Using former SCCA Trans-Am Series star Tommy Kendall as a narrator, the AMG Driving Academy has released a series of some ten videos covering the basics of track driving. One of the best, seen here, discusses how to choose the proper line around a racetrack.
As Kendall points out at the end of the video, you’re getting the benefit of his life’s work. On a racetrack you’ve never driven, in an unfamiliar car, trying to memorize the fastest line through each corner is easily the most difficult part of putting together a fast lap.
What Kendall doesn’t tell you here is that race tracks, unlike public roads, are usually designed with a few tricks to throw off novice drivers. There may be an elevation change that unbalances the car at turn-in, or a corner may be paved to be off-camber. Sometimes, the pavement varies mid-corner, which means that traction changes, too.
If you get the feeling that going fast around a racetrack is a lot more difficult than it looks, you’re right. Driving isn’t something you can learn from a video series, either, but at least the AMG Driving Academy videos give you an idea of what to expect from its courses, and we tip our hats to them for the effort.
For more information on courses and tracks available, see the AMG Driving Academy web page.