TD in DC

Some buddies of mine were talking about Summit Point and the "proper gear" for various corners.

As a very green newbie, I asked the same question about various tracks here, and the more experienced guys would rarely answer, and if they did, they would politely say that the question is "irrelevant."

Now I am in the position of trying to explain why to others. Here is my best shot (or at least my first try).

In order to drive well, you really have to manage only three basic things in a manner that preserves your car: 1) weight distribution; 2) torque/power band; and 3) track position.

If you do all three things well, then you will be fast.

If you do any one of them poorly, then you will be slow.

It is really that simple.

So, gearing "mostly" relates to torque/power band management. You should be constantly managing your rpms to ensure that you are as close as possible to the maximum power output for your car.

As you approach a corner, you must decide which gear will permit you to be closest to the ideal rpm range for corner entry, mid-corner, and corner exit.

You don't need to make that decision until you are coming up to the corner, and then your choice might be different from lap to lap depending upon your circumstances as you enter the corner . . .

The only caveat here is that you need to be very careful if you enter a corner near redline, because under those circumstances, your ability to manage weight by shifting it to the rear wheels is compromised, which can have disasterous results. As such, you might want to make sure that you have a little bit of a cushion so that you do not hit the rev limiter too soon before track out . . . you know . . .

"I'm givin' her all she's got Captain . . . but I can't change the laws of physics"



http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...006-16,EGLC:en

What do you guys think?

P.S. Yes, I am sick of the off season so cut me a break.

Larry Herman

If you have an option, you would like your car to stay in the power band all the way through the corner. In a less than ideal world, for the more important turns on a track, you want to be around max torque at the point of the turn where you are at full throttle. Anything less and you are loosing acceleration. Anything more, and you may run out of revs before trackout.

Turn 1 at Summit is a great example of this. It is such a long turn, and you are at WOT for so long that it presents a real challenge. Light cars with lots of torque can motor through in 3rd. Heavier cars must use 2nd and shift 2/3s of the way through the turn or they will have no mid-corner acceleration.

TD in DC

Yes, that is very true. Just for the record, the turn that started the conversation with my friends was T3 at Summit . . . where the hill at the exit can create "problems" (i.e., kill your momentum) if you make poor choices.

Larry Herman

Turn 3 is easy. If you hit the rev-limiter before you trackout and the car settles, you need to run a higher gear.

TD in DC

but you shouldn't run a higher gear unless you are close to hitting the rev-limiter before trackout . . . right?

The friend in question short shifts his car, and I have been trying to talk him into staying in a lower gear longer . . .

Veloce Raptor

Todd, for you, third gear is good for the entire track.

TD in DC

I am not Ghettoracer

Besides, the short bus I arrived on only has three gears, so what is your point

Veloce Raptor

Three on the tree?

Frankie is well known
For being the butt of jokes
Gawdamm he is slow

Larry Herman

Todd, it really depends on the turn. We all have seen the video of Leh shifting from 3rd to 4th in the middle of turn 5 at the Glen. His rational is that he has plenty of grip there (the track is rising there), and needs to keep the motor up in the power band, hence not starting the turn in 4th gear.

Turn 3 at Summit exits at the top of the hill, and there is a critical period of settling the car. If you disturb it before it settles, then it will lose grip, and you must go slower. IMHO you must wait to shift till after that settling, and if you run out of revs before that, you are losing speed because you have to go a little slower to keep the car under control in order to make that shift.

TD in DC

Yes, that all makes perfect sense and exactly the way I view it. But the fact that you make decisions about weight management just shows that there is no single ideal gear for any given turn. Your choice might change from lap to lap depending upon tire conditions, environmental conditions, traffic, etc . . .