Roger Diez: Tips for safe winter driving

Merry Christmas, race fans! Sunday night the fastest driver of all time makes his yearly run. Yes, I'm talking about Santa "Big Bubba" Claus, who puts every race driver in the world to shame. I mean, who else could drive all the way around the world in 24 hours, while making 427,913,877 pit stops to deliver toys?

Even with his fantastic pit crew, who can change two Goodyear sled runners and dump in 22 bushels of Purina Reindeer Chow in 12.9 seconds, "Big Bubba" Claus does most of the work himself. This year, his primary sponsors (as usual) are Mattel, Fisher-Price, Nintendo, Sony, Lionel, Tyco, and Amazon.com.

With eight Robert Yates reindeer power at the front of his Gen 7 sleigh, "Big Bubba" is likely to set yet another record this Christmas Eve. Luckily for all the other drivers in the world he only races in the off-season... otherwise Daytona, Indy, Le Mans, and every other race in the world would be a Claus benefit.

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So far this year we’ve been lucky down here in the valley, with all the snow staying where it belongs, at the ski resorts. Maybe a few little problems over I-80 and 50 last week, but that’s to be expected. But we will have snow, probably sooner than later. And with slick roads, we all need to pay a little bit more attention to our driving.

The main thing that separates racing drivers from the rest of us is the level of concentration they bring to the task of driving. Yes, Bubba Wallace texts from his racecar, but only during red flags! But while racing drivers are operating on the limits of adhesion at 200 mph, snow and ice bring that limit of adhesion right down to normal road speeds.

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So here are a few tips to stay safe on the road and make it through the winter alive:

1. Buckle up! It plants you in the seat and gives you better control and could save your life if some other driver intrudes on your personal space.

2. Be smooth. The very best racing drivers are those who are the smoothest and gentlest on the controls. Don’t yank the steering wheel, mash the gas or the brake, or do other things that can upset the balance of the car. Ease into the throttle when starting from rest. Avoid using the brakes as much as possible, but when you have to use them, do it early and gently. Use small, slow movements on the steering wheel.

3. Anticipate. Because it will take you longer to stop, you need to be aware of what is happening ahead of you. Leave more space between you and the car ahead. This will give you more time to react if they do something dumb. The old NASCAR excuse, “He checked up and I had no place to go,” probably won’t fly with the accident investigator.

4. If you have the time and interest, learn about vehicle dynamics. It will help you understand what to do to keep your car under control, and more importantly how to regain control when you lose it.

One of the basics of vehicle dynamics is the tire “circle of friction.” Tires can accelerate, brake, or turn. Doing more than one of these things at a time means that the tire can’t accomplish either one at maximum efficiency. So when you try to brake and turn on a slick surface, you may find yourself plowing straight ahead with the steering wheel cranked over, or what racing drivers call “push.” And when you accelerate too hard and your back bumper passes you, that’s known as “loose.” Try to avoid both.