The Lost Art of High-Performance Driving: How to Get the Most Out of Your Modern Performance Car

by Ross Bentley

Become a better performance driver with Speed Secrets

With the promise of autonomous vehicles in our near future, and current cars equipped with all sorts of mind-boggling "driver aides," many feel that the art (and science) of performance driving has been lost - or will be. But no! For every device designed to take the act of driving out of our hands, the desire to actively participate in the control of a car becomes even stronger for driving enthusiasts. One only needs to look at the number of performance cars available today to see that the desire to truly drive is still in strong demand.

In Speed Secrets: The Lost Art of Performance Driving, Ross Bentley explains in plain language how you can become an even better performance-oriented driver, whether it's to enjoy a twisty mountain highway, to take that secret back-road route to work, or to participate in a track day on a racing circuit.

From how best to use your car's controls, to cornering, to dealing with adverse driving conditions, this book will make you a better performance driver. Along the way, you'll learn what ABS, traction and stability control, self-braking systems, and semi-automatic transmissions do and how best to incorporate them into your driving.

Speed Secrets: The Lost Art of Performance Driving will help you understand your car well and be an even better, faster driver. Most importantly, it will fuel your passion for driving!

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jonah Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like having your dad talk to you about driving most of the time he's got some good tidbits of knowledge you never thought of and sometimes he goes on rants you already know about and random tangents that go on abit too long.
However, there are some gold nuggets and tricks in here worth knowing👌 which should appeal to people who know nothing about cars to people who do.

[Eric Northwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

One issue I have is with the insistence of crossing the arms to make turns during regular driving. What is not mentioned is that crossing the arms when the hands are at 9 and 3 and a turn is made, the arms become projectiles if the airbag deploys, causing major limb and facial injuries. Otherwise a great book about the fundamentals of high-performance driving.

[G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a concise and practical book written by an expert on the techniques, skills, and practices of driving race cars in competitive environments. However, this book is not primarily designed for a driver intending to become a racer, but rather any driver who intends to be the best driver he or she can be. As Ross writes, "here's how I describe high-performance driving: doing, or performing, everything behind the wheel at the highest level possible. It's maximizing your performance in all areas of driving, from parking to cornering on a racetrack, from smoothly progressing in rush-hour traffic to matching revs to make a smooth downshift."

I enjoyed the perspective of constant improvement the author encourages the reader to adopt. In regard to every type of driving, including every day commuting, he emphasizes the attempt to constantly practice with an aim to become a better driver tomorrow than you are today. He certainly provides the reader with information that usually only racers think about, but this is also information that is useful to anyone who drives a car. For example, understanding how traction and grip works under different driving conditions is extremely useful for being able to predict what kinds of car operation are helpful, and which are unhelpful in maintaining full and proper control of one's vehicle when making turns at speed, driving in the rain, and so on. Learning when heavy braking is dangerous, and when and how it should be performed in order to maintain maximum possible control of one's car is a useful skill for anyone to have who drives a car.

Ross is very responsible in the advice he gives everyday drivers, emphasizing that even the best racers have safety foremost in their minds when driving on the road. He criticizes those on the road who likely consider themselves to be good drivers for driving closely behind others, making abrupt unsignaled lane changes, or weaving to get a few cars ahead of others.

I recommend this book to those who would like to learn some principles that anyone can focus on to improve their driving skill and safety behind the wheel of a car.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter who you are or what you drive — with the exception of racing professionals, of course — this book will teach you how to be a safer, more competent driver. And while there is no substitute for in-person training, the concepts and guidance in this book can increase your ability to drive at a higher level of performance. Highly Recommended.

[Tristan Ayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for beginners and project car enthusiasts

This is an excellent intro read for someone who picked up a project car or looking to improve their techniques with their daily.

[Frank Paprota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info, a little wordy

Enjoyed this quite a bit. Learned a few things I didn’t know. Corrected some mistakes I’ve been making. He gets a little wordy & repetitive, almost like he needed to fill more pages for the publisher.

[Arun Skariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful read, practical and not too complicated.. Read it, whoever you are... even if only for the tips and the section on how to adjust your mirrors to avoid blindspots.. Could save a life someday..

[Cj 888 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice comprehensive to the point book on performance driving. Would recommend for anyone new to racing, performance driving. Is nice that the book acknowledges modern cars and the tech inside them. Easy read with nice balance of images to illustrate explanations.

[Eduardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Engages readers in becoming better drivers with technical explanations in an easy reading manner, reminding how enjoyable and challenging any drive can be.

[Christina Christofi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book . Every driver must read it .
It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or a well experience driver ,
there is something in this book that can make you a better driver .

[Gabrielle Jarrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really. A most informative and useful book that gives clear and proven tips on how to be a better driver. Invaluable. Accessible. Worthwhile experience!

[Ricky Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

lots of good info applicable to about any driving situation. For me, particularly helpful for autocross events and track days even though I've heard most of these tips before.

[Lenimir Zdravkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginners and people who want to improve their driving and control of the vehicle. Firstly, I thought that this is just a track tips, but it’s not just that - it offers very valuable techniques of controlling the vehicle and making yourself one with it. Couldn’t recommend this book enough.