Speed Secrets: Professional Race Driving Techniques

This is the first driving book I've read and I highly recommend it. My experience with cars: I've taken an auto shop class before, I drive a stick, I've done some minor maintenance on my car, and I have never been involved in an accident. Before, I have never attempted to educate myself on how to drive fast (except what I learned from rom Grand Tirsmo 2. I haven't really played the newer ones but that one made you take driving tests before unlocking new levels ). It explains some important concepts of like the 'traction circle' and how to properly drive 'the limit' of the car.The beginning of the book was familiar to me and easy to read, but it quickly got into new territory. A lot of people here say this book has application on the street, however, it is not directly 1:1, as you shouldn't drive at the limit on the street because you will have nothing left in the car to prevent an accident. It did help me corner better and smooth out my heel toe downshift, which I was very grateful for when I applied what I learned driving up the mountain roads last weekend.I've had this desire to do autocross/solo amateur racing just recreationally and after reading this book, I feel more comfortable with the idea and will look forward to pursuing it. I might look into Bentley's Autocross Techniques if that were the case.I like the short length of the book so I can use it as a reference and quickly reread concepts. I also like the length because I am not a big book person and might have lost interest if it were a lot longer. lol

A must have reading material if you are into cars. A lot of professional info and very well explained.

Can’t beat it! Thanks for his passion in teaching chuckers like myself (hpde driver equivalent of George costanza).

Unfortunately, I'm not a racer. I was looking for info more along the lines of performance and safety techniques to use on the road, not a race track. It didn't offer a lot for every day driving, unfortunately. But - it didn't claim to either. I'd read what the book covered and took a chance that I might get something more out of it than I did.That said, I still found it very interesting to be exposed to the depth of the science behind racing. Not that I didn't expect there was a lot to it, but to read about what's going on in those guys minds - wow! The book explains well various techniques (and more importantly to me, the reasons behind the techniques) for cornering, developing a line through a race track, and other side items such as prepping for a race.I'm a fan of motorcycle racing more than auto racing, but I believe a lot of the info here is valuable to bikers too. On a side note, after reading this it re-inforces my lack of enthusiasm for NASCAR races. I'm sure there's something exciting about them, but going around in a circle doesn't seem nearly as challenging as Le Mans or other road races.If you're actually racing on a track, this book will probably give you good information. And, as the book claims, I believe it's worth owning so that you can re-read it periodically. But that's coming from someone who doesn't actually race, so take it for what it's worth!

This is a great book to read and a great book to refer to. I purchased this book in 2007 and honestly still refer to it till today!The best way to use this book is to do a lot of lapping days but read it the night before, and right after your lapping day is done. I personally don't refer to it DURING my lapping day but I don't think that would be a bad idea. It is something that I may try this year.It is very easy to read. Keep in mind that some techniques can be considered quite advanced and may be hard to understand. But don't mistake that for being a difficult read.I really enjoy the highlighted and bolded "Speed Secrets" throughout the chapters.My best advice is to continue to refer to this book as much as you can. I find that exponentially helps me to grasp certain techniques and mindsets on what it takes to push your car to the limit. (Something that many of us will never be able to do) This book will however help you get as close to that as possible.

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.

This book was getting a lot of discussion and recommendations at a DE I attended recently -- and after reading it I can see why! I can also see why most of the reviews here are highly positive.I have also read Skip Barber's "Going Faster" and found it highly informative as well. "Going Faster" contains more technical details which should be expected as this is the "text book" for their schools. I would recommend reading both -- I don't know of anything you can buy for this price that will make your car faster.Even if you just watch road course racing on TV, reading this book is useful. For example in Chapter 11, "Racing, Passing, and Traffic," the author talks about "presenting" which helped me understand the tactics involved in passing. I'm a DE guy with an old Autocross background and no plans to go wheel-to-wheel racing, but finer points like this make watching racing much more interesting.Highly recommended.

Pretty good. It shows high big techinal moves to do with the handling of the car. It shows that common lecture of every driving course and yet some good tips, and mentally on a higher ground.Its for me, I guess, a begginer guide, with lot of information to process and to develop into habits. I think, once I master this begginer part, I can find a more advanced technics hidden.Its was a good choice to startup my hobby carrer of driving insanelty into some simulators and later a real track.

Un recueil de tout ce qu'il y a à savoir sur le pilotage d'une voiture de course.Des explications claires et accessible au plus grand nombre, des schémas explicatifs. Ce livre est un véritable atout pour tout participant à des Track Day.

Great book with lots of technical information for beginner

well written, conversational and memorable. Lots of nuggets of gold you can instantly apply and see the results. Just reading it and then jumping in the racing simulator, I shaved a second a lap which is a considerable race winning margin. If you are an experienced driver, hearing the explanation of the technical reasons for slow or fast laps times should highlight areas of your own driving to focus on that can really count. A must read.

In inglese ma perfetto per imparare i trucchi e le strategie che occorrono nel motorsport. L'autore è poi molto disponibile e risponde alle lettere scritte per altri consigli. Lo consiglio sia ai giovani che si avvicinano allo sport automobilistico ed anche a chi vuole saperne di più sulle tecniche di guida.