Ask Ross
Q&A with Ross Bentley
Q: What are the 3 most important things to focus on for a relatively new HPDE driver?
Q: “I’ve started doing HPDE events recently and the bug has definitely bit me. I’ve been doing tons of research between track days and generally drinking from the firehose when it comes to driving improvement. Now I find myself struggling on what to focus on between...
Q: Will a slow application of the brakes settle the car and help me slow better?
Q: “As a follow-up to a past question about left-foot-braking, most coaching/feedback/forums, etc. state that generally you should go from "throttle to brake quickly and brake to throttle quickly". Thus, left-foot-braking is more efficient than right-foot-braking as...
Q: How quickly should I be able to go from full throttle to applying the brakes?
Q: “How long does it take a competent driver using right-foot braking to go from moving off the gas pedal, to being fully off the gas pedal, and to initiate the first bit of brake pedal application? I was trying to figure this out on my data logger, but I ran into...
Q: How do I adapt my driving from a solid-axle car to one with independent rear suspension?
Q: “I've really been enjoying the No Dumb Questions podcasts and I finally have a dumb question that seems interesting enough to ask. Is there a big difference between driving an IRS (independent rear suspension) car versus a solid-axle car other than the lack of...
Q: How can I get in the zone more often when driving on track?
Q: “Some days I seem to be in the zone and drive at my best, and other days I have a much harder time driving that way. What’s going on? It’s like I’m Jekyll and Hyde! How can I drive better more consistently? How can I get in the zone more often when driving on...
Q: Which is better, coasting or braking when entering fast corners?
Q: “I was wondering if anyone’s asked about coasting versus braking into Turn 2 and Turn 9 at Willow Springs? The winner of a race I drove in did not brake into 2. Half the field brakes, while the other half doesn’t. I tend to go full throttle a bit longer on the...
Q: What contributes to a driver having confidence in a car, and what can I do to feel better about it?
Q: “I have a new-to-me BMW M2C as a track car and am trying to get the suspension dialed in. I am running 3-way MCS shocks, and I am using the settings that Bimmerworld recommends. Also using spring rates of 900/800 F/R based on tire wear, almost no rear anti-roll bar...
Q: What tire pressures should I run, and how do I adjust them as conditions change throughout a day at the track?
Q: “How should I adjust my tire pressures before and during a day at the track for the best results? I have not been able to get a consistent answer from the coaches that I have met.” A: There’s a LOT to your question! In fact, that’s probably the reason you’ve not...
Q: As a novice performance track driver, when is it advantageous to start going to more tracks?
Q: “As a novice driver, am I better to drive the car on a track that I know fairly well and I am somewhat proficient at until I learn the full limits of the car, or is it better to continue to take the car to several different tracks to attempt to gain as much seat...
Q: What do you mean by rotating the car, and how do I know when I get it right?
Q: “What is rotation? Does rotation always imply that the rear of the car is sliding? How do I know I have the car rotated enough and can now get on the power? I'm starting to think that rotation is the key to driving nirvana, and when I understand its meaning and how...
Q: Tell me what I should do if my car loses its brakes completely.
Q: “One of the things that worries me the most when driving on track is losing my brakes, so I’d like to think ahead and be better prepared for that happening. What should I do if my car loses its brake completely? Should I try downshifting to slow my car? Should I...
Q: Is it better to have understeer or oversteer when I enter a corner too fast?
Q: “If I can adjust it at all when clearly going too fast, what’s the optimum to aim for – front slip or rear slip, what’s best to recover from?”
Q: How should I adapt my driving to a stiffer or softer suspension setup?
Q: “From a driver standpoint, how do you drive differently in a car with stiff suspension versus soft suspension set-up? What do you feel differently, expect differently, and change how you drive accordingly between stiff and soft suspension?”
Q: Why do drivers seem to always finish in the same positions in races, and if I wanted to improve where I finish over the next two years, what plan should I follow to do so?
Q: Why do drivers seem to always finish in the same positions in races, and if I wanted to improve where I finish over the next two years, what plan should I follow to do so?
Q: When and in what type of car can you upshift in a corner?
Q: “When and in what type of car can you upshift in a corner? In certain slower corners I’m exiting with an RPM that is low in the torque curve, but a lower gear would be past the redline before I get the car straight. Any adjustments in the turn that would generate more exit speed? (Assuming a corner getting onto a straight, that the car is rotated on entry, a later apex and steady throttle input to use the track.)”
Q: With a PDK-equipped Porsche, am I better to manually shift or let the car do the shifting?
Q: “My first track car was a 2015 (981) Porsche Cayman S with PDK. Now I have a 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 with PDK. I’ve been told that I’d get better results if I’d use the paddle shifters instead of letting the car do the work. Is that true? If so, how do I figure out where I could do a better job than the car? It seems like it’s always in the right gear to me – but I’ve grown accustomed to what it does. While definitely a slow learner, I have around 100 days on track so I’m comfortable enough with what I’m doing to tackle this.”
Q: How should I practice being a smoother driver?
Q: “I keep hearing that “smooth is fast,” and I want to learn to drive smoother, but how? Is there a way to practice to be smoother?”
Q: How can I make my car rotate more into a corner?
Q: “What is the best technique to get the car to rotate more when needed while racing in a series or a race that has a fixed set up in iRacing?”
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?”
Got Questions?
Send your questions to Ross by email. Or, if you want an immediate answer, use SpeedSecrets.ai. It’s as if Ross is right there, coaching you.