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#1
TEAM MEDICARE

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I finally broke down and purchased a Traqmate. The data it produces is amazing and a little overwhelming. For a relative newbe to racing what's the most productive areas to concentrate on? Braking, speed, etc.? Does anybody have a good lap at Watkins Glen they would be willing to share? It seems that this type of comparison would be the most helpful.

Thanks

#2
CruzanTom

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TraqMate is great. I am still a novice but I have had the benefit of having really good drivers share their data with me. I could not imagine learning to race without this help. This is what I use the most:

Some basic things to check are your

1. Consistency lap after lap. If you have a good run, can you do it every lap? If not, see where you are the most different and work on doing the right thing in that Turn each lap.
2. Compare data with another (hopefully better) driver.
A. Use Velocity v. Distance (Under Distance Graphs). Use best laps and compare your speed and braking points with the faster driver. Usually a faster driver will brake earlier but have higher Min speed through turns.
B. Using Acel/Braking Gs v. Distance you can compare how soon and how hard you are braking compared to a better driver.
C. Using Time Gap v. Distance, you can see where you are losing the most time compared to a faster driver. I use this to pick areas on the track where I want to concentrate doing better. You can't do everything better all at once so pick this areas that help you make up the most time.

Good luck!

Tom Hart

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#3
Brandon

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Mr. Medicare - I'm in the NE area as well (North Jersey) and plan on attending the Lime Rock race (Pro-IT) the weekend of the 22nd/23rd.
If you're there I'd be more than happy to walk you through some basic analysis steps to start improving your times.

I can't say I'm an expect but believe I've had as close to one as a teacher as he was able to shave a number of seconds and bad habits from my repertoire across a number of tracks.

To get some analysis in before then, here's how I would approach initially reviewing a session:
Since we're after gross improvements first (no sense in getting into more technical parts first) we can start with where you're braking, accelerating, or coasting. Since in a Miata you should be in one of two states (braking or accelerating) viewing the track map that shows this information is by far the best & easiest place to start (braking == red, accelerating == green, coasting == black). To support this initial step it would be good to also have open the "velocity vs. distance" window since that is an equally important eye-opener in why you should be changing where you're doing the 3 actions. Losing 5-7MPH at the top end of a straight is killer in these cars and making that up will only improve your final standings.

From there you can identify where you should remain on the gas, brake later, or start feeding throttle in sooner. This (generally) will garner a noticeable improvement in track times.
Continuing to do that over a number of sessions and eliminating the black areas can get you to the next step of where you can move around with where those brake/accel transitions are occurring:
Can I brake later here? Thus moving further down-track the acceleration zone.
Can I come off the brakes sooner here? Thus starting your acceleration zone earlier.

An intermediate step beyond the above would be identifying where you can alter turn-in/track-out points with your line that could improve either of the acceleration or braking zones. Does the track support being at a different part of the track on turn-in (which may give you more braking force)? Similar on track-out.

As you said, with just the basic unit you can get overwhelmed with the volume of data presented to you so it's hard to filter out the (currently) useless bits from the important ones. In my opinion, the best approach would be to start with gross/general observations (hence the 'where are you braking/accelerating/coasting?' as the first step) and from there you can hone-in on specific parts of the track that are giving you issues.

In running data, you'll make significant initial gains (which is encouraging) but those few remaining tenths will come from seat time and more analysis of your problem zones so don't get discouraged if you feel you've plateaued and aren't making any improvements.

HTH!
Brandon
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#4
TEAM MEDICARE

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Thanks guys. Pretty much what I was thinking. Grab the low hanging fruit first.

Now if I can just get someone to offer up a good lap to compare myself with I'll be working for Roger in no time. I guess nobody wants to get passed by a car with that bumper sticker.

Howard (aka the old fart)

#5
Andrew Charbonneau

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Did you go faster
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement.[1] Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit as a weapon.
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#6
Justin Baltrucki

