Q: How can I safely practice trail braking?
Q: “At an HPDE, how do I practice trail braking without being a hazard to the other participants by accidentally going sideways or spinning out of control in the corner?”
Q: How do I adapt to driving a Porsche GT3 from a BMW M4?
Q: “I’ve recently switched from a BMW M4 to Porsche GT3, and I’m struggling to adapt. Any tips or recommendations? I’m 2-3 seconds slower in the GT3, which makes zero sense. I’m guessing the corner entry (off brake and turn in) phase is killing me, but I could also be slow to get to WOT (different on rear engine?).”
Q: How do I know when the perfect time is to release the brakes entering a corner?
Q: “I wanted to tell you this. I went out after being off the track for 9 months, but while I was held up in the house I took your webinar on braking (Improve Your Braking & Corner Entry), and the one thing I remember you telling us is pay more attention to where you finish your braking then where you apply the brakes. OMG, this was much more important than I thought! I like comparing my lap and a pro driver’s time in my car. I am a visual person and I like to see at a glance where we are on the throttle and brakes. I did figure out that the reason I was losing time at Thunderhill was not braking too early. In fact, the pro and I were consistent on where we started braking, but I held the brakes on just a little longer. Obviously, this would consistently slow me down. So, without Data Acquisition is there another way to learn when it’s the perfect moment to get off the brakes?”
Q: Could Joe Average, with enough training, get the same lap times as a pro F1 driver?
Q: “Could Joe Average, with enough training, get the same lap times as a pro F1 driver, or is that out of reach for the normal human?”
Q: How did you become a pro racer, and what can I learn from your experience?
Q: “I appreciate the racing/driving knowledge you generously provide and continue to provide. I have a question: how did you become a race car driver from being someone who wanted a seat in a race car, from inception to the point of transition? I, like most people, want to make my goal a reality (that’s where the realists will chuckle, but never mind them), but it’s quite difficult to see how I can make that come to fruition. Although not everyone’s path will be the same and our environments may have differed, I think having a guideline could be useful.”
Q: Should I upshift at the end of a long straight, and should I downshift through all the gears?
Q: “I purchased and watched your “Virtual Track Walk” for Road Atlanta, which was awesome. It helped a lot to prepare me for that challenging track. I was there last weekend for a 3-day HPDE and there was PCA Club Racing too. The races in the rain Saturday afternoon were scary! I have also just finished reading “Ultimate Speed Secrets,” my 3rd book from you. I have a question that I can’t find an answer to specifically, and as it relates to a fast and long straightaway (such as the straight at Road Atlanta from turn 7 to 10A). I have a Porsche 981 GT4, I was going all the way to using 6th gear at about the “bend” at turn 9 to keep the RPM below 7k (peak HP is 6500), and then tried different downshifts for the braking and turn in at 10A. I first went through all the gears on the way down, doing the turn in 3rd. I then tried a down shift to 5th and then short-shifted from 5th to 3rd during the braking. I also tried going straight to 3rd from 6th during the braking, and last, I tried staying in 5th instead of shifting to 6th (had to lift a little to keep it off the redline) and then short shifted to 3rd. I found no “time” differences in any of the options. What technique would you suggest?”