I have been participating in HPDE (High Performance Drivers Education) events for about 10 years, after my best friend and business partner, Dr. Kenneth Sanders, invited me to my first event in 2014. I quickly fell in love and wasted no time in attending the first and second level of the Porsche Performance Driving School at their driver's education headquarters at Barber Speedway in Birmingham, AL. One of the first things I learned was the vital importance of understanding the dynamics of the tire contact patch, which is the small surface area (less than ten square inches for most cars) under each tire that has to manage the acceleration, braking, and turning inputs of the driver. It can only do one to the maximum extent at a time, so it is very important not to turn when trying to break maximally, or vice versa. The result could be disastrous for the car and the driver!
One of the next most important things I recall from that classroom is the dictum that "your hands and steering wheel will guide your car wherever you look." This is why they always stress looking as far ahead on the track as possible, so your brain will automatically perform all the high-level physics calculations necessary to get you where you want to go without having to think, "break here, now turn, now accelerate, now straighten the wheel." You look up, and your mind just magically guides you hands and feet to control the wheel and pedals, and the car follows. It really works, too.
This is also why I immediately knew I was in trouble when I entered turn 7 at MSR Houston during the first session of the weekend one Saturday morning in 2023. As I finished breaking at the end of the back straight and began to turn into the apex of the gentle left-hand bend (called the "sweeper"), I distinctly remember spotting that the normally smooth, up-sloping edge of the apex curbing was no longer there, and was replaced by a jagged, abrupt face of the broken concrete. My eyes were inescapably drawn to it...and as the dictum states, so was my car. I can still feel the jolt that hit me through my steering wheel. I thought for sure I had blown a tire and would have to either pull off and wait to be recovered, or limp back to the pits on a flat. But, to my surprise, as I slowed down and tested my steering and braking for a few more turns, everything seemed to be working just fine. I was amazed, but I kept on going and finished the 20 minute session.
Once I got back to the paddock, the amazement was even greater, however, as I saw that a piece of my left front wheel was literally bent and broken so badly that it was literally hanging on by a thin piece of alloy. I took my fingers and tried to test it and it broke off in my hand. Remarkably, the tire was still holding pressure but it was obviously no longer safe, so I changed to my spares and continued the weekend.
The result is now on display at The Paddock as the foundation of the small glass-top table beside the leather chair as you exit onto the patio, one of many car-themed decors items we have at The Paddock. If you catch me there one day and want to hear more details of the story, I love sharing it. Also, you can catch Ken and ask him about his broken wheel, which helps support the coffee table in front of the couch. He lost it at the same track, on the same turn, on the same weekend (last session of the following Sunday) and, undoubtedly, for the same reason-his brain and, therefore, car followed the input from his eyes!
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