Speed Secrets Podcast
177 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 217 ratingsThe Speed Secrets Podcast is all about high performance and race driving. In it, Ross Bentley has conversations with guests, resulting in tips, advice and inspiration you can take to the track. Digging into topics such as trail braking, cornering lines, race track specific advice, data acquisition and video analysis, upshifting and downshifting, handling and car setup, steering techniques, and the skill of using the throttle - all while driving on track - the goal is to not just entertain you, but also help you learn. Along the way, these conversations will get into why we drive on race tracks, igniting your passion for the sport. Each episode is 30 to 45 minutes in length – just right for listening to while on your way to work, to the track, or while you're working out. Oh, and in each episode - posted weekly - Ross will share one of his quick and effective Speed Secret tips.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
069 – Scott Mann: Choosing Instructing Over Driving
April 12, 2018 10:00 - 52 minutes - 42.2 MBScott Mann joins me to talk about High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) instructing, and particularly what are the traits that the best instructor have. We share stories and thoughts about the importance of an open/growth mindset, dealing with Type A personalities, how to practice instructing, and what the best focus on. Scott is the Chief Driving Instructor for the Las Vegas Region of the Porsche Club of America (PCA), the Zone 8 Chief Instructor for PCA, and one of the PCA’s national ...
068 – Jeff Braun: What Makes The Best, The Best
April 05, 2018 10:00 - 55 minutes - 44.4 MBJeff Braun joins me to talk about what makes the best engineers, and what the best drivers do differently. Of course, Jeff can’t resist sharing what he knows about tuning a car’s handling, so he does that in this episode, too. Most important, by listening to Jeff, you get an insight into the process, or approach, to tuning a car’s performance. No doubt, Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club rac...
067 – Ed Potkanowicz: How Heat & Hydration Impacts Your Driving
March 29, 2018 10:00 - 54 minutes - 43.6 MBEd Potkanowicz joins me to talk about the work he does with Wayne Taylor Racing drivers, Jordan Taylor, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Renger van der Zande regarding core body temperature, heart rate and stress to help them improve their performance. What he’s learned from working with elite-level pro drivers, and shares in this podcast will help you drive better and safer. Ed is an Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology at Ohio Northern University where he focuses on “driver science” – the obje...
066 – Colin Braun: Learning Tracks & The Secrets to His Speed
March 22, 2018 10:00 - 58 minutes - 46.7 MBColin Braun joins me again (he was on episode #7 over a year ago) to talk about his approach to learning a track he’s never been to before, what it takes to get to throttle sooner, how to use the brakes, being smooth with the steering, and what “rotating” a car really means. Basically, he shares with you what he does to be so bloody fast! We recorded this episode while driving from the Lisbon airport to Portimao in Portugal, so we also share a couple of funny travel stories (since Colin’s lu...
065 – Lyn St. James: Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Shares her Secrets
March 15, 2018 10:00 - 44 minutes - 60.8 MBLyn St. James joins me to talk about her career, and more importantly, what she learned about driving that’ll make you a better driver – how precision is more important than bravery, understanding car set up leads to being more sensitive to the limit of the car, who the best drivers she ever raced against are, and why we have a need for speed. Lyn really doesn’t need any introduction, but the highlights are her being the 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, winning the Daytona 24-Hour race tw...
064 – Gama Aguilar-Gamez: Listen to a Coaching Session
March 08, 2018 11:00 - 55 minutes - 76.7 MBGama Aguilar-Gamez allows me to record a coaching session I do with him. We talk about identifying strengths and weaknesses, and then what he needs to do to improve. We use data to confirm some things that we felt were things he should work on, and talk about the approach he should take to make these improvements. Oh, and we talk about the difference between him and Fernando Alonso. Gama races in the PRO3 (Spec E30) series in the Pacific Northwest, as well as being a founder of the Track A...
063 – Heyward Wagner: Where the Heck is the SCCA Going?
March 01, 2018 11:00 - 56 minutes - 45.2 MBHeyward Wagner joins me to talk about what the Sports Car Club of America is up to, and why. We talk about how the club’s focus is on converting car and driving enthusiasts into participants (I love this!), and they’re all about having fun with cars. Specifically, we dive into SCCA road racing, autocross, Track Night In America, and the new focus on Time Trials. Heyward is the Director of Marketing and Experiential Programs for the SCCA. The son of parents involved in the SCCA, he’s lived ...
062 – Elivan Goulart: SCDA & His Secrets to Speed
February 22, 2018 11:00 - 52 minutes - 42.1 MBElivan Goulart joins me to talk about the Sports Car Driving Association (SCDA), and then what makes him so fast, and why he wins so many races. We talk about self-coaching, whether you need to crash to learn the limits, how it’s important to take time before driving to mentally prepare – and how, how to learn to read other drivers, and the strategy behind racecraft. Elivan started in Karts at the age of 12, then moved into cars in Formula 500 (2001 and 2002 SCCA National Runoff Champion),...
