270 replies to this topic

[Todd Lamb]

Good question and very difficult to wrap an answer in a general rule. Very situational for the particular corner and car.

 

THill 9-10: for example in SM you don't need to track out all the way to the left going down the hill. In faster cars, you will track further out. In a b-spec car you could probably stay pretty far to the right.

 

THill 13-14: SM you don't need to track out all the way to the right out of 13. Faster cars you do.

 

Both of these are instances where the track really just bends in the straighaway a bit, so you'll be full throttle in any car. What varies is how far out you need to go to keep the car settled (the higher the acceleration, the less grip you have to turn while accelerating, so the wider the arc needs to be in this "non-cornering" situation for higher HP).

 

Mazda Raceway T6-corkscrew: in SM you'll track out of 6 all the way to the right and mostly straightline it up the hill but you'll try to turn in a bit late for the right hand kink at the top to have a good turn in and arc for the corkscrew. In higher HP cars the premium is going to be getting to full throttle at the bottom of the corkscrew, so the turn in is compromised a bit and is more of a straightline brake situation from the kink to the top to the corkscrew.

 

So how do you know which is fastest? Run a few laps each way and something in between and see what the data shows to be faster. Takes one session at most and a little time gap analysis on the data.

 

At places like Thunderhill between 9 and 10, Thunderhill between 13 and 14, and Laguna Seca between 6 and the Corkscrew, some say to put the car on the most direct line for shorter distance to cover, others say minimize steering input and let the car take the widest arc it can for the least amount of resistance. Besides a lot of testing and data studying, how do you know which of those, or something in between, is fastest?

 

 

[Randy Wolfgram]

Great thread, Todd.

 

Question on footwork.  Looking at my data from my last race weekend, I can see that I'm releasing brake pressure on downshifts when I blip the throttle.  Do you have any particular drills for working on maintaining consistent pressure on the brake pedal for heel-n-toe?

[Jim Drago]

Todd

Thanks for starting the thread and answering all these questions!

Jim

[Todd Lamb]

Very common issue. One of many things the brake pressure sensor shows.

 

Explain your foot position to me? Maybe need some adjustment there - heel and toe is not a very good name (see below).

 

You can setup a camera in the footwell to see what you're doing with your feet.

 

You can practice with your street car if it's a manual....it IS a manual, right?

 

Watch this technique and foot position, notice the heel stays on the floor....I think this guy knows what he's doing even if he is wearing penny loafers

 

 

 

 

Great thread, Todd.

 

Question on footwork.  Looking at my data from my last race weekend, I can see that I'm releasing brake pressure on downshifts when I blip the throttle.  Do you have any particular drills for working on maintaining consistent pressure on the brake pedal for heel-n-toe?

[Randy Wolfgram]

Very common issue. One of many things the brake pressure sensor shows.

 

Explain your foot position to me? Maybe need some adjustment there - heel and toe is not a very good name (see below).

 

You can setup a camera in the footwell to see what you're doing with your feet.

 

You can practice with your street car if it's a manual....it IS a manual, right?

 

Watch this technique and foot position, notice the heel stays on the floor....I think this guy knows what he's doing even if he is wearing penny loafers

 

 

Who is this Senna guy? 

 

I have the ball of my right foot on the brake and lift and rotate my heel to the right to blip (maybe that motion in itself is a big contributor?).  I will put my other camera in the footwell to see if what I think I'm doing actually matches with what I'm really doing.

 

I do practice in my street car, but commuting in the Bay Area, I don't get many opportunities to practice above 25 miles an hour 

[luvin_the_rings]

Todd, this thread is great.  I have been lurking in the shadows here for a few months as I am working on my first Spec Miata car.   Me and two of my buddies have been hard at work assembling our car.  

 

We have yet to enter into racing school but all three of us have been tracking our daily drivers for years now.  We decided that getting into some serious racing is the next logical (and safer) step. 

 

My first question was answered with the recent talk about heel-toe shifting. 

 

However my second question: 

 

After seeing so many guys come through your drivers school, what are a few things new guys like us can focus on as a good "first cut?" 

If we are taking the SM to some track days to just shake it down and get the bugs out, is there something that we can focus on technique wise to not start getting bad habits?  We wont have any data aq. on the car for now but is there anything you would suggest like posture or breathing?  Feel free to elaborate on aforementioned things such as 9 and 3 and "eyes up."

 

If there were a few things that you feel take the longest to develop, therefore needing to start early, what would they be?

 

Thank you, 

 

-Z

 

 

p.s. first post wooooo!!!! 

[ChrisA]

 

Watch this technique and foot position, notice the heel stays on the floor....I think this guy knows what he's doing even if he is wearing penny loafers

 

 

Penny loafers with white socks, mind you.  

[Tom Hampton]

Penny loafers with white socks, mind you.

That's the only way to wear penny loafers!

[steveracer]

I think no socks is also acceptable, but only with shorts.

[Tom Hampton]

Then you have to have an actual penny in the slot.

[Bench Racer]

Here's one for the youngens. Retired in 2002 NASCAR driver Dave Marcis from Wausau, WI wore wingtip shoes while driving for most of his NASCAR career. During which time he had 5 wins, year end points finishes of 2nd once, 5th, 6th, 9th several times. IIRC his best years were when he was a factory Dodge driver. Dave was also the kingpin setup dude for the IROC (look it up) series. 

[Jim Drago]

Watch this technique and foot position, notice the heel stays on the floor....I think this guy knows what he's doing even if he is wearing penny loafers

Todd
Do you think the on/off throttle when getting on the throttle is Senna compensating for TCS or just his driving style?

[Mark]

The throttle tippy tapping was a Senna trademark. It was noted when he tested a rally car also. Evidently it was one reason he typically used more fuel than his team mates according to one of the bios I read.
 
Mark
 
 

Todd
Do you think the on/off throttle when getting on the throttle is Senna compensating for TCS or just his driving style?

[dwibes]

Thanks, Jim. I was wondering the same thing. Watching the video I was thinking that maybe he is so good (huge fan of his) he would apply the throttle that way to see, in a street car, if there was any loss of front grip. If he detected it washing out he would keep feeling it until he knew he could get back to full throttle. Watching the video it seems he was doing that. In a corner or two where he was carrying tremendous speed he did not do that at all and only applied full throttle at track out knowing he was already at the limit.. Whatever the case, it's awesome to see someone that gifted, jump in a car that casually and drive that close to the edge...

[Mike Collins]

I watched the video...it looked like he was doing it to keep the car from engine braking while trying to get the front end to set so he could put the power down...

[Dirt poor kenny]

im using a VLSD miata. any advice. im 1-2 seconds from track records because 260k mile engine never opened. but how would you drive a VLSD miata?

[Neil O]

@dirtpoorkenny
For 1 second off pace, put your mouth around the exhaust pipe and inhale for 5 minutes. 2 seconds off pace 10 minutes
(Car running of course, Rpms between 2500-5500)

Xoxo

If there were some threads to crap on this wasn't one...

Neil

[Ron Alan]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahajhahh!

[Bench Racer]

Caveman, Drago ????

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Caveman, Drago ????

David?????