The
Art of Passing
Story
By Tim Sharp
Proficiency
in passing is a skill that reveals a driver's true greatness.
Glven a clear track and enough time in a quality race car, almost
any
solid driver can turn in a quick qualifying lap. The far more
difficult
task is to maintain momentum in traffic.
The
Straightaway Pass
The
most simple pass, by far, is the "draft and pass" on a
straight.
lf you are fortunate enough to have superior power, this pass
is easy:
You simply come off the corner cleanly, push hard on the right
pedal
draft for a few seconds and then cruise on by.
If
you have a more evenly matched race car, this pass is a bit tougher.
First, you need to lay back slightly as you enter the corner,
then
accelerate and run up on the car in front as you exit the turn.
Next,
you must draft a little longer on the straight, then pull out
and pass
when you have enough momentum to get by cleanly.
Here
is an important footnote:
If you have someone pursuing
from behind as you are attempting to set up this pass, it complicates
matters. On most tracks, you can take a defensive line as you
enter the
corner just before the straight (or two corners prior in the case
of a series
of "S" turns). Brake a tad early and close the door cleanly
on the car
behind you, then accelerate off the corner to achieve more exit
speed
than the car in front as you exit the car near going onto the
straight.
A
rookie mistake is to run up prematurely on the slower car in front
before
the exit of the corner. If you are being pursued by a smart driver,
he will
gladly let you kill your momentum and box yourself in. He will
then take
the layoff space you gave him and use it for superior exit speed.
Zip by
and be gone!
Late-brake
Pass
While
you may be able to draft and pass slightly slower cars on the
straightaway with relative ease, again, things become more complicated
when you are running against an evenlymatched race car. Sometimes
you
just cannot draft and pass completely on the straightaway. There
are
times when only a late-brake pass will do.
Before attempting a late-brake pass, there are several things
you should
consider. First, in practice you should have already set your
front-to-rear
brake bias to be able to execute a late-brake pass. Be sure the
rear brakes
will not lock up and spin you. Also, pick late-brake reference
points as well
as normal brake points in practice.
Second, you should have already tried a couple of off line and
insidelate-
brake passes in practice (preferably on drivers whom you knew
would give
way in this situation). Unless track conditions have deteriorated
substantially,
you should be able to pull off a similar late-brake pass during
the race.
Next,
you should know
the braking capabilities of both your car and the car
your about to pass.
The
Drafting Pass
uses
the lowered wind resistance of other car's air wake. Ovartaking
driver
then "pops out" and uses extra speed to get past your
pass attempt with
your braking.
let
the BMW take you into the corner any deeper
than you can handle. In
addition, try to keep your nose clearly
alongside the BMW. The driver of a lightweight BMW will think
twice about
slamming the door on a huge Camaro. Your ace in the hole here
is that
the BMW driver probably knows the laws of physics as well as you
do.
Passing
in the Rain
If
you practiced in the dry and you are now racing in the rain, all
bets are
off. As you know, rain lines are different from dry lines. The
classic line
will probably be too greasy and too tight in the rain. Your best
bet is to
brake smoother and take a gentle, sweeping radius through the
corners.
Also, break off your draft earlier when passing and be sure you
are clearly
inside of the car you are over taking.
Close
drafting is dangerous on a wet track. If the driver
in front brakes early, you may collide !!!
If
the driver in front of you is overtly blocking:
Step
A shake
your fist visibly in the air, then point at the offending car
as you stare at the flagmen in the very next corner. If this does
not produce
a blue and yellow passing flag really soon, it is time to move
on to Step B.
Step
B
is to pressure the blocking driver into late-braking situations
at
every possible chance especially in tight corners. Let him think
you will
attempt a late-brake pass at any moment. Make him early apex every
corner to protect his line. When he is convinced that this is
your plan,
set him up for a corner leading onto a long straight.
Just before this corner, use a "head and hand fake" to
the inside, forcing
the blocking driver to move to protect his line and apex early.
If you are
entering a right turn, hold the steering wheel by its left spoke
with your
left hand, making sure the car stays on a straight braking path.
Quickly
tilt your head to the right and slide your right hand over the
wheel to the
right. Of course, your right hand is really not turning the car
to the right,
but any selfrespecting mirror driver will move his car to thwart
your late-
brake pass. (Note: This technique works better on closed wheel
cars than
formula cars. Formula car drivers are not likely to fall for this
ploy as they
key off the directional change of the front wheels not hand or
head
movement).
Next, move slightly to the outside and take the blocker deep under
braking into the corner. If he bites, which he probably will,
he will
glide across your bow and you can pass behind him as he tries
to
save his car from leaving the track. If he checks up, realizing
that
he has been had, he has in essence relinquished the fast line
to you.
