Throughout the How To Drive Fast series, I’ve offered opinions based on the experience I’ve amassed during my 17-years behind the wheel. The whole basis of this column is to help you drive faster, and learn the tricks and techniques utilized in the quest for victory. But for this piece, I turned to my friends for help: …
Tucked away in a factory, deep in the heart of England, a group of engineers worked tirelessly through the winter. Their dream was to craft a World Championship winning machine, capable of re-writing the history books. They garnered the most powerful engines, enlisted the world’s fastest drivers, and constructed an ingenious chassis that combined to produce a car so dominant it’s known today as the greatest Formula One car of all-time: the McLaren MP4/4.
Most of my “How To Drive Fast” column is, unsurprisingly, about how to drive fast. As well as posing techniques, some of my pieces offer a glimpse into the inner-workings of motorsport, while others are just plain ridiculous. Siphoning through the bunch, you’ll notice I haven’t much talked about safety. So let’s start now, mixed with a dollop of speed for good measure. Here is why braking with your left foot will make you faster on the racetrack and, more importantly, safer on the road.
You are too kind. And FYI, I might be having a few calls about this with your hero in the next day or so. You never know!
Why A Man Wants Me To Race A 600-hp Stadium Super Truck
One man has blown up my twitter in the past 48 hours. That man is fellow Jalopnian, James F Johnson Jr. (@dmidwestredneck), and he desperately wants me to race in Robby Gordon’s new Stadium Super Truck Series. And, if you look at the kickass video below, it isn’t hard to see why.
The Ultimate Guide To Hooning: Fiat 500 Abarth
The Fiat 500 Abarth is one of the most hoonable cars on planet Earth. Despite being front-wheel drive, shaped like an Ostrich egg (and measuring about the same size), it oozes character, flamboyance, and drivability. It is, in fact, impossible to drive the little Abarth and not hoon – regardless of what the trip…
Of course it isn't. I wish I had pictures of that. In fact, perhaps I don't.
How To Drift Like A Badass Motherfucker
Entering the turn, aboard a NISMO 370Z, I stabbed the clutch, hit the gas, and turned a hard left. The backend pivoted heroically, the rear tires bellowed smoke, and I felt like the most badass motherfucker in history.
Stories are told about how drivers change when the helmet goes on, the visor slams shut and the engines roar to life. Some say the "nice guy" demeanor is replaced by a wild, savage creature desperate for success, no matter the consequences.
