Turbo Stan

Since you guys were such a wealth of information my last go around I figured I might as well pick your brains a little more:

At Sebring there are two curves that require up shifting while doing them (T6 and T8). Any tips on how to take them smoothly? I move my left hand down to the 7 o'clock position while taking the corners since I find it harder to keep holding the wheel at 9 o'clock. Anything wrong with that?

GUMBALL

How and where you place your hand in a situation like that is determined by your hand/arm strength, and what seems comfortable for you.
For some things, there is no "right or wrong".....every driver has their own ways of doing things, and what might be perfect for you, might be clumsy for me......
Basically, if it works, do it........

jmporsche944

I could be very wrong, but I thought shifting in a turn was always a big no- no, throwing off the weight distributions, etc.

billlynes

Not recommended in some PCA region DE'S but depending on the track required in competition.

Jase007

Sometimes you just have to shift

Do it wherever you have to but expect car to react [rear unloaded and perhaps step out a little - 911 type, 356 type] and countersteer / plan your track out exit / drift acordingly.

Turbo Stan

Not much choice. These are long sweepers and both are right after sharp turns so I have to start in a low gear and up shift.

Geoffrey

Think about why you want to avoid shifting in a corner... When you are accelerating out of a corner, assuming that you are on the edge of traction for where the weight is transferred (rear outside) When you lift to shift, you unweight the rear of the car, and because you are on the edge of traction, you break traction and the rear can lose traction. So any shifting that is done mid corner will prevent you from maximum cornering speed. There are just some corners that you have to shift in, and others that you can short shift.

mrbill_fl

T6, (Rt sweeper after carousel), wait till after the 1st bridge, time the shift so you straighten wheel as you move from Rt side to left side of track. setting up brake zone.

T8 (after safety pin), T8 = rt/left 'esses'
I shift on the 1st straight hugging the right side, (after coming out of the turn) then make a (Left) turn in for a late apex after the concrete stip ends.

Basically I don't shift when I'm turning the wheel and on gas.. nor should you.

****ing when in a turn and on the power upsets the balance and should cause a spin.

(what about T14? no problems there? )

T8 should not be a problem, T6 and T14 require finesse

sechsgang

for me in the carroussell(sp) at summit...I have to shift and I break loose every time...still worth it in my eyes though...

pat056

My suggestion? Try and fugure out how to carry enough speed so the at shift point moves to prior to the turn. If I couldn't do that, I would shift prior to the turn and see the lower rpm's really affected my lap speed. I think it's very dangerous downshifting in a turn because you can upset the car IMHO.
I learned this at the downhill at Rd. Atl.. I downshift into 4th just under the bridge instead of winding out 3rd and downshifting at the bottom of the hill. The result? I've learn how to carry MORE speed into the last turn (12, I think) and carry more speed onto the fron straight. My times are faster!

4 Rules of fast driving:
1) Quick on/off the brakes
2) Quick on the gas (maybe even left foot braking...haven't mastered that)
3) reduce turns (smooth)
4) REDUCE SHIFTS (not yelling, just highlighting)

Whenever I'm at the track, I'm concentrating on how to do each of these.

Turbo Stan

T14 is not a problem because I'm able to get into 4th while still on the straight.

I am definitely going to try the short shift technique for T6 & 8. I may sacrifice some entry speed but being able to be smooth through the corner might give me more speed in the middle and especially at the exit. Can't wait to try it.

smlporsche

I would agree that sometimes it may just be necessary. Other times it may take a difference in how you approach the corner.

For me I was bumping off the redline comming out of hogpen at VIR onto the front straight. Ended up talking with some other instructors who shortshift into 4th in the small downhill straight before hogpen and just use moderate throttle through the begining of hogpen.

I tried it and it worked great. Before I was shifting to 5th just before the start / finish line and now I'm doing the same at the tires at track in (~ 100 yds earlier?)

M758

It is a no-no for DE. In race you do what you need to do to get the best lap times. In some case that may means Up- shifting in a corner. I have done it on occasion, but it can be rather complex. Downshifting in a corner is almost requried for racer to be fast.

sechsgang

tru dat

ausgeflippt951

so give me an example of when it would be appropriate to downshift mid-corner. I'm having trouble envisioning when it would be best, unless you're downshifting before the apex as you enter the turn?