Speed Secrets: Professional Race Driving Techniques

by Ross Bentley

Shave lap times or find a faster line through your favorite set of S-curves with professional race driver Ross Bentley as he shows you the quickest line from apex to apex! With tips and commentary from current race drivers, Bentley covers the vital techniques of speed, from visualizing lines to interpreting tire temps to put you in front of the pack. Includes discussion of practice techniques, chassis set-up, and working with your pit chief.

Genres: Racing, Nonfiction, Cars

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a race car driver and a racing instructor. This is my go-to book when someone asks me, "which book should I read?" It's also my go-to book when I need a refresher about what's important.

It's not a big book. There's absolutely no filler or wasted words. It's not in-depth either, so if you're looking for a more technical discussion about the hows and whys, this is not your book. If you're looking to take a tenth of a second off your lap times, you probably already know all the information in here, and it probably isn't your book either.

However, the information inside is the most important stuff you need to know about going fast. It's organized well, summarized well, and explained well. If you can't do the 20 or so things this book talks about, and do them both expertly and consistently, you will never be fast. Guys in lesser cars will always beat you. But if you can do these things, everything else is only going to make a minor difference at best.

[Yates Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick clear read in the fascinating world of race
car driving training. I think there are lessons here for many other activities in life and how central the mental exercises are to improving your performance.

[Michael Ramsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be read over and over by me for the foreseeable future.

[Michael Cartner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Corey Friedrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information, but a little dry to read.

[Craig Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for beginning and experienced drivers alike. The best thing I took away from the reading was the importance of the skill progression ladder on the track - you can't go faster with z, until you first master x and y, essentially. And highly technical driving details like slip angles that most don't really even think about make a huge difference after you understand the concepts. Highly recommended.

[Vinícius Landvoigt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise but effective. Definitely the best overall introduction to racing, from car dynamics, techniques, track analysis to mindset and sponsorship gathering, it covers all relevant aspects of the activity. The speed secrets listed throughout the book are not just useful for a race driver but also for a street driver.

[Lewis Manalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the first couple chapters I realized that I've been driving the wrong way for years! The book gets a little technical for a reader with only a general interest, but it was interesting to learn some of the mechanical concerns that racing teams have.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent practical guide to techniques for going faster.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and fun to read, learned a lot of valuable lessons and have improved my driving skills significantly.

[Pete Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read for those starting out in racing and want to go faster.
Understanding the fundamental concepts is key.

[Brian Palmer]

Best track driving book I've read.