This book is good, easier to understand, the author did a good job in explaining techniques and tips. Highly recommended!

i got this book just yesterday, read a few chapters, and already see and feel results in my day-to-day commute. don't be fooled into thinking that the information in this book can only be used on the race track. there is a lot of information here that is useful for driving in general. other than driving at the limit (i.e. redline), everything is practical for better day to day driving. already today on my usual drive to get errands, i found myself more focused, remembering certain instructions and guidelines. when to downshift, how soon, how abrupt, how to feel the car, how to turn, how to steer...these are basics covered in two chapters that made my commute around town that much more enjoyable, safer, and smarter. this book is definitely a keeper.

only complaint is that it is short, but it is 1 in a series of many books of the same title.

i recommend the full length textbook by Danny Sullivan, "Going Faster" as the main course book and this book as a cliff-notes or just a reminder handbook to keep in the car with you.

Precious information to any one who practice or simply want to understand the technical side of motor sports.

I read this book upon a recommendation of another book titled "Go Ahead - Take the Wheel" which describes how people can begin racing. The author of that book explains that it's purpose is to provide people the necessary guidance needed to get into racing (which it does a fantastic job of), and recommends a couple of other books that discuss driving techniques. One of the books "Go Ahead - Take the Wheel" recommended is Speed Secrets. Both books are very well written and provided me everything I need to get started in racing.

I really enjoyed how Speed Secrets was written and made me feel like the author Ross was coaching me in person. Great gook and well worth the money.

Read the book over vacation, the info it gives you is great but a lot of it only works if you actually drive a Formula or Sport Racer Vehicle. Lots of info about tracks and courses, how to get the ideal line in an apex, and how to drive smoothly and fast gain control, then it repeats itself again, so this makes an illusion that there are a lot of secrets even though he is just repeating it using different verbiage. This is a great book for advanced racers that understand the concept and terminology of F1 type races and it helps you prepare for a F1 race too but for an average driver trying to learn the ropes this book might be to hard and doesn't help much with everyday driving since a lot of the techniques is for driving above 150mph and plus F1 has totally different suspension systems and steering systems then regular sport cars so if you try it it might feel weird. You learn the heal toe move which I have been trying to get for a while, very detailed and lots of graphs, data charts, and drawings. I personally had to skip some chapters because I was not interested tracks, officials, and what they do with the flags, and some more stuff because a lot of it does not apply to me as I do not own a formula car or race professionally in such a track they described, but I did read about perfect turning and control plus weight transfer and how to keep that center of gravity which helps me in the real world of driving on the streets. I feel that I am going a lot faster in my car by being able to turn safely yet not slowing my car down to much where it would take longer to accelerate plus I have been able to drive fast yet so smooth that my mom fell asleep the whole time as I drove her. So i was really happy with that info. I am a mechanic and I test race clients vehicles at the track, my average speed is 140mph so you know my point of view

This book is an absolute must for any novice or even intermediate racer. I race karts often and bought this book recently to enhance my skills.
Within a week of reading this book I have already dropped more than a FULL SECOND off my lap times!!! MUST READ MATERIAL!

Any gearhead should read this book about racing. Learn what race car drivers do while on the circuit and find out about car modifications.

This book is an absolute must read for any gear head. Whether your planning to race professionally, or just moddifing your daily driver. This book will change your entire view on racing, and will affect your daily drivig habbits.

The book also goes over different aspects of your suspension, what each component does, and how altering them will affect the cars handling.

After reading this book I have been more focused on driving smoothly, and being more precise with the controls. Already, I can see the positive effects on my driving style.

Note however, that this book is written for racing, so some information may not apply to daily driven vehicles, e.g. shifting without the clutch

This book is an excellent introduction to what race car drivers do, why they do it, and how they do it. Before I read this book, all I knew about car racing was "race cars go around a track real fast". Now I know about the apex, under/oversteer, scrubbing off speed, trail braking, and finding the line. There's also penty of info on suspension tuning if I ever feel like spending the bucks to have it done.

I am so happy I read this book prior to my first autocross event in my 911. I able to take the concepts explained in the book and immediately apply them to the course I was racing. And I beat my big-mouth buddy by 1/10th of a second. Sweeeeeeeeeet.

Unfortunately, I'm not a racer. I was looking for info more along the lines of performance and safety techniques to use on the road, not a race track. It didn't offer a lot for every day driving, unfortunately. But - it didn't claim to either. I'd read what the book covered and took a chance that I might get something more out of it than I did.

That said, I still found it very interesting to be exposed to the depth of the science behind racing. Not that I didn't expect there was a lot to it, but to read about what's going on in those guys minds - wow! The book explains well various techniques (and more importantly to me, the reasons behind the techniques) for cornering, developing a line through a race track, and other side items such as prepping for a race.

I'm a fan of motorcycle racing more than auto racing, but I believe a lot of the info here is valuable to bikers too. On a side note, after reading this it re-inforces my lack of enthusiasm for NASCAR races. I'm sure there's something exciting about them, but going around in a circle doesn't seem nearly as challenging as Le Mans or other road races.

