BostonDMD

Thanks for all the responses.....

I just want to point out that these minute corrections (quick flicks) are done unconsciously and only really
noticed when watching the video........

P.S. Bob, I am 2+ seconds quicker at the Glen this year than last August when we rode together, I guess I was listening to your advice......

PedroNole

+1. That said, if you are at or close to the grip limit, you will ALWAYS have some level of corrective movement(s) of the steering wheel in a corner. Relative to going faster, I am always more worried about throttle application than I am steering input. Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk2p2nRK-p4

FredC

I miss Schumi in F1 (even if i was a staunch JV fan). Great clip. Schumi never rested in the car.

M758

Well clearly you are dancing at the traction, limit when you are doing that. However that does not mean you are faster when doing that.

Here are some reason why it could be happening and not all of them are good.

1) Poor balance in the car not allow you to put power down effectivly
2) Poor line not allowing you to put power down effectively
3) Worn tires not allowing you to put power down effectively
4) Poor technique in applying power not allowing you to power down down effectively.
5) You are at the limit and putting down all the power you possibly can.

Now clearly the top 4 imply you are not doing it the fastest way you could. The 5th one is where you want to be. I certainly cannot tell you over the net which one you are at.

M758

I am not 100% sure if this. If you have a lower hp car any thing you do after you put power down to correct is potentially going to cost you speed down the straight. If you have a that has lots of grip an little hp and you headed down a long straight you are proabably losing out. If however you have generally more hp than grip then it is probalby going to happen that you will have to work to mange the power application. However the reality is that it is very situational. There some corners on the tracks I run where If I have any oversteer or course corrections after I try to go full power I am losing time and more importantly could get passed by a car behind me who is putting the power down better. Even in low hp car putting power down is important as when you have little you need to work to get all of it to good use. Now I am mostly talking about corners where their is enough of straight away following to really need that hp. Clearly some corners on the track is more critical to maximize entry speed as there are elements that limit track out speed more than pure corner exit.

bobt993

P.S. Bob, I am 2+ seconds quicker at the Glen this year than last August when we rode together, I guess I was listening to your advice......[/QUOTE]



BTW, I thought you were driving really well. I did the same unconscious correction on exit for awhile. I have been working consciously on removing that bad habit. I was at T-bolt this past weekend and had my first chance to really drive the car since a major repair/suspension mod. First session out it felt good, smooth, but slow. Ironically when I looked at the DAS after pitting the fast laps were at 1:31's which is pretty fast for a 993 on that track. When things are working well sometimes the lack of drama feels slow.

BostonDMD

Peter, great Schumi video, it explains alot.....

Joe, I would like to think I am at reason #5.......

Bob, thanks, I will work on reducing the drama in my driving, maybe I will gain another 2 sec.

Fred, looking forward in seeing you in action next week.....

Larry Herman

Well, if you're doing 2:11s at the Glen, maybe so.

mark kibort

I agree with VR, (imagine that . But also Randy and my own experiences).
One of the reasons is that if a car is understeering, the driver will probably try and find the point at which the entry speed is faster. (thinking he/she has not found the limit). an unbalanced car might then start to oversteer before that limit is reached. This tail happiness on the entry is not fast and is difficult to drive. a car that has a slight amount of push will allow for the fastest entry and a faster exit, as on exit, more throttle can be applied earlier giving more straight line speed. There are some that overdrive the corner entry even further as well as the exit. In some cases, it might not be slower, but will burn up the tires faster, so in the end, it will be slower.
Just some random thoughts.
Good topic.

mk

Flying Finn

+1
If there is NO corrections or slight under or oversteer going on in a corner, you're not going fast enough.

BostonDMD

OK, from what I have understood so far there are two camps.....

1. If you don't have any corrections whatsoever after hitting the apex and on the way to trackout, you are
leaving time on the table, therefore not going as fast as you could........

2. If you have any amount of corrections after hitting the apex and and on the way to trackout, you are
most likely doing something wrong since smooth is faster.......

Well......is there any kind of consensus?

Brian P

If you are beating the best lap time of the previous owner, you are doing something right. If you are nowhere near, you are doing something wrong.

SundayDriver

That camp, IMO, is dead wrong. What you should be striving for is smooth output. That is, the car is balanced, and a passenger should feel smooth transitions. I have had the pleasure of riding with 2 former F1 drivers and both had insanely smooth transitions from the seat of my pants in the right chair.

You achieve smooth outputs by making appropriate corrections when at the limit. Neither F1 driver had a steady set of the steering wheel or constant throttle - they were continually making adjustments.

People who say that steering and throttle inputs need to be smooth (no change after your set) are not at the limit. That is my opinion, but supported by a lot of pro drivers I have worked with over the years.

Veloce Raptor

I could not agree more. Ride with any true top-tier driver, and watch their hands & feet...and then compare with how totally serene the car is. Tells you something! I learned this lesson riding in a restored 70's RSR at Moroso (now PBIR) with some old guy named Brian Redman a few years back.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

BostonDMD

Mark, you make very good points and a lot of sense..... (it was what I surmised from the beginning, but what do I know?)

Thanks for your input.....