It's faster to not engage ABS. You want to be just on the threshold of it kicking in.
What about braking and turning? That outer front can do its thing with ABS active. Without you're sacrificing some braking power.
Threshold braking will stop shorter than ABS which will stop shorter than a lockup.
Older ABS systems, like on our trucks, can't pump individual brakes and don't react quickly. BMW's ABS is good because they react quickly. Unless the track is glass smooth you can't threshold brake as well as the system can manage lockup. The ABS is actually faster. Throw in good ESC systems that use the brakes to aid cornering, and you're at a competitive disadvantage turning the aids off. But you'll likely only find systems that good on sports cars.
You mean trail braking? 80% of your braking should already be done at the point, and you should be coming off the brakes.
Trail braking makes a late apex and you should only be using it on entry to a corner that has a short or no straightaway afterwards. If you have a long straight after the corner, you want to brake early enough to get back on full throttle as soon as possible.
ESC makes trail braking less risky, but you still need to mind the circle of traction. I went off at High Plains Raceway, but kept the wheels straight because I recognized there was no way I was going to get the car turned.
Sometimes a lift is the correct answer.
Only when you're in trouble. Ideally, you want to be maxing out either the gas or the brake all the time. If you're on the brake, you should always be right at the threshold. If you're on the gas, you should be on the gas to the max of your traction. Otherwise you're just Sunday driving.
Yeah, I don't auto-x. One reason is I am not good at showing up fast. I need to build up confidence, which usually by then you know the tricky spots.
If autox is a weakness, then you should address that.
I struggle with this, too. Usually about the fourth run I get it figured out and get fast. The more I autocross, the better I get at it, but right now I think I've autocrossed twice in the last three years. I agree with tackling that weakness. Currently I'm trying to make mentally marking braking markers routine. That's how I blew that corner at HPR.
I also have problems visualizing the line in a sea of cones, but that's not for this thread.
New course designers err on the side of too many cones. When I autocrossed here locally they were pretty good about using a minimal amount of cones and adding chalk lines. It makes it pretty intuitive. Always walk the course at least twice. This also helps with getting fast quicker.