Story by Peter Krause • Photography as Credited
Racing can age a person quickly. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the learning curve at nearly every level is so steep that if you stick with it, you will become a better, smarter and safer driver. This sport tends to self-select, so flakes don’t generally hang around too long.
Racing …
I agree totally with #4. Having been on the receiving end of both the good pass and the dive bomb, I try very hard to be the former and not the latter. Also my experience is that you will pass the dive bomber on the next straight because they had to slow down to much to actually make the turn.
In reply to zordak :
Yes, totally. On that note, yesterday I came across this video that totally makes your point:
In the Golf Cup race, you see a pass as you described. And not only does the passer wind up not holding onto the lead, but he goes off the track. And crashes. In the car that he drove to the track.
#7 is excellent. When I started racing, I forced myself to leave the car essentially untouched for nearly two years. I knew it was better than I. When I started to feel like I could do more than the car was letting me do, that's when I started the upgrades.
Seat time is the best teacher.
Chris McComb said:Seat time is the best teacher.
Yes, 100%.
Very thoughtful article by Peter Krause. #4 I also agree, passing is an art, and unfortunately a bit of a lost art at the top levels of racing lately. I believe racers in both F1 and NASCAR make late, desperate moves that require the car ahead to get out of the way or be hit (Verstappen), or just punt the car ahead out of the way (Most any young gun driver in NASCAR). What Peter alludes to is the skill and knowledge to make a pass without contact, more like a chess move than a professional wrestling throw down. Even worse, this kind of driving is watched by racers all over the world who get the impression that this is what racing is: "...the dive bomb, Hail Mary lunge that ends in tears for both drivers."
I call it passing in the Vortex of Danger. That a late move that happens after the lead car has turned. It comes from a blind spot, and sets the passing car on a collision course with the lead car.
In a skilled pass, the following car gets next to the lead car before it turns, taking away the racing line by getting into the peripheral vision of the formerly leading car.
Race well, GRM'ers!
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