Photo Credit: DAAR Creative | David Arellano
Doing my very best imitation of Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman from one of my favorite TV shows, MythBusters, I’m going to tackle some of the most common myths in the driving community. Unfortunately, unlike Adam and Jamie, I’m not able to use any explosives!
But first, according to the Oxford Dictionary, a myth is “A widely held but false belief or idea.” I would add that many are somewhat controversial, as well, so let me stir things up.
This time, I’m going to address three myths that have a common theme.
Myth: There is a “school line” and a “racing line.”
The intent of teaching the line around a race track is to get from the start line to the finish line as safely and consistently fast as possible. Physics doesn’t care whether the driver is racing or in a school; the line is the line.
Typically, the “school line” mistakenly uses later apexes. Why do I say “mistakenly”? Because too many people think that a late apex is automatically safer than one that’s a bit earlier.
Unfortunately, “late” and “early” are relative terms, so there’s not a single “this is right” answer here. But, think about this: To get to a late apex, you turn in late; when you turn in late, you have to turn the steering wheel more; when you turn the steering wheel more, you’re on a tighter radius. Where do you have the most control over your car, when driving in a straight line (an infinitely large radius) or when going around a tight radius corner? Yes, the more you turn the steering wheel, the greater the chance of losing control of your car, and possibly spinning or going off the track.
Sure, if you turn in too early, geometry tells us that we’re likely to go off the track at the exit of the corner… unless we make an adjustment (delay applying the throttle, adding more steering).
So, which is safer? It depends… on your definition of “too.” Too late or too early are equally as bad. When you think about it this way, an apex that is too late is no safer than one that is too early.
Therefore, a “school line” that teaches an artificially late apex is no safer than one that is too early.
I could never understand why a school would ever teach someone the wrong way of doing something, only to have to correct this wrong way later. Or, leave it to the student to learn the right way on their own in the future. I can understand it if was truly safer, but an apex that is too late is no safer than one that is too early. Period.
Because I was initially taught the wrong way… err, the late apex line at the time that I first started track driving, when I started my own performance/race driving school, I did the same. But when you spend five years teaching about 10,000 drivers (5 years, 180 days/year, average of 12 drivers/day) how to get around a race track safely and fast, you learn things. I learned a lot. And one thing I learned is that too late of an apex is no safer than one that is too early.
As a bonus, when I switched and began teaching drivers the correct line, they didn’t have to unlearn the wrong way before learning the right way. And, not surprisingly, they made fewer errors. In fact, instead of assuming drivers would make the mistake of apexing too early, and compensating for it with an artificially late apex, I expected them to drive the correct line. And as I had I taught them how to do that, they most often did so. People live up to expectations.
Myth: There is a “racing line.”
There is no single line that is used in racing; there is one line that is safe, fast, and consistent. Some people seem to think that the “racing line” means blocking competitors behind them by entering corners from the middle or inside of the track. Do you know the best way of staying in front of competitors? Drive faster than they do. To do that, drive the fastest line. That line should be the same as the school or racing line; they’re the same thing. The line is the line.
Sure, race drivers will alter their line at times to “discourage” a pass, but that’s really not any different from driving a “rain line” (which does, often, require a different line).
When I hear instructors talk about “school” and “racing” lines, it drives me crazy.
Myth: There is only one line around a track.
This may sound like I’m contradicting what I just said above, but there are subtle differences in the line for different cars. But this is only the case when the car is driven to its limit, and the car is telling the driver to adjust the line slightly. Notice I said the line adjustment is “subtle” and “slight.” I’m talking here about a few inches, not feet. And again, it’s only when the car is telling the driver to make the adjustment, and that’s only going to happen when the car is driven to its limit, and not before.
There is only the right line, with slight adaptations for various cars, tires, track conditions, driver preferences, and a variety of other variables. The line is the line, with subtle adjustments.
All three myths? Busted!
Ross Bentley
/////
Ross Bentley has spent a lifetime helping drivers go faster. He’s the author of the Speed Secrets books (the best-selling racing series ever), is one of the most sought-after driver coaches in the world, and runs SpeedSecrets.com, the largest collection of driver development resources anywhere. Want more articles like this? Subscribe at RossBentley.Substack.com.
