JC in NY

I have seen brake checking used as a tactic by drivers in Porsche Supercup because it causes the car behind to smash his radiator and end his race. Usually it only happens when drivers are mad at each other already.

I hope this tactic does not become popular in PCA racing in GTC-3.

analogmike

I don't think so, though you may take out the radiator of the car behind you, your bent muffler, bumper, and/or rear deck lid at $2.2K - $4.4K each will hurt more than losing a position in club racing (no sponsor$).

Slappy

I know the gentleman that was driving that car and he is far from an asswipe. As a matter of fact, he is one of the most personable drivers/racers that I have yet to meet.

Knowing him, and after viewing the film, I would probably be safe in saying that he did not do that on purpose, but rather lost track/sight of Bill935K3 ... a mistake on his part, yes, but not a nasty "brake check" ... not his style. As you can see in the following seconds, he stayed left and made no attempt to further block or race Bill935K3.

Veloce Raptor

So do I. I used the picture because it was funny.

Gary R.

Yes, but you said "What an asswipe"

Have you ever raced?

Veloce Raptor

LMAO. The asswipe comment was directed at the asswipe in the video.

Bob....any time you get a minute....

Gary R.

The guy in the video is who Slappy is talking about!

Bill935K3

The guy in the blue and yellow car is a really nice guy, he did have a major “awareness” brain fart. He is working hard at improving all around.

Also get along fine with John E. he was playing with me trying to break my timing and got a little carried away. We had a good talk afterwards.

Here is the pass for the win on the white flag lap.
http://members.rennlist.com/bill935k...%20pt%2005.wmv

I don’t think brake checking is a huge issue in PCA, Here are a couple of excerpts from my NE Region Nov. 2005 article that was reprinted in full by PCA Club Racing News.
Class Vs Overall racing
PCA racing is suppose to be all about racing with cars in you class or “finding” racers running similar times and racing against them. This can be kind of a tricky issue. One good thing about our race weekend format is we have quite a lot of practices, fun races and qualifying sessions before the “feature races”. I strongly recommend that you make yourself known to the guys around you on the time sheet, especially if you are not in their class. If you are right in the middle of two or three guys in the same class I would strongly suggest talking to them and feeling them out on the subject? They might welcome you to the party, great every man for himself; but if they start telling stories about this being the rubber match of their personal, season long duel you have some decisions to make.
Brake Checking and Gamesmanship
I define a brake check as when you have a person squarely behind you and you go to total threshold breaking 20-30 yards early. It is wrong and a good way to get your self wrecked. As I told a guy not too long ago, “I dam near had you. If I had hit you I probably would have hit you good enough that you would have gone of sideways into that gravel trap. I might get 13 months of probation but you probably would have rolled you car” Obviously nobody wins or has a fun weekend if a scenario like this comes to pass.
What I believe is acceptable gamesmanship is as a car is catching you up; you can show him a slightly early brake point in the corners where he has the advantage for a couple of laps, then about the time he is ready to make his move start using your max deep brake point. In other words ten to twenty feet one way or the other is screwing with the guys head. Twenty yards is using the back bumper as a weapon. Another ‘fair one” in my opinion is if your competitor is following you through (learning you) and you know his power band is not good off a corner adjust your turn in speed. That is he is committed to braking behind you so you brake at the normal point but trail off the brakes a little later over slowing say 3-5 MPH so he is between gears.
(wtc 5/07 I think this is the really important part!)
In conclusion here is a quote from my pal Bugsy Steven’s book about leaving a guy racing room and giving him room to save his car. “Because see, when the race was over, we were all gong to go out in the parking lot and relax. Somebody was going to cook up some lobsters and clams and we were going to drink some beers together”

Veloce Raptor

Ah, right you are.

Veloce Raptor

V-E-R-Y nice !!!!!!!!!

38D

That was in the enduro where people that lucked out and caught the yellow during their pit stop moved way up in the results. Look at lap times and you will see that all the C1 cars ran faster times. There are certainly fast drivers in every class, and Richter is definitely one of them.

richard glickel.

Steve Katz, the fellow who drove the Paddock Racing 944S2 SP3 car on Saturday is a terrific driver too.

UK Steve R

If the slower car is racing for position it's a tough call I think but often they are in open space and oblivious to faster cars approaching. If they ignore the waved blue flags I think the clerk of the course should call them in. it is especially a problem in endurance races where often you can be lapping slower cars several times in a race. I appreciate that without race experience a novice driver cannot learn race craft but it is imperratve that they are aware of what is arround them. If they can't do that, they shouldn't be racing in my opinion. There is no excuise for that. As for Brake testing, it is a real shame that some drivers resort to it. Also, some drivers are a 'little late on the power' shall we say, out of slow corners if you in close and racing it can have a similar effect as you lit for a moment and loose your run. These are often drivers with big budgets who can offord the odd shunt. If you are on a tight budget, you learn to give such drivers a little more room. Somtimes you can trick them into doing it and use it to your advantage but I think that brake testing is a very cheap and dangerous trick.

Steve

DrJupeman

Here's one example from last weekend that I know upset Bob. How do I know that? You can see him waving his appreciation mid-turn...

Lime Rock Lapped Traffic example

carreracup21

Sometimes I wonder if the advice they are giving the new guys is the right thing to say. I mean this business of "just drive your line" and make them "get by safely" is a bit of a strech at certain tracks where you are only braking down to third gear. Better advice might be; if a much faster car is trying to pass you going into a corner, why not just give them the inside line and let them get off your bumper, and BTW, watch the mirrors.