Forza Braking Drill

The very first and most important thing any driver needs to know before ever even moving a car is how to make it stop. Brakes are the most important safety component on any car. We all learn how to press the brakes and bring the car to a controlled stop. Easy enough. But truly mastering the brakes is the difference between an elite pro and your average midfielder. If you've never heard the phrase, "slow down to go faster." Then you probably think brakes are optional. You may have a lead foot mindset and prefer to just send it. And then you ask how you are getting passed so easily? "How is that guy going so fast?" It starts at the braking point.

Approaching the corner, the pro is hard on the brakes, just below the lockup point of the tires. As the car slows, less grip is needed for braking and is transitioning to steering. When the car begins to rotate and respond to steering, the driver bleeds off the brakes, smoothly, controlling the weight shift of the car. This is trail braking. Trailing off the brake pressure as the car turns in. If you are too clunky with your transitions, the weight will shift unpredictably and induce negative oscillations. i.e. oversteer or understeer.

You should think of braking as the polar opposite of acceleration. When taught how to use the accelerator, young drivers are told, "Don't break the egg!" If you stamp on the accelerator too hard, you break traction and spin the drive tires. Or in other words, 'Break the egg.' So as you accelerate, you depress the accelerator smoothly, slowly increasing pressure as the car grips. But then when you approach the braking point, you lift straight off. On the inverse, you stand on the brakes hard at the braking point. And smoothly and slowly release as the car turns.

Mastering the braking potential and programming the muscle memory to make it automatic will melt your lap times and make you an unstoppable overtaking machine. With the added bonus of making you harder to pass than a kidney stone.

If you like these tips and would like to learn more, we offer coaching sessions at reasonable prices. Want to get better at tuning? Get our free Tuning Guide. We also offer a Tuning Course if you want a more in depth tuning lesson. Get these and more at https://www.hiredgunracing.com/

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