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One of the most common issues we see in more confident drivers is that they threshold brake into every corner on a race track. We actually want to vary how we brake and how hard we brake in every corner.
Here is a breakdown of the 5 most common brake traces and what corners we typically want to use them in:
1) Hard initial pressure with a smooth release
This is one of the most comm
on types of brake zones. When you see someone draw the “perfect” brake trace they will often draw this shape. One thing we want to make clear is there is no perfect braking trace.
We are typically using this type of brake trace when we are entering a corner with a lot of speed, but the corner ahead has a decent amount of entry speed still. Some example corners where I would use a brake zone like this would be:
Sebring International Raceway - Turn 1
Willow Springs Raceway - Turn 1
2) Hard initial with continued threshold braking and a smooth release
You will find this type of a brake zone most often coming into hairpin-style corners that are preceded by a straightaway. Some example brake zones where I want this style of braking are:
Sebring International Raceway - Turn 7
Buttonwillow Raceway - Starmazda
Circuit of the Americas - Turn 12 or Turn 11
Road America - Canada Corner
Road Atlanta - Turn 10
What’s the common factor amongst all of these corners? They all have pretty long straights going into them, so we arrive at the brake zone with a lot of speed. All of these corners have somewhat low minimum speeds and lead onto a bit of a straight ahead. So, they are all also exit speed corners.
To be fast in these corners I want to really maximize two things:
Time spent at full throttle into the corner
How early (after the apex) I can get back to full throttle
I want to brake as deep as I can, get the car rotated, and get the hell out of the corner.
That is why you see in the slope of this brake zone we spend a lot longer at or near peak brake pressure. I care less about keeping the platform of the car, so I’m okay with more weight on the front at or near the turn in point.
3) Smooth ramp up and smooth release
I am typically going to use this type of brake application as I head into a sweeper-style corner where I’m trying to keep the platform of the car somewhat neutral. I’m not trying to bleed off a lot of speed here, I need to slow down just a little bit and I need to do it in a way that doesn’t shock the car.
Examples of corners where I might use this technique are:
Sebring International Raceway - Turn 13
Mid-Ohio - Turn 6
Circuit of the Americas - Turn 19
What do all of these corners have in common? I have some lateral load (my hands aren’t straight) as I enter the braking zone. The corners themselves are also not hairpin-style corners, they are more sweeper-style corners where I want some speed coming into the corner and some level of trail braking.
4) The light brush and ease off
With this brake application, I’m more focused on getting some weight on the front nose as I start to turn in, more than really trying to slow the car down.
I will use this type of brake application in turns like:
Laguna Seca - Turn 4 or maybe even in turn 9
Sebring International Raceway - Turn 16
Road America - The kink (only in cars where you need a little braking to make the corner)
Watkins Glen - Turn 10 (only in cars where you need a little braking to make the corner)
In these types of corners, I’m not trying to brake late and hard. I’m purposely braking slightly earlier but lighter to keep that platform. For example, in turn 4 at Laguna Seca. When I compare myself to most other drivers the other drivers brake later and harder than I do. But the limiting factor for them is concern about losing the rear on entry. So, they end up over-braking and picking up the throttle too early. My lighter brake application is initially slower, but I have the platform of the car more neutral, more underneath me, then lets me bring in more entry speed. That means I’m faster from about 3 car lengths before the apex all the way down to turn 5.
5) Hard initial with a quick release
I most often use this type of brake application in stiffer, downforce cars. Quite often in any other type of car it transitions weight too quickly and can upset the car. Examples of corners in a downforce car where I might try this technique would be:
Mid Ohio - Turn 1 or the fast left hander
Sebring International Raceway - Turn 1
Road Atlanta - Turn 6
7 сен 2024
