Ask Ross

Q: “How do you go about learning the traction gradient at a new track? As a track day noob (just doing HPDE events), what scares me more than anything is running across a piece of track with a level of traction I wasn’t expecting — whether that’s because of marbles, dust, different pavement, a puddle, or even a bump.

Q: “What is slip angle? I hear it talked and written about, but I don’t really understand what it means, or how I can use this knowledge to drive faster.”

Q: “What’s the difference between oversteer and rotating the car?”

Q: “Can you clarify something for me? What do I learn, and how, from the quick input understeer? I don’t get how that helps me understand how much grip is available. I’m guessing that maybe the answer is paying attention to how much understeer a quick input causes? Lots of understeer meaning that I was already close to the limit? I’m used to using slower turns of the wheel to see if I have more grip available than I am using. If the radius tightens, I was not at the limit. Is this not as valid a test as I think?”

Q: “Is it a golden rule in coaching to prioritize quality and minimize advice for maximum impact? Or am I mistaken, and are there some very good coaches who talk a lot during sessions?”

Q: “I’ve read about, and heard about, the idea that I should present myself to the car/driver I’m passing. Can you clarify what that actually means?”

Q: “You talk a lot about rotating the car by trail braking, but I find that I can just dial more brake bias to the rear and get the same thing. With more bias on the rear brakes, the rear tires almost slide when I turn into corners and I can turn in earlier and get to my usual apex. What are your thoughts on this?”

Q: Can you help me understand how to use the Garmin Catalyst to improve braking?

Q: “Should my car feel as though it’s “on rails,” or is being “messy” okay to be fast?

Q: Can you help me improve my race starts? How do I get better at the start of a race?

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? 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: “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: 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: “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: “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?”