The Kick Turn Technique: How Top Drivers Find Time in Tricky Braking Zones
The Kick Turn Technique: How Top Drivers Find Time in Tricky Braking Zones
How to Use the Brake to Initiate Rotation and Optimise Corner Entry
Welcome to a free episode of Terence Dover on Racing Drivers. This week, I want to focus on a particular kind of braking technique that separates drivers who are pretty good, from those who have special speed. (There’s a video explanation at the end of this page, so its all extra clear.)
It happens where the braking and turning points are essentially at the same place - really tricky corners that require braking, but not in a nice, straightforward way.
When you get this figured out, you are about to make a huge leap forward!
The Pain in the Backside Corners that Never Seem Quite Right
Imagine a 90 degree right-hander with a medium approach speed. It's the kind of corner where you need a quick hit on the brake to drop the speed just enough so you can enter the corner correctly. You can't get away with just lifting off the throttle because you'd have to lift too early and coast for too long.
But, the correct braking point is so close to the turn-in point that you risk braking hard and turning at the same time. You don’t want to create a spin so you get the hard braking done before turning.
You feel so frustrated that you are braking too early though.
If you're used to braking hard in a straight line, bleeding off the brakes as you turn in, and maybe trailing some brake pressure to the apex to keep the kart on its nose, these kinds of corners can leave you feeling like you're leaving time on the table.
You may find yourself chasing someone who can match your pace everywhere else on the track, but they're getting away from you in this one corner and you can't quite work out how they're doing it.
The Kick Turn - Reverse Your Thinking on What the Steering and Brakes do
(Pantano is an extreme example of what we are talking about that illustrates the point - but in modern karting you don’t need anything like these extreme angles, or to throw the kart so hard)
Here's the secret - it's what I call the "kick turn". As you turn in, you also ‘kick’ the brake. Those two operations are usually mutually exclusive. Which means you usually cannot hit the brake hard and turn at the same time because the rear tyres can only take so much. They can't do turn-in and hard braking together and deliver all the grip you need.
So this is like a bit of a quantum leap in thinking. Because I'm saying you can do both, but you just need to switch up how you think about it.
The key is to use the brake, rather than the steering, to create the initial rotation of the kart. The steering is used to tell the kart which way to turn when you hit the brake. You don't use the steering to turn in. Let me explain further: (with video too)
It’s all About Setting It Up
As you approach the corner, about 30 metres out, position the kart half a metre from the outside edge. For a right-hander, that means leave a gap to the left side of the track. Then, as you close in on your braking point, start curving towards that outer edge. Turn the wheel ever so slightly to the right at the end of that curve, pre-loading the kart and telling it which way you want to rotate.
Kick Turn Execution
Here's where the magic happens. Just as you reach the turn-in and braking point, hit the brakes. The rear will step out to the left, the kart will rotate, and you'll turn in. It doesn't have to be a massive lockup, just enough to pivot the kart. If you've done it right, you'll have scrubbed off the perfect amount of speed while also steering the kart towards the apex.
Because you aren’t having to do much with the steering at all, its all very clean and smooth - therefore the karts remains super stable, and fast.
It's like throwing a dart. Once you've released it, you're committed. The kart is on its way, and you're briefly a passenger, making minor adjustments with the brake pressure and steering on your way to the apex. You need the confidence to know that you can make the right angle using the brakes, and let the kart rotate itself into the corner without you have to actually steer the kart with the steering wheel.
Watch the video to get what I mean about making the kart make a curve that will suggest which way it will turn when you hit the brake.
The Soft Brake Alternative - Harder than You Think
Now, there is another option - the soft brake method. Instead of provoking a slide, you hit the brakes at around 75% pressure as you turn in. The kart slows down just the right amount without stepping out, and you can use the usual method of steering the kart into the corner.
Sounds easier, because you don’t need to deal with the potential of a sudden sideways moment.
Problem is, when it comes time to actually execute the soft brake, doubt creeps in. Braking feel isn't always perfect - brake temperature, brake pressure sensitivity, can effect how well the brake bites initially. The set-up needs to be near perfect too.
And if you're not 100% sure the kart will slow exactly as much as you need, it's tempting to revert to the "safe" but slower option. Brake in a straight line, scrub speed, then turn.
Ironically, the drivers I've seen pull off the soft brake to perfection are the ones who have mastered the kick turn. They have the confidence to commit, knowing they can always bring the kart back if needed.
Kick-Turn Summary - Make it Subtle, and You’ll be Seriously Quick
There you have it - the secret to finding time in those awkward braking zones. It's not about wild Pantano-esque slides. The best guys, like Danny Kierle who has it mastered (2017 World champ), make it look subtle. But that ability to brake and turn together, to use the pedal to initiate rotation is what sets them apart.
So next time you're wondering how you can possibly brake any later on a corner where braking is so late, remember the kick turn. Stop thinking of steering as what turns the kart. Instead, think of it as telling the kart which way to pivot when you hit the brakes. It'll take practice, and you'll probably get it wrong a few times. But when it clicks, it's magic.
Key takeaways:
Mastering corners where the braking and turning points are essentially the same is a key skill that separates great drivers from exceptional ones.
The "kick turn" technique involves using the brake to initiate turn-in, rather than the steering wheel.
To set up for the kick turn, position the kart about half a metre from the outside edge of the track around 30 metres before the corner. For a right-hander, this means being on the left side of the track. As you approach the braking point, start curving towards the outer edge, turning the wheel slightly in the direction of the corner to preload the kart and tell it which way you want it to rotate.
At the braking point, hit the brakes and let the rear of the kart step out, rotating the kart towards the apex.
The soft brake method is an alternative where you brake at around 75% pressure as you turn in, but it requires an exceptional level of confidence and skill to execute consistently.
Mastering the kick turn requires a change in mindset - think of steering as telling the kart which way to rotate when you hit the brakes, not as what turns the kart.
Incorporating the kick turn into your driving can help you find extra time in corners where you previously felt you were leaving something on the table.
Subtle execution of the kick turn is what sets top drivers apart, rather than exaggerated slides.
Committing to the kick turn requires confidence, but when done correctly, it can lead to a perfect entry speed and line through the corner.
Thanks for reading!
Terence