270 replies to this topic

[Craig Berry]

What does the coach think?

[Tom Hampton]

I love this turn! As the track bends away I just dont want to step my driver side tires in the grass under braking. I brake a few feet earlier than most, because this turn is all about getting flat early. Besides being relatively calm on the brakes, I am aggressive with the wheel and flat on the throttle as the car is turned....well before the apex. Clobber the inside curb. If done right you cant help to drift over the exit curbs to the edge of the track and you will get a speed and G sensation on the last part of the turn. You do not want any corrections with the steering, and you can not even think about easing off the throttle once flat. This is a turn you attack with your steering and throttle. 14 and 3 are really the only turns we focus on at Rd Am.

You're THAT guy aren't you?  You were the guy that sat in the front of the class and always answered the questions and argued with the teacher, weren't you?   

[Craig Berry]

Not at all. Looking forward to what Todd has to say, no right or wrong as long as you're fast. Also would rather talk about this stuff and work

[Craig Berry]

Not, and work, rather Then Work.

[Bench Racer]

Craig

 

Please remember, some of us depend on you paying your S.S., work hard every little bit helps. Wait a minute Berry Granite, you work for yourself, yes. A good friend owned his business, made a comment about his about to be S.S. and questioned why so little. My response to him was, how long have you been short changing S.S.??? 

 

Is the Rd. Am. Carousel a throw away corner???? Or do you find it a non-thinker corner.

[Craig Berry]

Bench,
Trying to work, was actually driving and verbally posting earlier, did not work well. I like when Todd does this....I get bored with all the normal topics, it is nice to focus on how to get faster.

Just 14 turns, so not many real throw aways.....the Carousel is a blast. I have found that if the car has a slight bit of oversteer, even if you have to breath 1/4" throttle for a split second over the hump about 1/3 through the turn, it is faster than pushing and being flat on the throttle.

I am gonna shut up and just listen to Todd. I do not want my enthusiasm to be misinterpreted that I think I am any sort of coach. I soak in all I can, and have learned a lot from taking and racing with Lamb, Buras, Drago and others.

[Johnny D]

So we're not going to talk about SS ?

Maybe a ROTH or some Annuities?

Darn!!, had all my paperwork out.

J~

[Todd Lamb]

OK I'll fast forward this observation process a bit (trying to get everyone in a thinking mode). On a track walk or video review here's some of the things to pick up on:

 

-T13 is a left, putting you on the right side of the track, so you have to get back over to the left for T14

-T14 bends to the right before the turn really begins

-T14 brake zone will likely be with the car loaded a little on the left side due to the bend

-The brake zone can possibly be straightened out with the right approach to later/heavier braking while keeping the platform of the car

-Not much in the way of visual reference points on the way into T14

-Entry curb on the left side

-Apex curb with a pretty drastic dropoff from the inside edge to the grass

-Exit curb, with a lot of grippy pavement on the other side of the exit curb

-T14 leads to a long straight

 

Now what do we do, armed with this information?

 

PS Craig put your hand down and find a seat at the back of the class

[Todd Lamb]

For those that aren't familiar with the corner (sorry for the poor quality - borrowed car):

 

https://youtu.be/zsmZXpiss0Y?t=25m53s

[Tom Hampton]

Not at all. Looking forward to what Todd has to say, no right or wrong as long as you're fast. Also would rather talk about this stuff and work

Just busting your chops for fast forwarding...:-)  

[NPiekarski]

Thanks Todd for all your work to help us all better ourselves on track. I've got some new things to try and work on.

Put me in coach I wanna play.

-After T13, come back to mid track

-Point it towards the area where the track starts to disappear on the left

-Slow the car in a straight line

-Roll to WFO while initiating turn in using all of the track at apex and exit (go over the curbs on entry and exit)

-Get the best drive out as possible as its a long straight

[Tom Hampton]

-Sure T13 is a left, but from the video it doesn't seem that close to T14 to really make it tough to get back left to setup for 14. 

-As nic said, you don't need to get full track-left.  Leave a lane outside, and brake in a straight line aimed at the left-edge of the track where the left entry curbing starts.

-turn hard to the apex and roll-on to WOT at the same time.

-with the extra exit pavement early apex is lower risk, and can carry a little extra speed/get back to throttle quicker.

-I couldn't tell from the video what it was, but the white "building" on the outside of the track, looked like a decent visual reference for turn-in/apex line.  Turn onto the line made between that building and the apex curbing. 

[MPR22]

I can tell what happens if you get behind a conga line and have to lift at track out and drop the left rear over the curbing.  skkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeechhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.   BANG.  

[Bench Racer]

Todd, don't remember (been a log time since there) speed thru T13 and to entry to 14. For those that never been there the speed is?

[Bench Racer]

I can tell what happens if you get behind a conga line and have to lift at track out and drop the left rear over the curbing.  skkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeechhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.   BANG.  

Didn't want to go there, same noise Mr. Pink/Mike Cortel?) heard when his wheel busted.

[Johnny D]

Everybody gets the basic concept for a turn before a long straight now, right ?

 

Position yourself to get the best run off, you're going to have higher MPH at the end of the straight.

J~

[Tom Hampton]

Todd, don't remember (been a log time since there) speed thru T13 and to entry to 14. For those that never been there the speed is?

He shifts 3-4 on entry into T13, that's 86mph or so.  He carries 4th to the entry for T14.  Seems like a decent distance at WOT, so 95mph or-so peak entering T14?  4-3 on entry into T14.  And back to 3-4 just before pit-in. 

[mhiggins10]

OK I'll fast forward this observation process a bit (trying to get everyone in a thinking mode). On a track walk or video review here's some of the things to pick up on:

 

-T13 is a left, putting you on the right side of the track, so you have to get back over to the left for T14

-T14 bends to the right before the turn really begins

-T14 brake zone will likely be with the car loaded a little on the left side due to the bend

-The brake zone can possibly be straightened out with the right approach to later/heavier braking while keeping the platform of the car

-Not much in the way of visual reference points on the way into T14

-Entry curb on the left side

-Apex curb with a pretty drastic dropoff from the inside edge to the grass

-Exit curb, with a lot of grippy pavement on the other side of the exit curb

-T14 leads to a long straight

 

Now what do we do, armed with this information?

 

PS Craig put your hand down and find a seat at the back of the class

 

1- Find some reference points on the way in.  

2- Use ALL of the exit if it's grippy.

3- Long straight = get flat early.

4- Corner going in isn't as important as coming out, so compromised entry is OK, as long as exit is good.

 

Induce a little oversteer on entry (left-loading under braking, maybe a tiny bit of trail braking to start rotating the car), slide it over the apex being careful not to hook a wheel on the inside and get flat as quick as you can, using all of the track at exit?

[Bench Racer]

As I recall, ya need to get your butt left quickly from T13 to entry T14. Todd?

[Johnny D]

I hope everyone has reference points at every corner for braking and turn in.

Tune those points for better lap times.

J~