Ask Ross
Q&A with Ross Bentley
Q: When I’m told to look farther ahead, how far ahead, and specifically where do I look?
Q: “When I’m told to look farther ahead, how far ahead, and specifically where do I look?”
Q: How can I improve how quickly I apply the brakes?
Q: How can I improve how quickly I apply the brakes? And is it possible to apply the brakes too fast?
Q: Should I be using one hand more than the other when turning the steering wheel? And what are your thoughts on the so-called “top hand dominance” method?
Q: Should I be using one hand more than the other when turning the steering wheel? And what are your thoughts on the so-called “top hand dominance” method?
Q: Can you explain who owns a corner when two cars go into it side by side?
Q: “I’ve been racing in endurance races lately, and have had more than my share of close calls, and even a couple of car-to-car contacts. One of the close calls was when another car dive bombed me, and one when I was trying to out-brake another car. Is there a rule or guideline as to who owns a corner when two cars are going into it together?”
Q: How do I go from knowing what to do, to actually doing it on track?
Q: Your ‘tips’ are very interesting but I cannot envision applying what I read to my hands and feet when I’m on the track at a later date. How do I go from knowing what to do, to actually doing it on track?
Q: How do I fix my car from understeering early in the corner and then snapping to oversteer exiting it?
Q: “My car is trying to kill me! 🙂 Going into and through the middle of a corner, it understeers. Then, just past the apex, as I’m getting on the throttle, it snaps into a deadly oversteer. Any thoughts on how to fix that?”
Q: How far from the steering wheel should I be sitting?
Q: “At a recent track day, an instructor told me that I was sitting too far from the steering wheel, and yet it feels comfortable to me. I’ve seen other drivers sit closer to the wheel, but that looks cramped to me. Is there a rule of thumb for how far from the steering wheel I should sit?”
Q: What’s the difference between turning the car and rotating the car?
Q: “What I was wondering is how to describe the difference between turning the car and car rotation. We talk about car rotation and using the brakes to effect it, but what is the difference from that compared to turning car with the steering?”
Q: How do I improve my corner minimum speed?
Q: “I have a question not about corner entry speed but rather about MID-corner speed (minimum corner speed). A friend of mine and I compare lots of data when we go to DE’s. He drives a nearly stock 987 Cayman S, is a pretty good driver, and runs tires he can get 30 track days out of. I drive a 718 Spyder with quite a bit of negative camber, Michelin Cup 2s, and have to replace tires every 6-10 track days — fronts more frequently than rears. I feel more comfortable with the car moving around than my friend does, and very comfortably trail brake as needed to balance/rotate the car. I have more grip, more power, and I do turn faster laps, BUT… his mid-corner speeds (or minimum speed in the corner) are sometimes equal to mine! That shouldn’t be the case. What am I doing wrong? Am I just being a wimp? Or does it go deeper than that? I generally brake VERY hard and VERY late and do a lot of trail braking (I go through brakes faster than anyone else I know). Is that part of the problem? Am I overworking my front tires? I record and analyze my tire temps after every session and pay attention to which end of the car I’m ‘overworking’ (determined by tire temps). Throughout any given day, I tend to transition from overworking the fronts to overworking the rears — it’s not significant in either direction, but that’s my trend. Can you help figure out if I’m being too cautious, or if I’m doing something else wrong?”
Q: How do I get better at driving blind corners, such as Turns 2 & 3 at Road Atlanta?
Q: “You must have had this question dozens of times: At Road Atlanta, I struggle with the turns 2 and 3 sequence, which, as you know is blind. What is the technique and thought process when entering that sequence of turns, and what track references do you use?”
Q: What is the apex of a corner, and what do I do with it?
Q: “What exactly is the apex of a corner, and what do I do with this information?”
Q: How do I retain focus in an endurance race?
Q: “Can you recommend some resources on retaining focus in endurance racing?
Q. As an HPDE instructor, should I tell my student about faster cars approaching from behind?
As an HPDE instructor, should I tell my student about faster cars approaching from behind?
Q: What’s causing my rear tires to wear on the outside of the tread more than the front tires?
Q: “My rear and front tires are showing consistent temp across the tread surface, but I’ve noticed my rear tires are wearing excessively on the outer side. What is causing this and what can I do to address this?”
Q: How can trail braking both help and hurt turning or rotating the car into a corner?
Q: How can trail braking both help and hurt turning or rotating the car into a corner?
Q: What do you recommend for a video and/or data setup?
Q: What do you recommend for a video and/or data setup?
Q: When and where should I upshift my Porsche Cayman going up the Esses at Watkins Glen?
Q: “I recently started racing my Cayman S at Watkins Glen and I’m hooked! I bought your Virtual Track Walk and my dad gave me your book. You talk about upshifting into turn two at Watkins as you enter the Esses and when I have entered, I’m in third. My thought is I want higher RPMs for the elevation change, usually shifting into fourth after turn 3. Is my thinking wrong here? Do I want to be in fourth through the Esses?”
Q: Is there a benefit in practice driving on track with just one hand on the steering wheel?
Q: “I’m curious – Do you ever practice with only your non-dominant hand? I sometimes think my left hand is only copying my right, and so is out of sync, or even actively fighting my right hand. When I practice with one hand, it is very obvious when I am reacting to the actual car, versus making unnecessary inputs. But maybe there is a better alternative?”
Q: Why would braking earlier and lighter for a corner ever be beneficial?
Q: “I’ve heard your advice that sometimes it’s best to brake lighter, rather than as late and hard as possible. If you started braking lighter at the same place entering a corner, wouldn’t that suggest that you’re not quite at the limit under braking? And wouldn’t that make you slower because you don’t have the car at the limit?”
Q: What advice do you have for me as I turn off the electronic stability and traction control when driving on track?
Q: What advice do you have for me as I turn off the electronic stability and traction control when driving on track?