061 – Ann Morey: Getting in The Zone
February 15, 2018 11:00 - 56 minutes - 76.9 MBAnn Morey joins me to talk about how to get in the zone, what gets in the way of doing so, the voices we all have in our heads when driving, self-critique versus self-awareness, experimenting to learn, and the journey she’s on to win Spec Miata races. Ann writes a great blog about her racing and driving experience at GentleWomanRacer.com. She started doing Driver Education track events about 5 years ago, got addicted to the sport, and now races a Spec Miata in the Southeast. Blog: www.ge...
060 – Steve Stepanian: What the Best Performance Drivers Do
February 08, 2018 11:00 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBSteve Stepanian joins me to talk about what the best drivers do, what they don’t do, what his Aha! moments were, and how you can be an even better driver. Steve has an amazing passion for the sport of performance and race driving, which is why he jokes that he doesn’t need a therapist! His enthusiasm comes through in this podcast, as well as his experience and advice that you can use. When he’s not racing Spec E30 or instructing, Steve is the Chairman of the Driving Events Committee of the...
059 – Dale Sievwright: Making Noise About Electric Cars
February 01, 2018 11:00 - 44 minutes - 61.4 MBDale Sievwright joins me to talk about electric cars, being an engineer at Tesla, racing gas-powered cars, autonomous vehicles, and the future of driving. When Dale isn’t working to make Teslas quiet as an NVH engineering techician, he’s either spending time with his wife and son, or racing. Dale drove a BMW Touring Car for Rotek Racing in the VLN series at the Nurburgring and will be returning this year. Dale is also a 3-time class winner at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, driving for El Dia...
058 – Erin Vogel: Sensory Visualization, Club DE & Racing
January 25, 2018 11:00 - 46 minutes - 63.8 MBErin Vogel joins me to talk about self-coaching, instructing at HPDE events, visualization (especially after focusing on sensory input), fear, and how to find that little bit more speed. We have this very cool conversation about what one learns from instructing, and how racing makes you a faster track day driver. Erin has been track driving since 2009, and racing since 2014. She races a Spec Boxter in Porsche Owners Club and Porsche Club of America events, and instructs primarily with the ...
057 – David Vodden: The Secrets of Thunderhill!
January 18, 2018 11:00 - 44 minutes - 35.3 MBDavid Vodden joins me to talk about why some race tracks are more successful than others, why some car clubs and event organizers do a better job than others, whether our sport is growing or not, and what the real secret is to being faster around Thunderhill. David is the President and CEO of Thunderhill Raceways. He’s been with the facility since before it was even built, being a part of the initial planning and development process. And before that he managed an oval track. Web: https:/...
056 – Andrew Rains: Real Time Data & Peripheral Vision
January 11, 2018 11:00 - 48 minutes - 38.5 MBAndrew Rains joins me to talk about how to use – and train – your peripheral vision to improve your driving, as well as the APEX Pro device, and using data to coach yourself. We wrap up the show with Andrew’s insight into what he wishes he knew when he first started track driving. Andrew has been going to the track since he was five years old, has raced in Pirelli World Challenge and club racing, coaches at Barber Motorsport Park (and other places!), and is the Marketing Director for APEX ...
055 – Danny Kok: Ice Driving & Making a Racing Comeback
January 04, 2018 11:00 - 43 minutes - 34.8 MBDanny Kok joins me to talk about the AMG Driving Academy he runs in Canada, the ice driving programs he puts on, and about his plans to go racing in 2018. Danny, an accomplished racer and great driver coach, hasn’t raced much in the past few years, so he shares his plans to get ready, as well as how he’s training his co-driver for his first season of racing. Danny, my former business partner, runs the Canadian AMG Driving Academy, which conducts driver training programs on race tracks and ...
054 – Scot Elkins: MSF Instructor Certification & Formula E
December 28, 2017 11:00 - 54 minutes - 43.6 MBScot Elkins joins me to talk about the Motorsport Safety Foundation (MSF), its various safety initiatives, and especially the Instructor Certification program it launched in the spring of 2017. We also touch on the topic of electric car racing. Scot is the COO of the Motorsport Safety Foundation, as well as the race director for the Formula E series. Having spent years as a race engineer, as well as a senior official with the American Le Mans and IMSA series, he has a broad perspective on ...
053 – Peter Carroll: 14 Ways to Improve Your Performance Driving
December 21, 2017 11:00 - 56 minutes - 77.7 MBPeter Carroll joins me to talk about his recent article in Speed Secrets Weekly, “14 Ways to Improve Your Driving.” Specifically, we talk about braking too hard, not enough trail braking, getting on the throttle too early, coasting, not using all the track, downshifting too much, shortening the distance by altering your line, and how to experiment with new driving techniques. Peter Carroll is a BMW and Porsche club racer, track day driver, and instructor. Living in the Toronto area, his ho...
052 – Andrew Comrie-Picard: Sensing & Driving Traction in Rally & Other Forms of Motorsport
December 14, 2017 11:00 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBAndrew Comrie-Picard joins me to talk about how to sense the traction limits of any type of car you’re driving, whether on pavement or dirt - just how to drive fast on any surface, and how learning to drive a variety of cars will make you a better driver. Versatility is a good thing! We talk about “dynamic traction," sliding friction, sliding, slip angles, traction circle, weight transfer, and “steering with your feet.” Okay, we talk about rally, rallycross, drifting, road circuit driving, a...
