No dumb questions with Jeff Braun: Episode 16

Welcome back to the last episode of No Dumb Questions (...but have no fear, we're not going far)! We sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. Sam Smith joins us again, and we talk a little about the new podcast we’ve just launched (it’s live now!), called "It’s Not the Car." Please go check it out right now, subscribe to it, and let us know what you think.  On this episode, Jeff, Sam, and I answer two great questions: 1) what do you do, and how do you think differently, when you don't know what to do next, and 2) all things RWD downshifting. Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think. Sam Smith is a brilliant and hilarious storyteller, a writer, an amateur racer, and a journalist. Over the last 20 years, he's written for outlets as diverse as the New York Times, Wired, and Hagerty Media. From 2012 to 2020, he was executive editor and then editor-at-large at Road & Track.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! We sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. This episode is a little different… We introduce a guest “host,” Sam Smith, who we are launching a new podcast in January with. It’s called It’s Not The Car, and is all about stories learning things, and having fun. On this episode, Jeff, Sam, and I discuss how to better instruct intermediate level drivers and how to use damper histograms in sim racing.  Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think. Sam Smith is a brilliant and hilarious storyteller, a writer, an amateur racer, and a journalist. Over the last 20 years, he's written for outlets as diverse as the New York Times, Wired, and Hagerty Media. From 2012 to 2020, he was executive editor and then editor-at-large at Road & Track.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. On this episode, Jeff and I discuss whether we’d prefer to deal with a driver that is also engineering minded or one that can't speak engineering and therefore wouldn't second guess or poke holes in the car setup? This question leads into our second question: if you're a one man show, both the driver and the engineer, how would you recommend changing hats and not letting one job creep into the other?  Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. On this episode, Jeff and I discuss the future of technology in motorsports, specifically around “driver-less” race cars. Is it still “racing” if there isn’t a human being inside the car piloting it - either thru remote control or an AI pilot? Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. On this episode, Ross discusses proper head position during cornering, and Jeff dives into the differences in car setup between racing versus qualifying. Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers.   On this episode, Ross answers how a driver can clear his/her mind of finding the same person repeatedly and running his/her own race, and Jeff answers what speed “aero” downforce starts happening.   Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. On this episode, Jeff and I tackle two great questions: is there ever a time when you would use understeer to your advantage; is there anything in racing/car setup that is definitive and absolute or does the entire motorsport world really always come down to doing what works best for an individual scenario? Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. On this episode, Jeff and I discuss the best way to lean your body while turning; how to set up for a turn; and considerations when thinking about driver weight, ballast weight, and how to minimize the impact of uneven side to side weight. Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers. On this episode, Jeff and I discuss driver fatigue; driving style and car set up for bigger, heavier driver; and our favorite and least favorite turns on a race track from a car setup perspective versus driving perspective. Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.

Welcome back to another episode of No Dumb Questions! Jeff Braun and I sit down to answer your questions, and we promise – there are no dumb questions, maybe just some dumb answers.  On this episode, Jeff and I discuss what single quantifiable thing relating to a race car are we still unable to reliably measure that would be most useful for finding performance and eye placement when tracking a car. This week’s episode also features a bonus question… tune in to hear what question Ross has for Jeff! Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many engineers is how he can explain what he’s doing, what a car is doing, and even how the best think.