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ross bentley speed secrets
Speed Secrets: Setting HPDE Expectations

Speed Secrets: Setting HPDE Expectations

The story of two bad wrecks and how experience teaches that managing expectations is key for track days (and even more important for wheel-to-wheel racing).

By Ross Bentley | February 08, 2022
sponsorship
By a Racer, For Racers: Finding Target Brands for Sponsorship
By a Racer, For Racers: Finding Target Brands for Sponsorship

For young racers looking to make the step into racing professionally, a singular topic is always at the forefront: sponsorship.  Current Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup challenger Aidan Fassnacht dives deep into the prospect of finding funding to secure a racing seat; the first of a four part series - By a Racer, For Racers.

By Ross Bentley | September 27, 2022
The Start: Ten Seconds That Can Make… Or Break Your Race
The Start: Ten Seconds That Can Make… Or Break Your Race

The old saying goes, “No race has ever been won in the first corner, but many have been lost there." Well if that’s true, then why do so many drivers go for it at the start?

By Ross Bentley | August 29, 2022

Racing

Features , Racing
Speed Secrets: Why Not Going Slow Is More Important Than Going Fast

If you had to guess, how many compromises do you make in just one lap? You know, trading off speed in one part of the track to gain in another? Or compromising braking for cornering, and cornering for acceleration? Or? I don’t know, either, but reading Randy Beikmann’s (author of Physics for Gearheads) article this week got me thinking about this, and I bet you will, too, when you read this week’s feature. And Randy’s main message is one that you need to take to heart, and use (it has to do with not going slow).

By Ross Bentley | February 17, 2020
Features , Racing
What It Takes To Be A Great Racing Driver In 90 Seconds

This clip came across our desks recently: it’s filled with short tips from pro drivers of various series and eras, and is a sort of promo video for safeisfast.com. They’re all things we often forget about and need to be reminded of often (at least this author does). 

By Peter Nelson | February 11, 2020
Features , Racing
Highlighted Podcast: SlipAngle Podcast Discusses The Glory That Is A Modified Audi TTRS

This is a great one: we love the TTRS, so we were especially excited to see this one show up in our Apple podcasts!

By Winding Road Staff | February 10, 2020
Features , Racing
Speed Secrets: Developing Your Career Plan

One thing that most every successful business does is develop a five-year plan, some type of strategem that helps everyone, especially management, know where the company is going and how to get there.

By Ross Bentley | February 10, 2020
Features , Racing
Saving Money: When More Is Less Part Two

The great Italian polymath Leonardo Da Vinci once said “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” He walked our green Earth during the late-fifteenth century in what is now present-day Italy. Speaking of present-day Italy, one brand that we carry was founded and maintains its headquarters there: Sabelt.

By Peter Nelson | February 06, 2020
Features , Racing
Floridian Throwback: The 1970 Sebring 12 Hour

In celebration of this year’s upcoming Mobil 1 Twelve Hours Of Sebring Presented By Advance Autosports in March, we thought this throwback would be fun to share: a 22-minute documentary detailing how the race went down back in 1970.

By Peter Nelson | February 04, 2020
Features , Racing
Highlighted Podcast Episode: Midweek Motorsport At Bathurst

Episode 4 of Series 15: John’s in Bathurst running amok, while Nick discusses MotoGP and more! The big talk of the episode: the historic and much-welcome convergence of IMSA and ACO.

By Winding Road Staff | February 04, 2020
Features , Racing
Sportsmanship And Camaraderie: Sometimes Overlooked, Always Important

“If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver” – Aryton Senna. These words are some of the most commonly-quoted in motorsports. Though, they do not speak to what is truly important in it: sportsmanship and comradery. We put so much emphasis on the cut and thrust actions to pass and win, that we sometimes forget that it’s a race against other people.

By Winding Road Staff | February 04, 2020
Features , Racing
Speed Secrets: Hard Lessons

As an in-car instructor, you’re in control, whether you are or not. Huh? The second you strap in next to a driver and head out on the track, your words, how you use them, and your actions will control your student more than you may even realize. If you do the right things, you get your student to do the right things; if you do little or nothing, you’re leaving the control in the hands of your student—in that case, you’re controlling the situation by doing nothing!