051 – Brian Bonner: Finding a Racing Sponsor
December 07, 2017 11:00 - 49 minutes - 39.4 MBBrian Bonner joins me to talk about motorsport marketing, or sponsorship. Getting someone else to pay for you to race, or even to do track days, is like a dream come true for many. But how do you do that? Brian has worked with drivers and teams at every level, from Indy Car and NASCAR to club racing. And he’s learned more than a few things along the way – things that can help you. Brian runs his own motorsport marketing agency, but is so focused on his clients that he talks only about them...
050 – 11 Drivers Talk Favorite Corners, Most Valuable Lessons Learned & Attracting Newbies Into Our Sport
November 30, 2017 11:00 - 52 minutes - 41.8 MBEleven different drivers sit down with me at NCM Motorsport Park while at a BMW CCA HPDE Track Event and share their thoughts on what makes one track more technical than another, what their favorite corners are, which car they’d most want to drive, what the most valuable lesson they learned at the track is, and how to attract new and younger drivers to our sport. This episode is different than the past ones, as it’s 3 separate conversations with small groups of drivers participating in th...
049 – Tom Martin: The Winding Road of Motorsport Business
November 23, 2017 11:00 - 45 minutes - 36.7 MBTom Martin joins me to talk about all things motorsport, from business to the original Can-Am series, from Spec Miata to HPDE and track day driving, from low cost endurance racing to the passion we all share for our sport. It’s a very cool conversation, and his advice about the business of motorsport is invaluable! Tom owns Winding Road Racing, a multi-facted motorsport business that involves a magazine, retail safety equipment and performance parts stores (online and brick-and-mortar type...
048 – Ryan Dalziel: How the Pros Do It & Race Car Coaches
November 16, 2017 11:00 - 43 minutes - 34.6 MBRyan Dalziel joins me to talk about how he’s developed into one of the best race car drivers in the world – what techniques he thinks are most important (hint: it has to do with corner speed and what you do with the throttle), and how to take your driving to that level. He shares his thoughts about his Tequila Patron-ESM co-drivers, Brendan Hartley and Johannes van Overbeek, and how their driving styles compare, as well as confidence. Then we talk about race driver coaches, and specifically ...
047 – Ashton Harrison: Women in Motorsport & Learning to Drive Faster
November 09, 2017 11:00 - 44 minutes - 61 MBAshton Harrison and I talk about racing in the Global MX-5 Cup series, what it’s like as a woman in racing, instructing at the Porsche school, and the challenges that come with being a woman telling a man how to drive. Ashton is a young woman I’ve had the pleasure of coaching – and she’s fast. Even faster than some of her results have shown (and we talk in the podcast about why that is). She’s raced in Spec Miata and the Global MX-5 Cup series, is an accomplished driving instructor, and lo...
046 – Kevin Fandozzi: How to Treat a Tire!
November 02, 2017 10:00 - 51 minutes - 70.5 MBKevin Fandozzi joins me to talk about tires – how to break them in, warm them up, and pressure them. We also talk about how tires are developed, what Kevin did to his tires to podium at the recent SCCA Runoffs, and where Continental Tire is going in the sport. Be sure to listen to his advice in the last 10 minutes or so of the show – it’s super valuable stuff. Kevin is the Product Manager for Continental Tire Motorsport. As an engineer and club racer (finished second at the SCCA Runoffs at...
045 – Michael Silver: Learn to Drive Fast in Less Than a Year
October 26, 2017 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBMichael Silver and I talk about how he got to be so good a driver in a short period of time – less than a year. And it’s not just seat time, but how he applied the seat time that made the difference, as he shares here. Oh, and we also talk about astronauts and how Michael communicated with them in space, as well as his incredibly varied background. Michael started track driving less than a year ago, and to say he’s become addicted to it is an understatement - he’s had about 40 days on trac...
044 – David & Dylan Murry: Learning to Drive Fast
October 19, 2017 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.1 MBDavid Murry and his son, Dylan join me to talk about the track day business, how to manage modern cars on the track, why NASCAR is a great option for young drivers, how important a driver’s reputation is in this sport, reading a car’s handling, what a son learns from his father who is a racer. And then Dylan and David provide their simple but important advice to you. David is one of the most successful sports car drivers in recent history, having won in IMSA, ALMS and Grand-Am, in practica...
043 – Brian Ghidinelli: Learning New Tracks, Left-Foot-Braking & State of the Sport
October 12, 2017 10:00 - 46 minutes - 64.9 MBBrian Ghidinelli and I sit down at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while at the SCCA Runoffs, and we talk about left-foot-braking, driving a Spec Miata fast, how to learn a new track quickly, and the state of the sport – is participation increasing or decreasing, and why. Brian is the founder of MotorsportReg.com, the leading motorsport event registration site, as well as Race Hero, the timing and scoring app. While Brian and I were talking, I mentioned the great video of his feet while...