Quote Originally Posted by denkimi View Post
Who told you that bullshit?

Unless you lock up your wheels and damage the tyres, or brake too late and overshoot the ideal line, braking hard is always better.

Nobody breaks smooth, there are no advantages too it.
Having done hobby/amateur racing on track, rally and ice circuit, i would also give very slight advantage to "smooth" braking. Of course, there are many who also have some experience (many much more) and would disagree, but thats where different drivind styles, different cars and different situations come to play. Smooth braking doesnt mean that it is not hard. At the peak, pedal is probably pressed down just as much. In my opinion, smooth braking gives more control over the speed and balance of car at which it enters the turn. When braking looks like 0%-100%-0%, then it is somewhat harder to hit that exact moment when speed is optimal. Also, at hard braking suspension is compressed quite lot, when suddenly releasing (depends also on rebound settings) then change in available traction is more sudden. On track i usually brake like 0%-100%-30%-0%. On loose stuff it is anyway game of balancing on the edge of traction, so variations are different, usually nobody brakes pedal-to-the-metal unless you are facing something really scary and survival instincts take over. In gocarting, it is very clearly visible who is "hard" braking and who is smooth. Hard braking guys usually have visually very aggressive driving style, they wobble in the turns, slide around etc while smooth braking guys only slide at very sharp turns using slide to aid turning. Many years back i was such aggressive guy and despite all i tried, i got solidly beaten by very smooth schoolmate - who in later years became our national champ in track racing. Since then i also tried to be less aggressive on braking and IMHO it has helped me to be better driver.