If you're actually racing on a track, this book will probably give you good information. And, as the book claims, I believe it's worth owning so that you can re-read it periodically. But that's coming from someone who doesn't actually race, so take it for what it's worth!

Very helpful book. I will be buying others in the series.

It's a really great racing book, it covers the basics of race driving, and many of the techniques that are needed in racing, specially the Cornering Technique, which I need most, and it shows many examples of turns and their techniques.
I recommend this book along with the other Speed Secrets Books for new racers.

This is an excellent introduction to the skills necessary for driving on a race track, whether as an aspiring race driver or for the recreational lapping day or driver school participant. Bentley's writing style is clear and easy to understand, without in any way dumbing down the content.

However for the reader who has already been through a professional track school such as Skip Barber or Bob Bondurant, or if you've attended one of the excellent BMW Car Club schools, then much of this book will already be familiar to you.

Fortunately Bentley also has something for the more advanced drivers: "Speed Secrets 2 - More Professional Race Driving Techniques," which I recommend highly.

I heartily agree with the other reviewers, that this book is a great resource for beginning drivers. Get it, and go race.

Ross Bentley does a supreme job of bring technical maneuvers and skills to a novice level. He covers everything you need to know to drive your car at its maximum. He shows you how to find the apexes and when to brake and where to accelerate. He explains the complicated concept of slip angle in a manner easy to grasp. The book also covers corrective steering, throttle modulation, under steer and over steer correction and causes and everything else you need to recover from a spin or loss of control. The book tells you how to avoid situations where you could crash or slide off the road. As the book advances it moves beyond the novice ability to a more intermediate level.

Car preparation is also covered but briefly. This book is for a car enthusiast looking to improve his own skill for either an autocross event or a road course. It is laid out in a logical manner with lots of diagrams and charts. It's a quick read and if you are looking for a book to leave on the self for that once a year refresher, this would be the ideal book.

I love this book! Its written in simple to understand English with diagrams,etc.The author explains the reasons why you should use these techniques and how they will improve your skills on any race track.

This book is suitable for anyone who is interested in taking up racing,is racing,and just to help your daily driving.Its even good value for those who use computer racing car simulator games too.

This book is great value.

Ross Bentley's Speed Secrets series is the best resource for the racecar driver. This first book in the series contains the primary tools a driver should refer to at the track. I keep a photocopy of the Appendix A (a summary of the Speed Secrets) with my track notes every time I participate in a race. If I'm not performing to my potential in practice, I'm reminded of these simple principles to refocus my objectives.
It is not a long book, at roughly 150 pages, but it is densely packed with useful information. This leaves a concise, thorough, and easily readable and understandable text. You won't find any ego or prejudice, and that makes the information valid for any driver, regardless of one's driving style.
Ross Bentley is kind enough to share these 34 gems with us. And while they may not necessarily be secrets, this is the only place that I have found them grouped and presented in such a useful structure. If you apply the techniques presented in this book, you may find yourself moving quickly to the front of the pack. You'll soon want to read the other Speed Secrets books as well.

after reading 10 pages, i became more knowledgable driver... after another 10, i gained more respect and understanding how hard it is to become of the few, after 10 more, i believed that I can give it a shot... maybe not to professional driving but rather taking my car thru turns beating better cars with not so good drivers behind the wheel. Book simple great, it is VERY clear and gives tons of useful info. must own for people who r into auto-x

Why I like this book:
There is less emphasis on getting the car set up and more on just driving like a pro. Too many grassroots level enthusiasts whine about tires, shocks and sway bars. Ross hardly touches on this stuff. Clearly he comes from the point of view of a professional driver, not a chassis tuner or racecar builder. His emphasis is to get as much as possible out of the car regardless of the equipment. Even pro's have to deal with sub par equipment and rules that make things less than ideal. For example, if you are a Pro driver for hire, you might get the call to run 24 hr of Lemans. You share one car with 3-4 other guys. It's not your car, it doesn't get to be set up the way you like it. You are paid to just plop in the seat and drive it fast and not complain. Now THAT's a race car driver. And that's the vibe i get from Ross in this book. Learn to drive fast, and stop whining. Also spend less money on your car and more money on track days. The book gives you good advice on how to analyze the track, and learn it quickly. Even though Ross mostly races RWD cars (I race FWD cars), I still found 90% of the book to apply. Read this book twice before your next trackday. Then review sections between your run groups, and amaze your buddies at how quickly you have become one of the fast guys! And don't loan it out!

I am reading this book now, along with "Going Faster!", and they are the perfect pair. This book, while light on some of the more technical aspects, is a great read for someone just starting out. If you need the basics, this is the perfect book to start with. (Then, move on to more techical books if you need that level of detail)

Have you read the other theoretical books like Carl Lopez's Going Faster? Do you already know what racing line to take, yet can't seem to make it stick?

Speed Secrets doesn't go into all the detail of the theory of corner entry, braking, accelerating, and corner exits, but it tells you how to consistently do it. After a while, you can only read about theory so much, and you can only analyze so much.

