Race Car Driving Techniques

Not everyone has the skill required to drive a race car. Most drivers spend years honing their craft before they make a break into the top racing leagues. Regardless of the type of racing or the venue, there are certain techniques used by all drivers. Those who have successfully used these techniques to win races are the envy of other drivers in the garage.

  1. Drafting

    • Drafting is the most important concept to understand in racing. Drafting occurs when several cars follow each other nose to tail. Drafting allows both the lead driver and those following behind to break away from the pack and travel at a faster speed than those cars that aren't part of the draft. As many as four or five cars or as few as two cars can draft together.

      The car leading the draft is able to go faster because it doesn't have to deal with the air displacement as it travels over the car. The lead car breaks through the air, while the following car or cars help to displace the air. The second car deals with the air displacement drag. Cars outside the draft must first cut through the air and then also handle the air displacement drag, forcing them to travel at a slower speed.

      The term "bump drafting" was popularized by NASCAR drivers starting in the mid-1990s. Bump drafting is similar to traditional drafting. However, in bump drafting, the draft usually consists of only two cars. The front car breaks through the air with the second car following closely. In order to increase their speed further, the following car gently nudges the front car forward. Bump drafting can be an advantage at the larger tracks, but it can also be dangerous. Drivers who bump too aggressively or not straight on can cause the lead car to wreck in front of the field.

    Pit Strategy

    • Drivers are only as good as the teams behind them, and many races are either won or lost in the pits. In the laps before a pit stop, the driver and the team crew chief discuss the best strategy for winning the race or gaining positions during the stop. One popular technique used by race car drivers is to pit for only fuel. This technique could be detrimental to the driver, especially if other top contenders choose to take on tires. Another popular method is pitting for only two tires. Drivers who take only two tires will increase their position by several places over drivers who take on four tires, though if there are only several laps left, this strategy may cost the driver the race.

    Passing

    • Passing cars on the track isn't as easy as it looks. Passing takes not only skill but patience and the ability to see the spot before it opens up. Passing is particularly important on road courses. Road courses are narrower than oval tracks, have both left- and right-hand turns, and have very few straightaways. Drivers on oval courses generally pass on the inside as they go through the turns, whereas drivers on road courses may pass on the inside or the outside, depending on which way the turn goes and how wide the turn is. Formula One and Indy Car drivers are more highly skilled in passing than oval track drivers. In fact, when the NASCAR circuit heads to its two road courses each year, many teams call in specialized drivers to race in place of series regulars.