Guest contributor and racer, Canaan Manley, shares some timeless racing lessons below.
The most efficient way to scrub speed before entering a corner is maximum braking. And we can only get maximum braking in a straight line.
Heavy braking while also trying to turn will just send us off the track.
One other item to consider will be that the 90% of braking we are talking about is not fixed in distance or length or time. It is going to change depending on surface condition, vehicle condition, and speed at the end of the straight-away.
Something like a rainy race could require a longer distance to slow down due to reduced traction.
I like sharing this tip, because better braking helped me take a podium finish in one memorable race.
The last few laps were a back-and-forth battle for first. Then my opponent missed his brake marker, but I hit mine.
I passed him on the inside of the corner, and beat him by a few lengths to the checkered flag.
In the Keys to Speed course we explain how braking might not shave huge amounts of time, but it will decide the other end of the corner.
And not understanding when, where and how to brake with maximum effort can sure add a lot of time to your laps. Just ask that other racer.
