Instructor’s Insight: Slow In/Fast Out

Give up a little at the entry to win a lot on the exit.

The most natural thing in the world is to dive into a corner — turn in the moment you see it and clip the inside early. It feels fast. But an early apex quietly wrecks your exit: the car is still turning hard when the corner opens up, so it drifts wide right when you want to be back on the gas. You run out of pavement, lift off the throttle, turn hard and late then crawl onto the next element while losing that precious momentum.

Many autocross courses follow traditional course designs that utilize neutral corner designs. Typically this means that there is a cone in the “middle” of the corner. Other designs have “hidden” apexes that aren’t clearly marked by a cone. During the course walk it is important to identify where the actual corner apex is located.

The key is to slow into the corner first, in a straight line, before you turn. Enter a touch slower than feels heroic and get the braking done while the wheel is straight. Then wait. Remembering where the apex is located, turn in later than your gut wants — when in doubt, wait one more beat before you crank the wheel.

Turning in late lets you apex late — touch the inside of the corner past its midpoint, when the exit is already opening up in front of you. Now the car is pointed down the next straight instead of across it, so you can unwind the wheel and get hard on the throttle early. That’s the “fast out.” Remember, identifying the apex regardless of the cones is critical to getting this right.

Through the middle of the corner this really is a little slower, and it’ll feel that way. But the straight after a corner is longer than the corner itself, and exit speed carries all the way down it. A bit of patience at the entry buys you speed you keep for the whole next stretch. The longer or faster the section after a corner, the more a late apex pays — those are the corners to be most patient in.

Carry these to the line

1 – Slow in, fast out — win the exit, not the entry.

2 – Brake in a straight line, then turn.

3 – When in doubt, wait to turn in.

4 – Apex late, then unwind and go.