Braking into a corner

I am trying to learn a bit and wanted to hear some other racers methods. I have found what has been working for me is to run a bit higher rear brake bias and hit the brake on corner entry letting the brakes turn my car and get back on the gas as soon as possible. But I would love to hear how different drivers enter a corner (all which are probably more experienced than I am). Do you change your entry if you run the bottom or top? Wet or Dry? It took me most of my first year of driving to get comfortable with my left foot always on the brake. But I found that not keeping my left foot on the brake was costing me quite a bit of money $$$.. I sat and thought about it in a street car I find that I keep my left foot on the floorboard to keep myself stable while driving (sliding on the bench seat of my squarebody lol) but in the race car all belted in my race seat I feel more stable. Just some thoughts please feel free to comment even if you don't think its that important. And not just dirt stocks either if you drive a sprint car or a late model or modified just keep it on dirt. Thanks,Kenny #2

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Originally Posted by kfactor239

I am trying to learn a bit and wanted to hear some other racers methods. I have found what has been working for me is to run a bit higher rear brake bias and hit the brake on corner entry letting the brakes turn my car and get back on the gas as soon as possible. But I would love to hear how different drivers enter a corner (all which are probably more experienced than I am). Do you change your entry if you run the bottom or top? Wet or Dry? It took me most of my first year of driving to get comfortable with my left foot always on the brake. But I found that not keeping my left foot on the brake was costing me quite a bit of money $$$.. I sat and thought about it in a street car I find that I keep my left foot on the floorboard to keep myself stable while driving (sliding on the bench seat of my squarebody lol) but in the race car all belted in my race seat I feel more stable. Just some thoughts please feel free to comment even if you don't think its that important. And not just dirt stocks either if you drive a sprint car or a late model or modified just keep it on dirt. Thanks,Kenny #2

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Braking and corner entry changes ALL the time, and not just wet to dry, but lap to lap depending on traffic, the groove moving, how your car is handling, and what you need to do to make a pass.

The only time I use the method you listed is on a VERY wet or slimy track when the car does not want to turn. Corner entry and braking are going to vary greatly between drivers, tracks, and car. Also a stock car is nothing like how a modified, late model or sprint car drive/turn. Stick with talking to people racing the same kind of car, and better yet, racing at the same tracks you do.

If you are always using the brake to get the car to turn, your car is way too tight on entry. When your car is handling well, you should be off the brake by the time you get to corner entry and back to the throttle by the center of the corner. Again, this is going to change all the time. If its dry slick, one lane around the bottom you will be hammering on the brakes from before corner entry and well into the corner.

I normally run a high banked track and when it is wet hammer down more often than not I give the brakes a good stab on entry and then pick the throttle back up and for the most part this is up top on the track. When it starts to dry and slicks off some we end up in the middle of the track and I use more brake entering and easy throttle off.