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Driving On The Edge: The Art and Science of Race Driving
Written by a professional, Driving on the Edge covers the basic skills and reveals the latest advanced techniques for driving a racing car on the limit. Essential reading for beginner and experienced driver alike, it will also interest race team engineers and car enthusiasts who want to peek behind the scenes to learn more about the challenging world of the racing driver.
- GenresRacing
2 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
November 3, 2024
For those not aware, Michael Krumm is a professional driver, with a long career under his belt. He spent most of his time in GT cars, but plenty in formula cars as well. As you can probably guess from the title, the book talks about how to get faster in racing.
I will say up front that this is definitely designed for those racing cars on legitimate tracks. There are still pieces in here that apply to autocross, carting, or whatever else might involve pushing a vehicle to its limits, but that's not his main focus. One thing I did like is that Krumm very clearly thinks deeply about what he is doing as a driver and follows data as much as possible. I think this translates to information that might help a newer driver better than some of the top drivers who do things a lot on feel and can't really describe why they do what they do.
Krumm starts off with some basics on weight transfer, driving lines, etc. While those sections were fine, I didn't think they were as good as some others I've seen (suck as the Skip Barber book I covered last year). His next sections were more focused on driving technique and racing strategy. I found those sections to be more helpful and things were also presented in a different way than I've seen in the past, which was good. He gives clear examples of what he is talking about, explains why you should do it this way, and often gives tips on how to get there, which is exactly what I would want in this type of book.
The final "main" section covers car setup. I really liked the way this was done. Caveating once again that this is focused on race cars and not how to improve the tune on a Honda Accord, Krumm sets clear priorities and criteria for determining how to set up the car. He has multiple sections discussing different aspects, and I would say for me that this was a highlight of the book. The last little bit covers some miscellaneous items that I felt were helpful but were too short for a section of their own.
The book is very clear and well-written. Krumm is German, and his voice comes across with some odd English phrasing every now and again, but the message is always quite clear. I can't say I've come up through the ranks of professional driving, so I don't know how much of his target audience he is hitting, but it felt to me like he achieved his goal here. For those not interested in professional racing, this is a good book and one you should expect to pick up some nuggets from.
I will say up front that this is definitely designed for those racing cars on legitimate tracks. There are still pieces in here that apply to autocross, carting, or whatever else might involve pushing a vehicle to its limits, but that's not his main focus. One thing I did like is that Krumm very clearly thinks deeply about what he is doing as a driver and follows data as much as possible. I think this translates to information that might help a newer driver better than some of the top drivers who do things a lot on feel and can't really describe why they do what they do.
Krumm starts off with some basics on weight transfer, driving lines, etc. While those sections were fine, I didn't think they were as good as some others I've seen (suck as the Skip Barber book I covered last year). His next sections were more focused on driving technique and racing strategy. I found those sections to be more helpful and things were also presented in a different way than I've seen in the past, which was good. He gives clear examples of what he is talking about, explains why you should do it this way, and often gives tips on how to get there, which is exactly what I would want in this type of book.
The final "main" section covers car setup. I really liked the way this was done. Caveating once again that this is focused on race cars and not how to improve the tune on a Honda Accord, Krumm sets clear priorities and criteria for determining how to set up the car. He has multiple sections discussing different aspects, and I would say for me that this was a highlight of the book. The last little bit covers some miscellaneous items that I felt were helpful but were too short for a section of their own.
The book is very clear and well-written. Krumm is German, and his voice comes across with some odd English phrasing every now and again, but the message is always quite clear. I can't say I've come up through the ranks of professional driving, so I don't know how much of his target audience he is hitting, but it felt to me like he achieved his goal here. For those not interested in professional racing, this is a good book and one you should expect to pick up some nuggets from.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review