Q: “A little debate going on regarding a rule of thumb on when to accelerate. I’m of the belief that you accelerate when at the apex and you can start to unwind the wheel. Am I being too simplistic? I’ve studied a number of pro driver’s videos and they all seem to be consistent in acceleration when they start to unwind.”
Q: “I raced in the T4 class in SCCA for two seasons, sold that car, and now I have a formula car. I’m hoping you might have a few pointers for me in transitioning to an open-wheel car with wings. I know my cornering speeds will be much higher, but how do I go about safely getting used to taking advantage of the aero? I plan to get 3-4 track days before the season, and want to take full advantage of my practice time.”
Q: “Should my tires be squealing through every corner? Is that a good indicator that I’m at the limit of adhesion of the tires? Or is does that mean I’ve gone that past that point?”
Q: “Does ‘slow in – fast out’ always work? I hear the advice all the time, but I seem to do good going into corners really fast. My car control is really good, so that might be why. Is it because drivers with bad car control need to be slow in to be fast out of the corners?”
Q: “How do I find and select a driver coach?”
A: First, I have a personal interest here, so be forewarned and take that into consideration. And there are many factors to consider when finding and selecting a driver coach, so this is not as simple a question as it seems! It’s a big topic that I could almost write a book on – so this is not a short answer!
I’m getting conflicting information as to whether I should turn Traction Control off or leave it on while learning to drive faster. I drive a 2017 Mazda Miata so power isn’t huge. I know that TC may save me from myself but might it also mask some of the ‘limit sensors’?”