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The fundamental cornering principle of entering a corner at a controlled, conservative speed so that the car is properly positioned and balanced to accelerate hard on exit. Sacrificing a little corner-entry speed allows earlier, harder throttle application and produces higher speeds on the following straight.
Bentley addresses common misapplication of this principle in Ultimate Speed Secrets: "One of the first pieces of advice that new race drivers are given is 'Going into the corners slowly and coming out fast is better than the opposite.' Although this advice is entirely true, some drivers take this too far. This advice may actually have been the cause of some drivers being slow. Why? Because many drivers do not carry enough speed into the corners." The HPDE Curriculum Guide explains why exit speed dominates: "Corner-entry speed and exit acceleration are related. If your corner-entry speed is too low, you tend to try to make up for that by accelerating hard. The hard acceleration may exceed the rear tire's traction, and you end up slower." The principle is most useful as a starting point for beginners — enter conservatively, find the exit, then work entry speed later. As Bentley writes: "Ultimately, you want to be entering the corners slightly below the limit, then accelerating beyond it as you exit." Prioritize exit speed because the following straight multiplies any time gained.