Where can I get faster?

#1

Where am I losing time?

#2

I’m no expert, but here goes:

Your line looks good. I don’t see any major issues there. But in a momentum car like the E30, it’s not “where can I get faster” it is “where can I slow the car less.”

That being said, here are a few thoughts based on my quick scan of some of your clear laps:

Turn 1. There’s a big crown in the track at turn in. That means that if your car feels planted between turn in and halfway across the track, it will feel (and be) way too slow once you crest the middle of the track and hit the banked part of the turn. You have to build up to it, but you should feel like you hair is on fire for the first bit of the turn after turn-in, then it feels perfect at the apex. That’s when you know you are not overslowing the car.

Turn 2. Unless I am defending against a pass after tracking out from T1, I will usually bring the car back to driver’s right so I can go into 2 a little straighter (you are hugging the left side of the track). This becomes even more important as you get faster thru 1. To set up for 3, I just give a slight brush of the brake when I am next to the curbing on driver’s left, but I am off the brakes when I turn-in. You are holding brakes to the apex of 3, which loses speed all the way to turn 5.

Turn 6. If you can get back on the gas before the apex, you overslowed. Try leaving the car in 4th through T6. It is banked and a hell of a lot faster than it looks.

Turn 7. Slow down enough to allow you to be 100% on the gas by the apex - preferably by the turn-in. But don’t overslow.:wink:

Turn 10. Turn in seems just a hair too early. You can slow the car less through there, but that’s just a matter of seat time.

YMMV, IMHO, etc.

Steve D.

#3

87isMan wrote:

[quote]http://www.vimeo.com/1517074

Where am I losing time?[/quote]

I find I go fastest when I’m at Roebling Road. That place is wicked fast.

But if you’re asking about that track. I haven’t been there yet. But from what I can see in that video of yours, I’d say you could stay on the gas more in that 1st turn. looks like you are leaving a lot of track out there. and you seem to be scrubbing some speed off there.

I might be able to get back to you with more details after December.

Till then… keep on rock’n

#4

Dont listen to that guy (hes never actually been on a racetrack) :stuck_out_tongue:

I would say stick to the basics:
Use all of the track, look ahead and be smooth everywhere!
It looks like you are generally driving below the limit of the tires. After you perfect your line etc, work on sliding the car a little bit more.

If you really want a lesson, just compare your vid to this one:

Seriously- it works for me!

#5

allenr wrote:

[quote]Dont listen to that guy (hes never actually been on a racetrack) :stuck_out_tongue:

I would say stick to the basics:
Use all of the track, look ahead and be smooth everywhere!
It looks like you are generally driving below the limit of the tires. After you perfect your line etc, work on sliding the car a little bit more.

If you really want a lesson, just compare your vid to this one:

Seriously- it works for me![/quote]

Thanks. I watch all of Skeen’s videos. If I went out and tried to run laps like that I would quickly run out of talent!!!

I am hoping to do comp school early next year, but in the meantime I am running my first TT event at RA in Dec. I can consistently run high 1:51’s at RA. My goal for this next event is to get into the 1:49’s. I seem to have hit a wall when it comes to finding more speed out there. Who want to take me for a ride in my car? Maybe competing for the first time will help?

Anymore suggestions guys?

#6

Greg, when the schedule comes out identify an HPDE3/4 session that is reasonably separate from your TT and our Lightning sessions. You’ll be allowed to take someone with you in those sessions, as long as NASA accepts the person as “instructor” qualified. Then sweet talk Jim into letting you run that sesssion, which might be dicey depending on how many participants are at the event. Note that if HPDE4 is open passing it can handle more participants then HPDE3 so that’s a fact to consider too.

Then grab a relatively experienced guy that will pass muster with Jim as being an “instructor” and offer him a 6pack to spend a session with you. If you need to borrow an intercom set, get a hold of me the week of the event and I’ll bring one.

I’d be happy to do a session with you, but there’s lots better choices then me. I think I know what I’m supposed to be doing, but it’s the very devil trying to actually do it.

And on turn 2, get over to the right and turn before the crest even tho you can’t see $hit yet. By getting most of the turning done early (classic late apex) before the crest, you are turning when you have traction and not turning so much when you don’t have much traction.

#7

A couple of you guys have told me to adjust my line through turn 2. I feel it makes turn 3 faster if you basically skip turn 2 by hugging the left side of the track up the hill. This line has the car pointed more towards the apex of 3 when you get on the brakes. I can slow the car less, and it cuts the angle of turn 3. Maybe this will change as I get faster IDK.

Scott thanks it would be great to get a ride from someone, or at least have one of you drive my car. I have my own intercom after having an instructors break, I bought my own just in case, and I also have plans to become an instructor.

#8

I’m probably heading down to RA in Dec. and will not be racing. I’ll be available if Jim thinks I can pass as an instructor. Let me know.

