There are three points in every corner. These are called the Turn-in, Apex, and Track-out.

Turn-in
This is the point at the end of a straightaway where you begin to turn. Though it sound very simple and rudimentary, the Turn-in is crucial to a successful turn. Your Turn-in sets up your car in the corner, and largely determines where your Apex and Track-out points will be.

The Turn-in is defined by both when you turn in and how much you turn in. If you turn-in too early or too late, your Apex will be off and your Track-out point will be either sub-optimal or disastrous (See Common Mistakes for more on this). Likewise, if you turn in too much or too little, your Apex and Track-out point will suffer the same fate.
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Can Horsepower beat The Line?
You may be thinking, “I have a high horsepower Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 or Dodge Stealth that has gobs of horsepower. I don’t need to drive on the Line, I just need to mash the throttle when the course straightens out and I will blow everyone else away.”

This line of thinking is flawed for several, all of which should be apparent after reading this article. As an introduction, let me give you some of my own track experience. I drive a ‘99 Mazda Miata. I have numerous suspension upgrades, but have done nothing of any note with my drivetrain. I replaced my spark plug wires because the stock wires were disintegrating, and I replaced the muffler with a Racing Beat Muffler. Bone stock, my car made 140 hp at the crank. In its current configuration, I would give it maybe 142 hp, if I’m having a good day.

Over the course of my track driving experiences, I have passed numerous cars that, going strictly by the numbers, I should not have passed. Some of the more impressive cars I have blown by include numerous Lotus Elises, a track-prepped Corvette C5, Honda S2000s, and a Ferrari 512TR. I have also paced a brand new, Porsche 911 Turbo through the turns after the “bowl” at NHIS, and caught up with a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in the corners over and over again.
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