Ever stand down by the braking zone at the end of a straightaway and “listen” to the sounds the tires make?  A great driver’s tires sound completely different than a novice’s tires under braking.  Identify the best driver at your track (stop reading now if its you), and give him or her a listen sometime.  That chirping or little dog barking sound you hear is that driver momentarily going to “101+”, then bringing the deceleration forces back down to below 100 (don’t worry, I’ll explain what those numbers mean in a moment).

The very best drivers go a step further…  The tires almost make that squeal or chirping sound under braking, and it’s consistently ONE note.  Like music, or singing.  In fact, that driver is so good, the “note” stays the same even after they’re turned into the corner!  This means they’ve stayed at “99″, even after trading some of that braking grip for lateral cornering grip.  I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve only personally known 1 driver who could carry the same “note” all the way through the corner!