By Ross Bentley | February 04, 2020
Features , Racing
Saving Money: When More Is Less

In our work with racers, we sometimes see an attempt to save money that ends up costing more. You’ve probably been there and we have too. We’ve skimped on donor cars, only to replace entire drivetrains. We recently worked on a low-cost build from another shop that required so much work that the savings were completely nullified and the driver missed multiple weekends of racing because the low-cost effort took so long. Sometimes “More is less”.

By Winding Road Staff | January 30, 2020
Features , Racing
Highlighted Podcast Episode: Ross Bentley On SlipAngle Powered By Tracktuned!

In this episode, Adam sits down with Ross to discuss all-things relating to the life of a professional driving coach, as well as share racing stories. Definitely worth a good listen!

By Winding Road Staff | January 28, 2020
Features , Racing
Ten Steps to a Successful Pass

Some drivers are super fast, but not the best wheel-to-wheel racers. Some are not as fast, but they have an ability to out-race others. They’re great racers. And then there are some who are fast *and* great racers. This week’s contributor is one of those fast racers: Colin Braun. ​He’s competed in the NASCAR Truck and Xfinity (then, the Nationwide) series, where he would pass as many cars in one race as most road racers pass in a season. This week Colin is sharing some of his thoughts about how to set up and complete a pass.

By Ross Bentley | January 28, 2020
Features , Racing
Video: Porsche Owners Club At Willow Springs International Raceway

While we’ve been posting a ton of content and footage covering this weekend’s 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, we haven’t forgotten about the form of racing we truly cherish the most: club racing.

By Peter Nelson | January 21, 2020
Features , Racing
Highlighted Podcast: Marshall Pruett Records The C8.R’s Roaring Symphony

Marshall Pruett did the world a solid by getting some sweet audio of the C8.R at Daytona during testing. Have a listen over at Road And Track, and be sure to crank the volume on the first sound clip.

By Winding Road Staff | January 21, 2020
Features , Racing
Five Strategies For Finding the Limit

If someone asked me to define my driving – with a positive focus I might add, as I think we’re all very self-critical in racing – I would say that I am a smooth and consistent driver. I am not overly busy at the wheel; I’m not having to correct my driving constantly; and in many instances, it means I can deliver consistent lap times again and again. Combine this with reasonably good finishes and it translates into me having fun at the track and leaving happy, often with a trophy or plaque. So, what’s wrong with this type of driving?

By Ross Bentley | January 21, 2020
Features , Racing
Brap From The Past: Racing Beat At The 1983 Daytona 24

With the 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona right around the corner, we’ve been psyching ourselves up for all the action by looking back at races of yore.

By Peter Nelson | January 19, 2020
Features , Racing
Highlighted Podcast: From Aussie Supercars To Indycars On The Marshall Pruett Podcast

Marshall Pruett Podcast Episode 726: Catching Up With Scott McLaughlin. This is a fascinating episode; click here to listen!

By Peter Nelson | January 14, 2020
Features , Racing
Five Critical Questions For Drivers

We all do the same things: brake, turn, and accelerate. It seems simple. But, we don’t all do them the same. How someone puts them together is the only real difference that separates the best drivers from the rest.

By Ross Bentley | January 09, 2020
Features , Racing
Highlighted Podcast Episode: SlipAngle Podcast – Jeff Braun At PRI

SlipAngle Podcast Episode 295 – Adam and Abe were lucky to catch Jeff Braun at PRI. Jeff’s been in pro racing forever and has been a long-time friend of the show.

By Winding Road Staff | January 03, 2020
Features , Racing
Speed Secrets: You’re A Weight Manager

No, I’m not trying to convince you to follow a new diet. Nor am I going to tell you how to lighten your race car. What I’m talking about is how to manage the weight transfer while driving.

By Ross Bentley | January 03, 2020
Features , Cars , Racing
Highlighted Podcast Episode: Midweek Motorsport Final Episode Of 2020

Series 14, Episode 47. In this triumphant end to a solid series, the gang reports on all things international pro racing, share some praise, and do a nice, thorough interview with Le Mans boss Vincent Beaumesnil.

By Winding Road Staff | December 31, 2019

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