Veloce Raptor

LOL...nothing to tolerate, bro...like a lot of folks here, I love helping others, just as I was helped!

Actually, by "use all the track", I should have been a bit more specific: usually this indicates at track out, where many folks seem to shy away from the edge of the track. There is real time to be gained by using all that real estate & opening up th esteering wheel rather than continuing to hold steering angle. However, sometimes folks don't use all the track at entry, as with your question. My opinion is that there are a number of ways through 8 and 13, and you should try them all: tight inside, mid track, and starting way wide. With all of them, the key is to get the car all the way to the apex & parallel to the left side of the track, with a moment when the wheel is absoluutely straight, in order to set up for turning right into 9 and 14, which are key corners.

tonypai

I have a question about upshifting. If you're on a straight and you know you'll be in 4th gear at the end of it. Do you run your revs in 3rd to red line and then shift to 4th. Or do you look to short shift into 4th earlier and let the revs build?

Thanks in advance.

Veloce Raptor

Hmm. I guess it kind of depends on the car/motor/power curve. Some cars, like a 993, don't make sense to always wind out to redline in a straight line. Others do. Generally, most cars do well to be wound out before the upshift, especially in a power gear like 3rd.

9.5 Degrees

I have a question. Going into a double apex right hand turn with the 2nd apex having a decreasing radius requiring you to brake and downshift, is it necessary to track out between the two apexes or should you take a more inside line to decrease distance since you have to slow down anyway and then power out of the 2nd apex?

Thank you, I'll take the answer off the air.

Veloce Raptor

Personally, I can't answer that w/o seeing the turn. You may be correct about a tighter line. However, you may also be able to align the car to extend your brake zone past the 1st apex, and have the car's attitude pre-positioned to make the 2nd, more difficult apex easier, which would allow a lot more entry speed & less real estate with the steering at high angles.

onefastviking

Part of VR wanting to see the turn is because many times it's the straight or even corner that preceeds or follows that will define the best (fastest) way to take a turn.
To help get a more complete or correct answer you could tell us what is the set up before for the double apex, and what follows the double apex. Many times you will give up or sacrifice a corner for the overall improvement thru a section of turns/straights.

multi21

When is it okay to flash your high beams (ala LeMan style) when you don't get the point by in a DE?

And finally, is it poor form to use your windshield wiper spray to the just passed trailing car to show your discontent after making the pass but waiting a lap to get it?

Veloce Raptor

lol

cannon1000

Should Porsche turbos with AWD (and turbo lag) change how they address a turn compared to a RWD Porsche?

I understand the fundamental concept of keeping the car stable when making changes in steering and throttle would still apply.

BostonDMD

Dave, great idea with this thread.....

Whenever you have a chance, could you spend a few words on racecraft.

When and where are the best places, say at WGI, for overtaking a car in class in a racing situation?

Does "psychological warfare" or "practice session intimidation" really work in a club racing?

Thanks.

Land Jet

I love this thread, thanks for taking this on Dave.

Veloce Raptor

First, my hope was that other drivers and coaches would respond. Some have, and I'd love to hear from others.

Racecraft requires IMO a very keen sense of observation....not just to see who"s faster and slower, but where, how they brake, how long the lbrake lights stay on, whether they trail brake deep or not, etc etc etc. This is crucial info to help you plan your way by the folks ahead & keep the folks behind at bay.

WGI: where isn't a great place? Seriously, it depends on what the competitor is doing. Are they not trail braking 1? Maybe you can force them to defend there & they push wide at exit because they didn't trail in. Taking a slightly different trajectory out of the Inner Loop that goves more exit speed, them perhaps a slight LFB trap to help the car turn into 5 while they are modulating throttle on the typical tight line might give you a better exit down the hill into 6. Or watch to see where their car is pointed as they enter & brake for 6, and see if you can point yours a little bit more to the left. Etc.

Practice session intimidation? I guess I am not sure what that is, so I am not qualified to answer. IMO the smartest most successful racers I know use practice sessions to get the car right. They work on corners or segments, not trying to be P1 in practice. They get the car & themselves right so they can be P1 when it counts. Psych warfare? Absolutely. Espercially useful in the wet IMO. Be the guy who walks around talking about how you LOVE racing in rain.

Robert Henriksen

I'm not Dave, but I'll play ;-)

I've never understood *not* using all of the track @ turn-in for TWS' T8. If you want to simulate defending your position during a race, and get comfortable with entering T8 offline, great; but otherwise, I'm way out on the right side of the track.

The reason I don't bother using all of the track @ turn-in for 13 is that you have to slow down so much for 14. If you have to slow to, say, just 40 mph to get through 14, there's no need for your path through 13 to describe a very large radius curve (which would permit a much higher speed).

To use the whole track at turn-in of 13 would be like hitting the rev limiter as you approach your parking space at Kroger's

Does that help?

tkerrmd

Great stuff Dave, thank you! Hope to be using your services in person again soon. Maybe VIR PCA race?

tkerrmd

cant wait to hear this one!




I finally went RWD with a LSD for the track. If you really track alot this gives you the ability to trail brake and throttle steer and gets rid of a ton of understeer......keep trackn that TT!!

And whatever Dave says will help!!