Cobra Brakes

[1795]

Morris,

I have started practicing with trail braking and I think it helped my times the last time at Watkins Glen. I wonder if trail braking early in a run might help warm up the brakes sooner during an autocross event? Do they let people drive around the area prior to their turn so that you could ride the brakes a little and warm the up prior to the run?

Jim

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by 1795

Morris,

I have started practicing with trail braking and I think it helped my times the last time at Watkins Glen. I wonder if trail braking early in a run might help warm up the brakes sooner during an autocross event? Do they let people drive around the area prior to their turn so that you could ride the brakes a little and warm the up prior to the run?

Jim

Trail breaking helps shift vehicle weight forward which aids turn in, but if you apply too much brake you can either spin or lock the front inside wheel or create severe under steer. My point about an ABS system is that you can really jam it in to a corner with out locking inside wheels, spinning or getting big under steer. A non ABS car can never brake as hard into a corner as an ABS car because when a wheel locks steering is gone.

In an autox you want to maximize everything so there is no opportunity
to warm your brakes without giving up time. We try and pre-warm the fluids by driving slowly with the brakes on in the pits but you never get near brake operating temperatures. In a road race car you get a couple of laps to warm brakes, fluids and tires so a very different ball game. One mistake in an autox and you lose there is no ability to make up time on following laps.
I am looking for an improvement, the brakes are currently equal to or better than our Goodguys competition, but CAMS it is a different story the C7 Corvettes are killing us under braking with their ABS systems.