One of the first things we are taught in HPDE is to look far ahead. The instructor will often repeat it over and over again because it’s so important.
It’s important as a fundamental of HPDE because when you’re looking far ahead, it reduces anxiety levels, and we all know the hands follow the eyes. It becomes important in racing for avoiding spinning cars over the crest of a hill, as we see here in this installment of the NASA Racing Gear Store Move of the Month.
Spec3 racer Chris Drum comes into Road Atlanta’s Turn 5 hot, but just over the rise a Spec E30 spins at the exit of the turn and ends up facing the wrong way. The tire smoke provides a clue, but Drum sees what’s happening and evades to the left carries on without further incident.
Image courtesy of PolitiPix
Great heads up move to avoid the car and definitely Move Of The Month worthy.
One more lesson…………if you’re the spinning car and you’ve lost it and can’t recover, put that brake pedal to the floor. If you don’t have ABS it’ll lock them up and you’ll slide in a straight line and be predictable. If you do have ABS, you’ll get slowed down and stop much sooner.
Really heads up move.