NASCAR BGN: What Makes a Good Road Course Driver?
19 June 1999
What, exactly, makes a road course different from an oval-track?"Its a three-step dance compared to a 15-step dance."
No, thats not Arthur Murray talking -- its road course driving specialist Chris Cook, who knows a thing or two about stock car racing in general and road course racing in specific.
Cook will be behind the wheel of the No. 65 Sasser Motorsports/Overtons.com Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the June 27 running of the Lysol 200 NASCAR Busch Grand National race at Watkins Glen International. The Glen is one of only two road course on the "go-fast, turn-left" NASCAR circuit.
Cook is a driving instructor and road course specialist for the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, and has taught several NASCAR Winston Cup drivers -- including Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace, Chad Little, Kevin LaPage and Dave Blaney -- the ins-and-outs of dancing around a road course.
So what, exactly, makes a good road course driver -- is it the same skills that make a good oval-track competitor?
"The skills are parallel," said Cook, "but its harder to find that rhythm on a road course. To find that rhythm takes a lot of work with the brakes, with the steering, with the downshifting; the driver is having to work tremendously hard in the cockpit with all the controls. Youre constantly working to stay on the race track.
"Its every important to know how to downshift properly and how to brake," continued Cook. "The set-up of the car is crucial. Youve got right-handers, up-hill, down-hill, no banking, turns with negative camber, positive camber . . . "
But, added Cook, a good road course driver can overcome a poorly-dialed-in race car better than his oval track cousin. "On a road course, the driver can Band-Aid the car with good technique better than he can on an oval," said Cook. "For example, the car might like the right-handers better than the left-handers.
Road course also put a premium on braking and shifting, according to Cook.
"On an oval course, about the only time you shift when you come into the pits and when you leave the pits," said Cook. "At The Glen, you are using the gearbox all the way around the track -- sometimes even shifting down to first gear. As for braking, some areas on the track are hard-braking areas, some are lighter-braking areas."
Cook is no stranger to racing, or to Watkins Glen. He competed at The Glen in 1991, 1992 and 1996, in the IMSA endurance series.
In the 24-hour endurance races, Cook spent a total of 17 1/2 hours behind the wheel of a pair of Porsche racers. "The rules say the driver is allowed to run 4 1/2 hours straight before a break," said Cook, "so Bill Cooper (the other driver) and I would hop out of one car and into another. We just kept switching cars back-and-forth."
Cook figures that the teams that will do well at The Glen are the ones who have the mechanical advantage. "The car has to be set up right," said Cook, "but the teams that will do well are the teams that stay out of trouble. You can pick out the front-runners now: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Ron Fellows, Jeff Green, Boris Said and Dave Blaney."
Cook feels that the chances of the Sasser Motorsports/Overtons.com team are as good as anyones. Indeed, in testing on Tuesday, June 15, the team turned in one of the best times of the day and ran so smoothly, the team ended practice a day early to return to its Hamptonsville, NC, headquarters.
"We can do very, very well," said Cook. "It comes down to good luck and making sure nothing breaks and making sure I dont hit anything or get hit from behind. Ive got my work cut out for me, but Im confident."
Hes hoping to dance his way to a Top Ten finish.
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