When racing on the track, the greatest art is not driving fast on the straights. The whole difference comes from the turns, and the most you can work out is through proper braking. So how to properly practice braking during racing?
Each track can be divided into three parts. They will not be equal, of course, but each section will be responsible for something different. So we will encounter sections where we drive at full throttle, where we drive in a corner and braking zones. While we actually go fastest on the straights, all the speed on the track, and more specifically shooting good times comes from the braking zones.
It is the proper braking that has a huge impact on how we go through a turn, which in turn directly affects our speed on the straights. For this reason, we can usually snatch the most time on braking. This is because properly slowing down the vehicle we’re driving means that we’ll be able to take the best line through the turn, which is not only fast during the turn itself, but will also provide the best acceleration on exit.
Before we start preparing to improve how we brake, we need to pay attention to one very important issue – the vehicle we are driving. Effective braking that allows us to achieve the best possible times comes largely from confidence, so we need to be very familiar with the vehicle we will be racing. This is also important because cars can differ in how their braking systems are constructed. We will brake differently in a car with ABS, and differently in a car that does not have this system.
Of course, in cars that have ABS, we can brake using the full range of the brake pedal. In cars that do not have ABS, the matter is more difficult, as we need to pay attention to where and how we brake. Above all, in cars without ABS, it is even more important to brake on straight wheels. This is because turning will lead to wheel locking, which will cause you to lose a lot of time, as well as damage your tires.
Another important point is to determine good braking points. To do this, it will be necessary to familiarize ourselves with the track and catch distinctive places such as brake placards, protruding bangs, the beginnings of curbs or anything that will draw our attention and help us choose the right braking point that will give us the most efficient deceleration. Of course, during the course of the ride, this point also needs to be modified with an eye to such issues as the decreasing weight of the vehicle, tire wear, or changing track conditions.
main photo: pixabay.com/Stewardesign
