Five things Mark says on every track day
Our Coaching Director, Mark White, on the coaching calls he finds himself making for almost every driver he sits with.
Mark White has spent a lot of hours in the passenger seat. As a Grade A licensed ARDS instructor, he coaches drivers of every level, from first track day to club racer. Some calls come up with almost everyone. These are five of them.
1. “Get all your braking done in a straight line”
The car has the most grip for braking when it’s pointing straight. If you’re still braking hard as you start to turn, you’re asking the front tyres to do two jobs at once. Get the heavy braking done first, and do your gear changes there too, before you turn the car into the corner.
2. “Load up the brakes”
Stamping on the brake pedal is the quickest way to lock a wheel. Mark’s advice is to apply the brakes firmly but progressively at the start, so the weight of the car moves onto the nose before you brake at full pressure. It gives the front tyres a chance to bite.
3. “Bleed off the brakes”
Coming off the brakes matters as much as getting on them. If you jump off the pedal, the weight shifts to the back of the car and takes grip away from the front just as you need it to turn. Easing off smoothly keeps the front of the car settled.
4. “Look through the corner”
The car goes where your eyes go. Look as far ahead as you can, through the corner to the exit, rather than at the piece of track right in front of you. It’s one of the simplest changes a driver can make, and one of the most effective.
5. “Feed in the throttle”
Progressively apply the throttle as you unwind the steering. Mark sees a lot of drivers go to full throttle too early, particularly in rear-wheel drive cars, and lose the rear. Feed it in, and go to maximum throttle once you know you won’t have to lift.
These are the same words you’ll hear from RaceLineApp.ai. Every cue in the app has been validated by Mark, so the coaching you get on track sounds like the coaching you’d get from him. You can walk through a corner to hear how they fit together.
Track driving carries risk. Always drive within your ability, follow your event’s rules and briefing, and respond to flags and marshals first.