Drivers competing in controlled motorsport categories such as, Supercars, must use race craft to gain an edge, rather than relying on their cars to give them an outright advantage.
And while straight line speed is vital, maintaining momentum and ‘flow’ is just as critical in achieving fast lap times; this is where braking and in particular ‘trail braking’ plays a major role.
The technique is widely used by drivers and is most effective in tighter corners – think of Turn 1 (Hell Corner) at Bathurst. It involves modulating the brake pressure as the vehicle negotiates the corner, with drivers tapering off the brake pressure at mid-corner with most braking done by the apex on approach to the exit.
Mastering 'trail braking' helps drivers achieve faster lap times, especially in controlled motorsport categories such as Supercars where every split second counts.
According to Bendix Racing’s, Zach Bates, mastering trail braking takes practice and is critical for success in Supercars and other forms of racing.
“Supercars are pitch sensitive vehicles that respond well to trail braking – by maintaining a level of braking into and through the corner, the weight transfers to the front of the car providing more front-end grip and turn in speed, allowing us to rotate the car more effectively,” Zach explained.
“When you execute trail braking properly, flow and balance is kept and there’s less wear on the rear tyres, preserving them for longer and helping keep traction as the power is put down out of the corner.”
Trail braking improves the car's flow and balance through tighter corners, and the weight transfer also helps front end grip, allowing drivers to rotate the car more effectively.
It all sounds simple in theory, but making things more challenging is that Supercars have no driving aids such as ABS and stability control, instead relying on the deft touch and skill of the drivers.
Additionally, the racers are blipping the throttle and heel and toeing as they enter the corner – then there’s brake bias adjustments which the drivers make many times per lap, making for a busy cockpit.
“Most of the time you’re on the threshold of locking a wheel, so you need to be careful of how much brake you apply – it’s a fine line between getting it right and losing time due to a lock-up,” he said.
Zach said that by the time drivers reach the higher levels of motorsport such as Supercars, trail braking is well practiced and very familiar to them.
“Many of the same braking principals apply to lower racing categories such as the Super2 Series, Formular Ford and even in Karting, so as drivers we’re well versed and the technique becomes second nature,” he said.
“Although mainly a technique for the track, trail braking fundamentals are also relevant in everyday driving. On the road, gentle trail braking is less about maintaining speed and more about increasing safety by allowing smoother corner entry and providing extra front-end grip, helping the car better respond to steering inputs – these are good outcomes both on and off the track.”