You are obliged to take it immediately. You cannot hesitate, or
someone is going to get hurt. Final note: As with all passing
situations,
this one is not lOO percent foolproof. Before trying it, you must
know
the radius of the corner, the track surface, the track exit width
and
your own ability to react.
Brake
and Park Pass
Step
C is the what I would call the "brake
and park pass." You have
played by the rules; however, let's assume you have given the
corner
workers an opportunity to give the blocker a passing flag and
that you
have already used various psychological techniques to get by the
blocking driver, with no results. Time to move on the blocker.
Blockers are snivelers. After the race, they will say that they
changed
their line to an early apex (ie: blocking line) because "my
car got loose"
or "I just made a few driver errors." Well, if they can
make a mistake,
so can you. The "brake and park pass" is just one of those
unfortunate
latebraking mistakes you, too, might have to make.
Even the best mirror driver cannot convince race officials that
he needs
all of the track, all of the time. Moreover, he has to leave some
space
on the inside, or you will go around him on the outside. Sometimes
you
have to take that meager piece of asphalt inside and use it. Even
if the
line looks horrible, it will look better as you get closer to
the corner apex
especially if you miss your brake point and go in too deep. (Oops!)
The "brake and park pass" requires good car control skills,
since the back
end of the car will probably step out (oversteer) on you as you
enter the
corner under extreme late braking. If you do not have these skills,
do not
attempt this pass.
Incidentally, I am making a strong distinction between "slam
ming" and
"parking" here. Parking usually means you simply made
an aggressive
late-brake pass, taking the best line and much of the corner exit
away
from the blocker. Slamming means you laid so much metal on him
that
you launched him into an Armco barrier. The purpose of the "brake
and
park" is to pass and move on, not to destroy a competitor's
race car.
Correct
Drafting Pass Setup
Overtaking
driver leaves some space between himself and exiting the
corner after which the drafting pass will take place. This gives
over
taking driver better exit speed and also protects his line from
other
guy who wants to win as well.
Defensive
Driving Techniques
It
may seem incongruous that I am discussing defensive driving techniques
just after I assailed drivers who drive with their mirrors. While
the difference
between a blocking driver and a defensive driver may seem imperceptible,
I assure you there is a substantial difference between the two
types of
drivers. Moreover, defensive driving is as important a part of
racing as
passing. It is the other side of the same coin.
Here is how I make the distinction between "blockers"
and "defensive drivers:"
A blocker is generally in consistent, slow through the corners,
has weak
technique and hurts your lap times substantially when you encounter
him.
You know that once you get by him, you will leave him in the dust.
He
deserves little respect.
Defensive
Driving in Close Contests
There
are situations in which you and the car behind you are locked
in
serious combat. Your cars and your driving skills are so closely
matched
that you know you can not let the other driver pass. This is a
classic
offensive/defensive driving battle.
First, remember that you are in front and you have the better
track
position. Next, do not obsess over the driver behind you. Yes,
you can
use a slightly earlier brake point or take a slightly earlier
apex on occasion
to disrupt the rhythm of the driver behind you. However, do not
lose
sight of the fact that it was fast, consistent laps that put you
ahead
of your nemesis in the first place.
Next, try subtle tactics to de termine your rival's talent and
experience
(unless you already know he has no weaknesses then just drive
fast and
smooth).
In a car with brake lights, you can use leftfoot braking to de
termine
whether your challenger is driving his own line or keying off
yours. By
using leftfoot braking and a slight brake check in the brake zone
before
the corner (just enough pressure to trig ger the brake lights),
you can
find out if the driver behind you is a hawk or a vulture.
Left foot brake lightly and early as you continue to accelerate
with your
right foot as you move toward the corner. If the driver behind
you brakes
heavily and keys off your brake lights, he will drop back way
before the
corner. He has shown himself to be a vulture. He is scavenging
off your
line and brake points. This guy can be had.
The
Art of Passing
A
professional race driver who says he does not have a mental book
on
passing or defensive driving techniques is stroking you. Some
drivers are
great at blocking. Others are good at sucking unsuspect ing rookies
too
deep into a corner and showing them the gravel pit. Some are experts
at running a com petitor out of tires before they pick him off.
A few use
their latebrak ing talent and reputation as a wild man to intimidate
other
drivers off the line.
When it comes to passing strategies, there are an infinite number
of
combinations and permutations. No single driver can know them
all.
What makes the art of passing so intriguing is that certain techniques
only work on certain drivers.
