Passing a competitor on a road course can be contentious – and to be frank, it’s contentious by design. In fact, it’s what makes it fun. You want to pass them, and they don’t want to be passed. You want to win the race, but so do they. In short, it’s why we do this.
When it comes to passing, there are rules of engagement to be followed, the width of the racetrack to be considered, then there’s adrenaline – and sometimes ill-thought-out ideas enter the mix. Whether it’s the SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® or Formula 1, passing equals conflict, and conflict equals drama.
There are, however, techniques for successful passing to help you avoid drama, dodge unwanted trips to visit the stewards, and (just maybe) win the race.
What you won’t see on the list below is (and for good reason) the following moronic technique: See six inches of daylight at the apex of a corner and then dive bomb your competitor at the last nanosecond with your eyes closed while praying you both exit the corner without damage. To be clear, this technique does not work, although auto body shops love the extra business.
1. Be Obvious
Believe it or not, successful passes in road racing aren’t sneaky moves. Generally, both parties know what’s happening – it’s just that one party can’t really do anything to change the fact that they’re being passed. This is a good thing.
When both parties know what’s occurring, when the passing driver is clear and obvious about their intentions, this is how conflict is avoided. Think of it this way: Road racing is a 120 mph chess game, and in chess, both players can see the entire board. There should be no surprises. When a pawn is set one square away from the king, and the pawn is protected by a queen, the king is in trouble – it’s obvious. When a racing driver gets their entire right front fender in front of the driver’s door of their competitor as they are both heading into a left-hand turn, the driver on the right knows they cannot turn in toward the apex of the corner because the line has been taken away from them. This is an obvious move and both drivers can adjust to get through the corner successfully. The driver who’s being passed may not like it, just like the chess player doesn’t like having to move their king because of a pawn, but these are the rules of the game.
An obvious way to pass a competitor is often about simply positioning your vehicle on the track in a place that takes the geometric advantage of the next corner away from your competitor. The driver who is being passed has to slow a bit more to get through the corner successfully, and the pass is made without contact. Nobody is surprised by this, which means nobody’s car gets damaged, and everybody continues the game.
2. Braking
Most passes are done under braking. In order to place your car in that obvious position of taking away the geometric advantage of the next corner, you need to be able to get there ahead of your competitor – before they try the same move on you. Braking is the easiest way to do this.
As two cars are drag racing down a straight toward a hairpin corner, the drivers are usually playing a game of chicken with each other. Who will brake first? Whoever brakes deeper gets ahead and can take away the line from their competitor. Being able to threshold brake (slowing the car just before locking the brakes) and have the confidence to go deep will allow you to win this battle.
(From being obvious with your intentions to taking away a geometric advantage, and more, a lot goes into making a successful pass.)
Good brakes and the skill to use them will earn you many more passes than adding horsepower to your vehicle. Also, dollar for dollar, a stickier brake pad is a lot less expensive than an engine rebuild to chase five horsepower.
Practice deep threshold braking and know where the grip on the track is before you attempt this move with a competitor on your outside. Deep braking is not the “divebomb the apex and pray” method. Deep braking is the clear and obvious method of taking the line away in the straight prior to the apex so both drivers know what is occurring.
3. Corner Exit Speed
When a competitor gets passed on a straight, you’ll often hear grumbling on the radio about how much “motor” that other driver has. Race car drivers love to make excuses for getting passed. Yes, maybe the other driver does have more horsepower, but most of the time it’s about the corner exit speed carried from the previous turn prior onto the straight in question.
Here’s an example: If you were drag racing someone in the quarter mile, both cars start from a stopped position. You wouldn’t want to drag race someone who got a rolling start next to you, even if that rolling start was just at a measly 4 mph, because the car with the 4 mph rolling start will have a massive lead at the end of the quarter mile. This exact scenario is playing out at every corner exit prior to a straight in a road race. The driver who carries more exit speed out of a corner will have a better head of steam down the straight, and that will allow them to reach the braking zone sooner and take away the line in an obvious manner (Techniques 1 and 2 combined).
When I’m playing 120 mph chess, I have a game plan. If I’m following a competitor and I’ve been just about rubbing the paint from their rear bumper for three or four corners, I’ll actually back off and give my competitor a little lead. This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s for good reason. If I’m on the rear bumper of my competitor, they’re making all the decisions for me – I’m braking and accelerating when they say I should, and thus I can only go the same speed they are. When I back off my competitor a bit as we head into the next corner prior to a long straight, I get a chance to exit the corner better than them and get some good corner exit speed. At that point, I’ll get that 4 mph head start down the long straight. That momentum will allow me to get next to them, out brake them, and take the line away. This is a clear and obvious pass. Goodbye!
Know the track you’re racing on – the corner prior to the longest straight is the most important one to get great exit speed out of because it’ll pay exponential dividends at the end of the straight.
4. Qualify Well
This may sound dumb, but one way to avoid passing drama is to start from the front and lead the race flag to flag. Ask anyone who races Spec Miata and had to start in 24th place –there’s almost too much going on back there. Knowing how difficult it is to pass in a crowded class means you need to prioritize qualifying.
(Turns out, qualifying well solves a lot of issues when it comes to trying to pass other drivers.)
Autocrossers who move on to road racing are often really good qualifiers because they take on new “tracks” all the time and only get a few laps. Take qualifying seriously (car prep and aggression on track) and give yourself the best chance when the race starts.
There you have it: Be obvious with your intentions when positioning your car to take the line away from your competitors, get great corner exit speed before a long straight, brake deep, and qualify so well that you don’t have to make as many passes.
And remember, dive bombing the apex is not how you make successful passes (or friends in the paddock).
(About the author: Rob Krider is a national champion racer, the author of the novel Cadet Blues, and is the host of the Stories and Cocktails podcast.)
Photos by Jeff Loewe
