Guide · 7 min read

Vision and reference points

The short answer

Reference points are fixed things beside or on the track, such as a marker board, a kerb end or a patch of asphalt, that tell you where to brake, turn in, apex and track out. Good vision means your eyes are always on the next reference before you reach the current one. Together they make your laps consistent and free up attention for traffic and flags.

  • Look where you want to go. The car follows your eyes, and staring at a wall is the fastest way to hit it.
  • Look ahead early: as you reach the braking point, your eyes should already be at turn-in.
  • Every corner needs four references: brake, turn-in, apex and track-out.
  • Choose things that won’t move. Cones get knocked over; skid marks change; kerbs and boards stay.
01

Eyes up, look ahead

At speed, the world arrives quickly. If you look just over the hood, you’re always reacting. Lift your eyes to where the car will be in a couple of seconds and everything slows down: you see the corner sooner, choose your line sooner and act smoothly.

Use your peripheral vision for the close stuff. You don’t need to look straight at the kerb to know where it is. Keep your central vision moving forward, and check mirrors and flag stations at set places every lap, usually on the straights.

Under stress, people stare at the thing they’re afraid of. In a slide, that’s the wall. Train yourself to look at the open track, the escape route, every time.

02

The four references in every corner

Some corners also need a throttle point or a lift point. Add those once the first four are reliable.

  1. 1Braking point: where you start braking. Many tracks have countdown boards; otherwise use a tree, post or patch on the straight.
  2. 2Turn-in point: where you start steering, usually near the outside edge. A kerb start or seam in the asphalt works well.
  3. 3Apex: where the car comes closest to the inside. Often a point on the inside kerb.
  4. 4Track-out: where the car reaches the outside edge on exit as you unwind the steering. Often the end of the exit kerb.
Choose your apex
Interactive
TURN-INAPEXENTRY 91%EXIT 99%

Late apex: a little slower in, straighter and earlier on the throttle out. The safe default.

Late

Simplified 90° corner. Real corners trade entry, mid-corner and exit speed differently; what follows the corner decides which matters most.

03

Building them at a new track

  1. 1Study a track map and, if available, onboard video before the event. Note the corner sequence and the main straights.
  2. 2Use your sighting laps and early sessions to find candidate references at a gentle pace. Don’t chase lap time yet.
  3. 3Ask your instructor or an experienced driver which references they use. They’ll know which ones work.
  4. 4Write them down between sessions, corner by corner. A simple notebook works.
  5. 5Pick a safe, conservative braking point first and move it later in small steps.
04

Using references to get faster

References turn driving into an experiment. Change one thing, such as turning in a car length later, and keep everything else the same. Then check whether the next straight got faster. If you change three things at once, you can’t tell which one worked.

Expect them to move as you improve. Faster entries need earlier turn-in references, and new brakes or tires change the braking point. In the rain, many references change completely.

FAQ

What if the track has no marker boards?

Use anything fixed: a light pole, a gap in a fence, a change in asphalt colour. Avoid temporary things like cones, parked vehicles or tire marks.

How far ahead should I look?

As far as the corner allows. A common cue is to look at the next reference as soon as you reach the current one. In a long corner, that often means looking through the apex to the exit.

Do I need reference points at a track day?

Yes, even as a novice. They make your laps consistent, which makes you safer and more predictable for the drivers around you.

Keep learning