Although the average driver in the United States will spend nearly 38,000 hours (according to Harvard Health Watch) behind the wheel over the course of their lives, most of us never really learn how to drive. That’s why we’re starting the series, Drive Like You Mean It – a weekly installment of blogs meant to turn you into a heel-toe shifting, apex demolishing, race car driver. Here’s how you hit the apex.
But before we get started, we’ve got to remind you that you must always follow the law when driving. Not only for your safety, but for the safety of those around you. Also remember that you are not a professional driver, and although you may understand the techniques, you don’t have the experience. Take it slow, and always abide by the rules of the road.
Hitting the apex
This is one of the most basic ways to improve your driving. Whether you call it hitting the apex, or following the racing line, this technique will help you drive through any corner with grace. Here’s how you do it.
Check out the gif above. The car is taking the ideal racing line. It’s the most efficient and safe (in terms of speed and control) path you can take around the turn. To hit it, you’ll want to start breaking before you enter the turn, coast through the apex, and then slowly begin accelerating as you exit the turn and straighten your wheel. Essentially, the apex of a turn is the spot where it is sharpest, and it’s where you should be going your slowest.
Hitting a late apex
But the Ideal racing line isn’t always… well, ideal. Each curve is different, and therefore they require different racing lines. For example, a hairpin turn requires that you brake late and hard, apex far into the turn, and accelerate out of the corner as you straighten out. Here’s another example below.
Hitting the apex of a turn really comes with experience – you’ve got to know the shape of the turn you’re heading into and how to handle it. For our final example, we’ll show you a circumstance where you would break early, hit an early apex, and then accelerate through a turn as you straighten out. As you can see below, this turn starts very sharp, but widens out after the apex.
So what’s the point of knowing this?
You want to hit the apex of a turn purely for driving pleasure; it’s about knowing your car and what you can do in it. Unless you’re going to be doing some closed course racing, we doubt you’ll ever really need to do it.
Still, learning how to hit the apex teaches you more than when and where to turn. It teaches you when to brake, when to coast, and when to accelerate in a turn. That’s valuable information no matter who you are or how you like to drive.
So, next time you’re out on the road be sure to test your apex-hitting skills! Take it slow at first, and remember: your safety is the most important factor when driving. Nothing makes for a bad driving experience like an accident, so buckle up and be smart.
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