I like ABS

["Hardwick, Robert C" <Robert.Hardwick@domain.elided>]

At a Pittaressi ProDrive class at Portland raceway we practiced threshold braking in a car equipped with ABS.  I couldn't get close to the braking distance with the ABS switched off.  Any little undulation in the pavement would unweight one of the tires and I'd have to let off all 4 to get it spinning again.  ABS can relieve brake pressure on that wheel selectively.  

Now, a race car with cockpit adjustable brake bias control (and a more skillful driver than me!) is a different story.  Where I'm especially happy with ABS is on packed snow in my Audi 90 Quattro.  It's waaay too easy to get seduced by having superior accelleration.  If deep snow makes it better to lock up and push snow up in front of the tire, then I push the 'ABS off' button on the dash.  This is rare.  BTW, ABS has not prevented me from going into bigtime liftoff oversteer!  AWD has its nuances.

My experience... I don't know that I'd want ABS in my spider.   The point of that car for me is not raw performance, but its (from today's perspective) primitive purity.

Robert Hardwick, Seattle
'91 164 
'79 spider
'90 Audi 90Q
'98 twin boys (why I'm not at the track much...)

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