One of the real "secrets" is akin to Bruce Lee's philosophy of learning a technique, using that technique, then "forgetting" that technique. Racing, and feeling what the car is doing, should end up being second nature--an extension of your self. The only way to go fast is to drive--and feel the limits of adhesion--on a subsconscious level.

This book helps you reach that level.

It is simple and clear, but not complete. Maybe the next book of the author "Inner speed secrets" published at Oct. 2000 have some improvement. I rate it 4 stars just because it is easy and little misleading.

Mr. Bentley's narrative description of what it takes to "go fast" in superb. He explains the technical jargon in a language easily understandable for non-engineers. His recommendations for developing good habits on the street have carried over to the race track with good results. I would highly recommend to any novice driver "before" heading off to any racing school. You'll be better prepared and begin to develop good habits early on.

I've done AutoX and road racing for some years and recently started as an instructor for racing drivers license courses. I have bought and read about ten books on motor racing technique. This one, written by Ross Bentley, was one of the best. Where Skip Barbers (although excellent) book is very theoretic and quite technical in it's approach, with diagrams and figures, Ross Bentley writes modestly and concisely about the "softer" sides of racing, for example about mental training, feeling the car and how drivers psychology works.

Many of the secrets are blatantly obvious when you see them in print and read his motivations, but to race successfully you need to remind yourself all the time. This book is perfect for that. The suggestions on how to hone your race driving skills in your everyday street car (without ever violating traffic laws i must add) is worth the price of the book alone. If you must buy only two books on racing, combine Ross Betleys Speed Secrets with Barbers book and you get most of the picture. Highly recommended!

Like one of the other reviewers I recently starting getting seriously into a PC racing SIM, in my case NASCAR 3. I immediately felt that I needed to know much more about driving a real race car and this book did just the trick. Everything he discusses can be applied to driving a good racing SIM like N3 (not an Arcade style game). I recommend it highly for SIM drivers.

I just completed my first race weekend with Skip Barber and found the tips in this book to be very helpful in staying focused on the important stuff. The suggestions correlate well with the Skip Barber instruction and is easy and FAST to read. It definately helped improve lap times.

I'm not racer, but recently I started driving PC racing simulator "Grand Prix Legends" . To drive this sim you need a lot of driving/racing skills that I didn't have and I wasn't sure what those skills are. I went to local bookstore and there I found Ross's book. I finished book in 2 days. So simple and up to the point. At the end of the book Ross put 34 so called "speed secrets". Things like: "Look where you want to be, not where you are or where you don't want to be." "Look and think as far as possible." "Drive subconsciously, don't try." All these secrets are very thoroughly and clearly explained in a book. Very useful as reference and remainder of what you learn. By the way, I made my "Personal Best" on 3 tracks after I finished book.

Thank you Ross.

Very few top level athletes have the ability to explain how they do what they do - Ross Bentley has this ability! As well as being a successful racer himself, Bentley eloquently shares his knowledge and experiences - a rare trait amongst top level racing drivers!

Unlike other books that focus on track techniques only, Bentley offers up knowledge that will also help you safely get more out of your everyday street driving. Being a racer myself, I appreciate that Speed Secrets addresses performance driving as a "whole" including mental and physical aspects and not just track tactics.

It's always great when successful athletes share their knowledge and expertise and Ross Bentley does that in a way that makes you want to read the whole book in one sitting and pick it up again and again! An invaluable reference tool!!

I have read most books on driving and racing techniques, this one makes it easy to understand and to apply to everyday situations. I like the way that Bentley divided the book into the four parts (the car, the track, the driver and the finish line) it is an easy read. There are lots of good diagrams to help get the point across. If you are a driving enthusiast or racer, and you only want to buy one book, this is the one you must have.

This book is wonderful, I have just about all the driving books available today and was unsure about buying this one... I am very happy that I did, it was and is very worth the money.

Bentley, who does still race, is easy to read and talks in terms of real world driving, on the street. Yes, he covers a lot about on the race track and the finer points, but her relates that to the street and the "practice" of feeling the car and understanding what is happening at all times in order to become a better driver... and it actually works, I have started to become more aware of the fine movements of weight distribution in my commute to work!

If you think you have too many books on driving, splurge a little and buy this one, I think you'll be happy you did!

Ross Bentley's approach of humble devotion to the techniques and practice of high performance driving is very effective. Many of his peers fill their pages with 'accidental' references to the big names they have raced with; hoping for quality through association. On the other hand, Bentley widely quotes other drivers and engineers, drawing on their particular areas of expertise to enhance his own.

Filled with drawings (including a turn-by-turn analysis of Road Atlanta) this book has done the best job I have seen of illustrating 'driving the line'. Early and late apexing is explained in detail, both in terms of what it looks like on the track, and the strategies that would lead to deliberately choosing one condition or the other.

Bentley acknowledges the fact that most performance drivers actually spend more of their time on the street, and points out what techniques can (and should!) be practices safely there, becoming part of your natural responses to driving situations.

Well written, well illustrated, well worth the read.