Question Quest Story and photos by Dwight Drum Web work by Larsen & Drum
The world of motorsports has many edges: tracks, engines, stock cars, drag cars, open-wheel cars, sport cars, late models and sprint cars - all have a different piece of the edge. Explaining the differences and variables is too much like an encyclopedia mission so when two skilled drivers pack many meaningful words into a brief explanation - it's short story time.
Road Course Meaning: Scott Pruett & Adrian Fernandez The Road Course Question
You both get a lot of seat time in sports cars. Are there challenges of a road course race in general and in particular in a stock car that fans may not be totally aware of?
SCOTT PRUETT: You mean more from a full-time NASCAR driver making the transition to a road course or a general statement, as it compares to ovals? I'm not sure what you mean.
What fans might not really understand about road course racing in general, then in a stock car. They might not understand a lot of things that you might be able to bring out because of all your experience.
SCOTT PRUETT:
"I think it seems like there tends to be that differential of fans who love road course racing and are very passionate about it, understand it inside and out. Then there are the fans who are very passionate about the ovals. Then there's those crossover fans in the middle that like both and may not know a hundred percent of either but enjoy watching it. From a driver standpoint technically it's a lot more difficult at least from my standpoint doing a road course because you're shifting. At Mexico City you're shifting, gosh, 25 times a lap, upshift, downshift, braking. So the challenge or the opportunity certainly to make mistakes is a lot higher.
"And typically the way that I've always pointed it out, whether it's been my IndyCar years or even in NASCAR, there is a point of which a driver can make up some speed and lap time on a road course where when you get to an oval you really have to be -- it's very difficult for a driver to make up speed on an oval. The car really has to be there because the driver can't make up for it.
"I think with that challenge in mind, one of the big things I stress with the NASCAR drivers I work with and try and help them along in their road course ability is just not making a mistake. When you're making that many shifts a lap, when it's up and down, when you're braking that many times, the opportunity to flat spot tires, other things that can take away from the opportunity for a win, are just that much greater on an oval."
ADRIAN FERNANDEZ:
"I a hundred percent agree with Scott. Adding to his comments, one of the things, an oval, you get in a groove, and basically it's all about reading the car, if it's pushing, if it's loose, how it is in traffic. There are certain places, like for example the Indy 500, Indianapolis Speedway, it's a place where you need to be very precise in your entry and exit because it's 90-degree corners and you have to pick up your turning. If you turn too early, you're too wide on the exit, et cetera, et cetera.
"But beside that, the other general oval tracks, it's not so critical where you entry or where you exit. There's different lines. Your car is working well, you get in the groove, it's good. Road courses, for example, you come into a corner, you want to be precise and consistent and take care of your brakes, your tires, whatever, you come into one corner where you need to look at your braking reference, right? If you brake a little later, if you brake too early, you can make time or you can lose time. Always you're apexes, where you cut the corner, makes a difference. You go to street courses where there is absolutely no margin of error because if you are a little bit wide, you're within millimeters of the wall. If you make a mistake, you're into the wall, you damage the car. You're constantly in this tunnel vision where you have to go by reference.
"Fans ask, What are you thinking when you're driving on a road course? Well, what you're thinking is just about what is your next move. For example, in the American LeMans Series, you have shifting points. You're looking at your light to shift. Once you go through all your lights, you may want to change your brake balance. You also have different buttons on your steering wheel you can change. So there's maybe certain things that you're doing at the same time while you're going to your shifting points. Once you get to the next corner, you're concentrating on your braking point. Once you're at the braking point, you go to the next corner, the next braking point, the next one, the next one, the next one.
"A good road course driver is one that can constantly repeat these things and not make mistakes and be precise and be within a 10th of a second of his lap time, reading the tires, knowing how to take care of the tires, everything. In NASCAR, it's the same thing. You don't do as much shifting as you do in the Grand-Am or American LeMans car. But the braking is a lot more difficult in NASCAR than the car that Scott and I are used to because these cars are a lot more heavier, they transfer a lot more weight. It's easier to block tires. It's easy to overdrive a corner. But at the same time you have to have your reference. You have to have very good braking points and knowing the tires, knowing those things. There's a lot more going on in a road course than there is in an oval.
"If you have a bad car in an oval, it's going to be the longest day of your life because it's not easy. I tell you that."
© 2008 Dwight Drum
Disclaimer: NASCAR® is a registered trademark owned and controlled by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. Nextel Cup and Sprint Cup are registered trademarks. The operators of this site are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NASCAR organization. The Official NASCAR® website is NASCAR ONLINE® at: www.nascar.com.