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I am in the same situation just got a traqmate this season. I have been playing around with it at the autocross events working with my co driver to show where the speed differences are. The speed vs distance plots are the most telling showing where a driver lifts and the other is full throttle still. The track map is nice to look at differences in the lines to compare wide vs tight lines. Late apex vs early apex you can create little segments areound important corners and see what laps you "got lucky" and had a good run throught the corner and then make that your regular line. Chicken footing a turn vs flat all the way through, the nanny never misses a mistake. Finally ran it at limerock this past weekend during the scca race. Need someone to compare data with. Looking at my best laps I can peice together the perfect lap a few tenths faster than my real lap. Learing what lines are faster through different segments you can figure out what is working and what is not working. It was marginally helpful looking at race data as a defensive line is not the fast line, and we had 37 cars packed into 1.5 miles. One funny observation with the traqmate - green = acceleration, red = braking, black = coasting, my miata is so damn slow that i get black coasting lines showing up down the main straight at the top of 4th it looks like coasting. My car is SSM 1.6 ran a 1:04.4 this past weekend up there, not the fastest for sure but P2 in qualifying for SSM on friday. I would be happy to share data if anyone is interested. e-mail baltruckij@netscape.net Justin Baltrucki #54 SSM yellow superbee

#7
DrDomm

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I'm in the Northeast, but don't yet have data for my car. That said, I rented from Flatout last year and did data then. They use Race Technology, not Traqmate though. Still, if you really want to improve, contact Nick and see if there's a way for him to compare your data with his. I'm sure he'll improve your times, and you'll feel it was money well spent.
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#8
Danny Steyn

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#9
Andrew Charbonneau

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just found glen from trackmate i think hes better at the dating web site thing

Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement.[1] Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit as a weapon.
SCCA National Champion - Won SCCA Runoffs at Road America Survivalist - Won 25 Hours at Thunderhill! Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver Series Champ - Won a points based series in a Spec Miata We have a Winnah! - Won their 1st race... Congratulations! Instigator - Made a topic or post that inspired other Instigator - Made a topic or post that inspired other

#10
DrDomm

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Share the wealth please. :spin:
Domm Leuci
--because someone commented that we should all post our names, and not be anonymous. I agree.
Make it Rain - Made Paypal donation of $100+ Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver

#11
Justin Baltrucki

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Just added my LRP data to the traqmate website

http://share.traqmat...-park/5800#data


No other SM's to compare to.

I downloaded the SRF data, driving lines are the same but the speeds are way different in the speed vs distance plots. Note - I had to align the track map when overlaying mine with the SRF it was shifted relative to mine. I made the no name straight and the esses match up and the rest fit in pretty well.

Justin

#12
svvs

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    do they sell spec training wheels yet?

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Not what you're looking for, but here's a lap around limerock with a Race Technology overlay.

Two notes:

1. I'm not that fast (this lap was a 1:03.8...fastest lap for me that day was a 1:03.5)
2. I'm still working on the overlay software.

At least, it should give you some apex speeds. I"m in a 1.6 for RPM comparison.



-Vick

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#13
DrDomm

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Vick, are you shifting 5th to 3rd going into Big Bend?

Not coming next weekend?
Domm Leuci
--because someone commented that we should all post our names, and not be anonymous. I agree.
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#14
svvs

svvs

    do they sell spec training wheels yet?

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Yes, I do shift from fifth to third.....I know you're not "supposed to", but I do. Most times I have it at the right RPM....sometimes I get a bit of engine braking. I do double clutch it (unless I'm passing someone, then I forget).

Not making next weekend....didn't have much luck there last time I ran a national (me and all my friends blew up, crashed, or both). Also have family obligations.

Domm if you're going to make WGI on July 21st weekend feel free to find me and say hi. Have a cookie or a bottle of water.

-Vick

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Black SM/SM2/"Slap Bracelet Throwback" #12 in the Northeast....if the car was made in the early 90's it should look like it.

1.6L forever!  Bring on your '99's and '01's!

Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver We have a Winnah! - Won their 1st race... Congratulations! Donor - Made PayPal donation

#15
DrDomm

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Yes, I do shift from fifth to third.....I know you're not "supposed to", but I do. Most times I have it at the right RPM....sometimes I get a bit of engine braking. I do double clutch it (unless I'm passing someone, then I forget).

Not making next weekend....didn't have much luck there last time I ran a national (me and all my friends blew up, crashed, or both). Also have family obligations.

Domm if you're going to make WGI on July 21st weekend feel free to find me and say hi. Have a cookie or a bottle of water.

-Vick


Getting into Big Bend, and around it, is my worst part of that track...maybe I'll do better if I try your method.

I did the Memorial Day Regional at the Glen. I'm gonna do the Lime Rock National and Glen National because I hang with a National GT-2 car. It's just easier to have a "team/friends/family" to go with. Doing the Regional 2 weeks later will be very difficult for me...but I'm considering it. I am planning on the Sept/Oct Regionals there.

Anyway, hopefully I can find you for that cookie sometime.
Domm Leuci
--because someone commented that we should all post our names, and not be anonymous. I agree.
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