And now we’ll have a lesson on how not to drive your Porsche.
The passenger-filmer of the video is Bill Caswell, a writer for Wired and Jalopnik, and the driver is Robb Holland, a professional racer. They are driving at the famous Nürburgring circuit in Germany in what appears to be a Ford. Ahead of them is a Porsche 911 GT3, which, on a straight line would have left them in the dust. On a proper racing track, however, a pro like Holland has no trouble keeping right on the GT3’s tail, which possibly made its driver a little antsy. You can find out how the GT3 handled it (hint: not well) but here we will craft a short set of rules based on Holland and Caswell’s banter as the situation unfolds (unfelded? Whatever).
Brake early
Caswell is known for having a bit of racing experience, but you can hear the relief in his voice when he notes that Holland—a far more seasoned professional—is braking early before turns. Many people think that driving like an expert means sliding through turns like Tom Cruise in socks in Risky Business. Not so.
“It’s all about the exits”
This line, from Holland, underscores that the number one goal in taking a turn is positioning yourself well for your exit. Rather than pounding ahead until you run out of road, look for where you ought to be going in so that you don’t end up on the wrong side of the track.
Looking at the car behind you
This is really what gets the GT3 in the end. The above mistakes are typically made when you feel pressured by someone in your rearview mirror. Especially in a car like this, it would be frustrating to see a Ford badge consistently on your tail. So you make poor choices and as Caswell puts it, “[Your] mind is too far behind the car.” Keep your mind where it belongs: on the road in front of you.
Comments are closed.