Past Issues

Hooked On Driving founder and instructor David Ray reviews whether students should use traction control and how and when instructors can teach using such driver aids. Ross blows the idea of “maintaining your pace” sky high, then brings you back to earth with a discussion of ABS and its uses.

Coach and shock absorber expert Rob Schermerhorn answers your questions about understeer, oversteer, and what you can do to address these issues from a suspension standpoint. Ross asks you to ask yourself “Is it the car, or is it me?” plus addresses the age-old topic of trail braking.

Have you ever made a driving mistake? No? Experienced coach E. Paul Dickinson tells you how and why you should make them. Mistakes can come from experimentation. Ross tells you when you can feel comfortable experimenting and urges you to make a list of the mistakes you have made that turned out just fine.

 It’s the New Year and Ingrid Steffensen tells you how to recover your willpower for the new season. Ross “steers” you in the right direction and lays out a way to review what you did well in 2014.

Mazda factory driver and coach Tom Long rings in the New Year with a brass tacks take on common driving misconceptions. Heed his advice! To complement Tom’s article, Ross illustrates how open-mindedness can help you be a better driver (and what steps you can take to accomplish that).

Driver development coach and Jedi master Jim Kearney focuses on your belief system: how belief and desire, conscious and subconscious must meld to put you on the right track. Ross announces a “send in your in-car video” contest; his holiday gift to three winners is a free video analysis and coaching session. Find out which tracks and cars Speed Secrets Weekly readers would love to drive the most.

Long-time BMWCCA member and HPDE instructor Bill Wade shows how to use all the tools in your instructor toolbox for happy students and a successful event. When you hear “1%” these days, you might not be thinking about driving, but Ross is! He directs your attention to ways to improve your racing game by 1% and how much difference it actually makes.

“Data guy” Matt Romanowski explains all the possible ways you can use your data system, complete with graphs, to make your car’s engine healthier (and probably faster!). Ross shows how the angle of an apex makes a difference. If you’re interested in “Getting Better at Getting Better,” Ross links a great article for you to read.

Pickle-lover and prolific writer Ingrid Steffensen expounds on how skills can be lost in the space of a couple of generations, but that whether they linger, are rediscovered, or never return, it isn’t always a bad thing. Ross reviews the common problem of misplaced downshifts and how you can gain speed from making them at the right time, then reviews shifting technique (and whether yours is helping or hurting you).

Top-level coach and Skip Barber stalwart Mike Zimiki tells you about limits and how you can work to exceed them. Ross discusses Pre-Planned Thoughts and how they can help you deal with the vagaries of the track. How do quantum physics and coaching relate? Ross tells you what pro-level coaches do.

Marketing guru Bruce Cleland begins his series on the business of racing in this issue, with an overview of what (and who) you need to make your career financially viable. Ross encourages you to increase your brain’s neuroplasticity by challenging your mind and body with something new. Ross announces a newly-created infographic, available free to subscribers, called “How To Tune Your Car’s Handling: THE DEBRIEF.”

Driving geek Ingrid Steffensen is back with her tips for physical conditioning so necessary for your track (and life!) fitness. Ross writes about brain integration and just one thing you can do before you get in your car to facilitate it. Ross also tells a story about distraction and how Nico Rosberg deals with it in his inimitable way.