Hella-Buggin'

I've been doing DE's with PCA GGR and NCRC for about 4 years now and I manage to eek out incremental improvements as time rolls on. Thunderhill, Buttonwillow, & Sonoma all seem to yield smoother and or faster times each time I go.

Not the case with Laguna Seca. My times have not budged in a few years. I watch the videos and look at the data and know what I should be doing but I just can't do it. Part of the problem I think is that it's always so crowded and people aren't honest about where they should be in the grid based on their lap times but that's just a small part of the issue. But it is tough to progress when you get one clean lap out of a 20 minute session.

The main problem is that I'm just too comfortable. It's like muscle memory and my body just over slows for the same turns over and over again.

Maybe I should just be happy. I pass cars that are faster than mine but I know there is an average of 8mph left on the table of each corner it bums me out.

Thundermoose

Have you considered doing NASA Time Trials? It's a lot more enjoyable (to me) than HPDE. You tend to get cleaner laps, and there is always a rabbit and a greyhound in front of and behind you. That doesn't technically make you a faster driver but it certainly creates a good set of conditions.

Hella-Buggin'

I haven't considered that beacuse I use track insurance and they prohibit time trials.

Veloce Raptor

Hire a coach?

Thundermoose

Lockton now covers TT and AX as well as HPDE.

Hella-Buggin'

My wife suggested that and I was hoping to avoid proving her right... again.



Good to know. I'll look into it.

mark kibort

I can help you just on the video. yes some times a second set of eyes or a ride along can help.
PM me.

Usually, its coaching time, when you feel you have done all you can on your own and you want to get to the next level You have great lines, but are just not pushing the car at all. the data is all on the video. you are short shifting all over the track and thats about 3-4seconds right there by itself. the rest is in braking points and making the throttle more of a on off switch, rather than a lot of feathering.. another 3-4 seconds there.
(on street tires i assume). you have the car in the right positions , so the rest will be easier. (compared to a 1:52 car/driver with the speed, but bad car positioning)

your short shifting is causing a minimm of near 50 to 100hp loss for much of a lap. you have a 380hp car that is only taking advantage of the power of a 1984 911 with 230rated hp. the engine makes all its power from 6,000rpm to 7,500rpm for a stock 997 (corrected, not 991) (about 300 to 320rwhp) most of your lap is in the 4,000 to 5,000rpm range. (most of the time at WOT is in this range)

i can break it down turn by turn if you would like. PM me

Mk

Veloce Raptor

Your wife is very wise. Please listen to her. Especially since you've plateaued at LS...

jrgordonsenior

Completely agree with VR and Mark (scary right there) that coaching is arguably the fastest shortcut to quicker lap times and racing strategy if that's where you're headed.

As for crowded track condition, I just went to Race Monitor to see how large the groups were there this weekend but can't find any results. Doesn't GGR publish them in real time? Regardless, how many cars do they allow per session?

Hella-Buggin'

The GGR Laguna trip is very popular so they've been breaking it up into 5 smaller run groups. This keeps the groups down to about 30 cars but they are all very tight based on timings. Some of these cars get the times by having the power advantage on the various straights that Laguna has to offer.
It just makes it tougher to find a clean window where there isn't a group of cars running a train.
I make up my time by having a decent line and braking a bit later. I've run with more cars but with greater diversity and it seems easier to find a good place to be.

ProCoach

To move forward, you need to step back...

Instead of looking at the whole lap and systemically have the mindset that you're underdriving the car and overslowing for the same corners over and over again, pick ONE corner at a time and work on that.

Instead of focusing on brake application point, focus on brake release point and ENFORCE that plan by prioritizing picking up the throttle quicker and sooner, to MORE than offset the scrub and consequent drop in speed when you turn the wheel. T5 and T10 are great places to begin this.

There are literally hundreds of things I see that you could start with, but all it takes is ONE corner and ONE "best execution of a fundamental skill" to break that stubborn muscle memory...

Don't rely on subjective approaches or analysis. Be accurate, practice a primary and alternate approach and measure the difference between them. It's not easy, and a coach, especially one that helps YOU prioritize your approach, define VERY precisely what you want to be doing and then MEASURING objectively with tools better than HLT would help.

A lot...

Hella-Buggin'

Peter, this is the approach I know I have to take as it's what's worked for me in the past at other tracks. I think I have just been driving instead of learning.

I have to say, yet again, RL has proved to be a fabulous place to hang out. So many great helpful people here. Thanks Everyone. I have no plans for Laguna on the calendar but will try and figure out an event and then try and apply all advice and go from there.

jrgordonsenior

I wish we had some space in our upcoming Laguna weekend Aug 5-6 (POC) but we're sold out.

Now if you were interested in coming down to So Cal in early September we're running our PDS series (DE) on the infield at ACS. If interested let me know and I'll make you a special "deal of they year" to attend....

RickBetterley

First time I ever heard a track guy use the wife reason to NOT spend money.
Get a coach. I was struggling with getting to throttle at Watkins Glen and bought a day of coaching. He helped me open up my sight lines and voila, all the difference in the world.
Your wife is right

Hatzenbach

Mark,

you're not alone. Earlier this year I set a new personal best of 1:44 flat. I was in LS last Monday with GG Lotus Club and then together with you (and many more) Sat & Sun with PCA. My best time in these 3 days was a 1:45.9, but usually I was in the 1:46 and 1:47. Talked to a few others who had the same problem. But it's not the track: Our friend Adi managed to come down to the low 1:38. Yes it's a modified GT3, but what I mean is that he consistently improved this year by 4+ seconds, so it's not the track.
With me I notice that I am usually much faster if I try to catch another car, but besides that I am puzzled just as you what happened? Too comfortable?