Originally Posted by gramicci101
(Post 1784017)
Very basically, when going around a corner, if you roll in more throttle the car will go wider. If you roll off the throttle the car will tuck in tighter to the corner.
What Mike is specifically referring to is when you're at the limit of adhesion and the tires are considering stepping out on you. If you jump on the throttle, you break traction and go for a spin. If you let off the throttle, you regain traction but the car loses speed. If you're very delicate and smooth with the throttle, you can edge just past the limit and barely start to slip. Your tires still have enough traction to put power down, but they're also protesting loudly and have lost enough traction that the car has only just started to rotate. At this point you're steering with the throttle. A little more throttle, you lose a little more traction, the rear end steps out a little more, and you go wider. A little less throttle, the tires regain a little traction, the rear end comes back into line, weight transfers forward, and you tuck into the corner. At this point, steering input is almost less important than throttle input. Your steering wheel has set the line you want, and your throttle adjusts your position on that line.
You can feel this when you take long curving on-ramps, with larger throttle inputs. Let off the throttle, weight rolls forward, there's more weight on the front (turned) wheels, and you take the corner tighter. Roll on the throttle, and you'll swing out wider. It's an interesting thing to get the feel of.
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