, and got on the brakes what I thought was with moderate pressure.
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