Q: How do we select a performance driving/racing school?

by | May 28, 2018 | Ask Ross

Q: “How do we know if a racing school is legit/worth it? Most new drivers want to go to a school, but there is no list or certification or anything to know if a school is really worth the time or money. Reading reviews could be biased or misleading. Is there a way to tell if you’re being taught the correct way, by true instructors? Or is it a fly-by-night school that is just trying to make some cash and not really teaching you anything? Are there questions we should ask of the school or things we should be aware of when looking for a performance driving/racing school?”

Q: How far ahead should I be looking on track?

by | Sep 18, 2017 | Ask Ross

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?”

Q: How far from the steering wheel should I be sitting?

by | Feb 7, 2023 | Ask Ross

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?”