Transitions during tandem are where most drivers fall apart, but its also where the great drivers separate themselves.
Most drivers can stay close in a corner just fine, but when it’s time to transition, everything changes. One small mistake can cost you proximity, the whole run, or maybe even both cars.
There’s a danger zone about the length of a car that exists through the entire transition. If you’re too close or too far inside, you’re putting yourself in a position to get hit. If you’re too far back or too late, you’ve already lost the chase.
So what’s the move?
Right before the lead car transitions, you want to start your transition but be prepared to slow it down or speed it up. You want your front bumper lined up with their rear bumper, as if both cars were straight. That’s the ideal position.
This is where you get aggressive, be as close to their back bumper as possible without contact. As their bumper starts to pass infront of you, it will leave an opening, thats the gap you attack.
Everything has to work together here: throttle, steering, brakes, clutch, everything. But more importantly, awareness. If you need to give the lead car space to transition, do it early.
Transitions aren’t luck, they’re about timing, positioning, and commitment.
