Q: “Two weeks ago at a PCA track event I decided to do part of a session without any nannies. I switched them both off to see how it would go, and less than two laps later, I was sideways in the grass. This was my first time without any aids, and first time really going off track. Where do you stand on TC, PSM, etc.?”
“How does one determine the amount of rotation that should occur in a corner? Given that there are appropriate turns and areas to invoke different amounts of rotation during cornering, how does one determine how much is the right amount? What are signs that that you are under, over or have accomplished the desired rotation? Also please differentiate between rotation, drift, slide and oversteer.”
Q: “Imagine a scenario: I am in the second position trying to grab first place as the car is close to me in front. I have many laps to go. Should I try to overtake as soon as I can or wait for the race to come down to only a few laps to the finish, and then make my move? What type of strategy do you think is best? Should I hold back a little and wait to make a move later or just try to overtake him as soon as possible while I have more laps?”
Q: “I am driving a 2000 Porsche Boxster S at Porsche Autocross events and when I drive my Boxster over a bumpy section my Traction Control comes on and slows my car. I don’t have a switch to turn off the TC. To help with traction should I lower the tire pressure? Would raising the rear spoiler help with this issue as well? The spoiler raises at 75 mph but I can raise manually.”
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: “I have been bleeding the tires when they are hot, to a targeted pressure and using chalking to try and determine if the targeted pressure is high or low. This has worked okay, but not ideal as I still ended up burning off the three middle sections of my rear tires with little wear on the outside sections. I’m looking to doing tire temp readings after each run, checking inside, outside and middle to determine if the tire pressure is correct. My challenge is I’m usually by myself at the track and getting the 12 temps and 4 air pressures after a run, in time to be valuable will be a challenge. Any insights on tools, techniques for tire management in the dry and wet would be greatly appreciated.”