JP

#9

Hey JP,

If you have time, I would love to have you ride with me and give me some pointers too.

#10

155MPH wrote:

[quote]I’m probably heading down to RA in Dec. and will not be racing. I’ll be available if Jim thinks I can pass as an instructor. Let me know.

JP[/quote]

JP that would be great.

Maybe we could get Jim to chime in. I don’t think it would be a problem, he let my Dad take my car out in a group 4 session in Aug.

#11

Greg, take JP up on his offer. He’s really fast.

#12

Ranger wrote:

yeah hopefully we can make that happen!

#13

allenr wrote:

[quote]Dont listen to that guy (hes never actually been on a racetrack) :stuck_out_tongue:

I would say stick to the basics:
Use all of the track, look ahead and be smooth everywhere!
It looks like you are generally driving below the limit of the tires. After you perfect your line etc, work on sliding the car a little bit more.

If you really want a lesson, just compare your vid to this one:

Seriously- it works for me![/quote]

another on on my list! :evil: I’ve never met this guy… he has no idea how many tracks I’ve been on.

If read between the lines, he’s telling you the same thing I told ya… use all the track. If you don’t feel like your on the edge yur not driven fast or hard enough. ALthough… the new R888 is not as good on the edge as teh Ra1 tire, but still. If yur butt hole isn’t puckered? you aren’t push hard enough

Pucker Up and mash the gas amigo!!

#14

87isMan wrote:

hire a coach…this can get you over a plateau…having them ride with you (so they can see what you are doing and what needs work), riding with them in your car (so you can see what your car can do and how it’s done), analyzing data (to see exactly where the speed differential is), then working on the problem areas can have a tremendous benefit…

[quote]Maybe competing for the first time will help?
[/quote]
maybe not the first time you race but racing usually does make people faster…you can/will get more comfortable driving the car at it’s limits constantly…but if you are lacking on some of the fundamentals (not saying you are) racing may not make you any faster…if you get in a rut or have some bad habits, racing might make them worse…

#15

87isMan wrote:

You aren’t skipping turn 2, you are making turn 2 happen over the crest of the hill. Ranger and I are suggesting that you get that turning done before you crest the hill. When you nail turn 1, the car will be very light over that crest, so you want to be doing very little turning or braking there. Plus as you go up the hill the car is squished down on the track and will easily corner enough to get you across the track to set up for 2.

Also, you don’t need a very hard brake application there. There are no corners at RA where you should/can be pointed at the apex when braking.

Steve D.

PS - Yes, competition will raise your game. You will follow other guys on the same line through the same corner and realize what I did - I had hamster balls when I started racing.:laugh:

#16

Steve D wrote:

there aren’t? :huh:

guess it’s a matter of driving style…

#17

I never understand how people are significantly faster in competition. You should be faster on test days when you dont have to worry about saving the car or traffic. If you need adreneline to drive ten tenths, you need to find motivation! :slight_smile:

#18

allenr wrote:

i think you are misunderstanding what people are saying…

racing makes people in to faster/better drivers…it doesn’t mean they are faster during races…it’s very common for people to pick up speed (learn how to go faster) once they start racing…

i am rarely (if ever) faster in race conditions than i am in testing or qualifying…

#19

dmwhite wrote:

[quote]Steve D wrote:

there aren’t? :huh:

guess it’s a matter of driving style…[/quote]

I’m not talking about trail braking. That’s all about rotating the car. I am talking about braking to slow the car.

I love trying new things, so I would love to hear which corner at Road Atlanta is faster by braking (for slowing purposes) toward the apex.

Steve D.

PS - I think competition makes you faster because you see what the fast guys can do. I also turn up the wick during the races. I think it is pointless to go as hard on a test day as you do in a race. That makes this sport way too expensive.

#20

Steve D wrote:

trailbraking doesn’t slow the car down? :huh:

carrying braking towards an apex is not soley used to rotate a car…it can be used to help a car rotate but it is also slowing the car down in the process…imo, if you are done slowing the car by the time you turn in for most corners(ie. coasting or accelerating before you reach the apex), you are giving up speed/time…maximizing corner entry speed (carrying as much speed towards the apex as possible), will drop your lap times…obviously there is a balance between maximizing your corner entry speed and your corner exit speed…

i think people are taught that trail braking is only used to rotate the car so that maybe you won’t try it at DE’s? it takes a little bit more finess to carry braking towards an apex than it does to hammer the brakes in a straight line…

at RA, i’m still braking after i turn the car in at several turns…mainly at T1 and T6 (carrying the speed from the prior straightaway as far as possible), and little bit at T7…also, at T5, my car is pointed at the apex when i start braking…

you might not be going 10/10ths for as long during testing as you are in a race, but i’m not sure i see the point of testing if you aren’t pushing the car…if you arent really testing anything, you’re essentially just out there driving in circles…