When the owner of a classic Porsche 911 RSR worth seven figures tells you to take his car, push it hard but bring it home, what do you do? If you’re the American Porsche factory driver Patrick Long – the only American Porsche factory driver – you go and work wonders. This RSR puts out 300 horsepower from its normally-aspirated 3 liter engine, and yet Long manages to keep up with and overtake cars with much more power. Battling with more faster 911s and turbocharged 935s, Long gives us a masterclass in late braking and cornering that shows it ain’t all about power.

Youthful and affable, Patrick is as approachable as he is talented.

Laguna Seca has always been known as a power track and for good reason: with three long straights and plenty of uphills, there’s little argument that a few extra ponies goes a long way there. That said, Long demonstrates that braking less, carrying more apex speed and maintaining a clean run out of the corner, lap after lap, can sometimes be enough to take down competitors with a little more firepower. The first half of this video is stunning duel between Long and another vintage 911 which clearly has the edge on the straights. Nevertheless, Long continues to close the gap at every corner, nipping at the heels of his opponent and juking until making a very brave overtake at the daunting, off-camber turn 9, also known as the Rainey Curve.

By using a few jabs of throttle to sneak up alongside and down into the apex first, Long loses a bit of mid-corner speed but positions himself so that his opponent is given a choice between lifting or the dirt. Long progresses up the field and squares off against a couple of 935s with more than twice the power. As if he smells blood, Long maneuvers the rear with minimal steering correction so that he’s full-throttle at almost every apex. For the latter half of the video, he changes position multiple times with a car that, as seen at the 17 minute mark, has an enormous power advantage; soaring off into the distance as Long can only sit and watch. Watch and be amazed as he keeps the other drivers honest with his superlative driving abilities.