Really? What do you mean by racecraft? I think of the things I learned racing that had nothing to do with DE or coaching...

For example "Ok he's a rookie, so I can jam myself down the inside and he'll give it up"

Or we're going to catch slower traffic and I can trap him on-line by going off-line to the inside and he can't get by......

Or if he dives in to pass that car then I can tuck in behind him and that car is stuck on the outside.

I've read a lot of driving books, never seen that stuff in print -- but maybe I'm reading the wrong books!!!

 

Oh oops...I used to play a lot of poker and the first rule was "never tell newbies about strategy because then they know strategy exists"

 

Is that a karting place? Karting is definitely a great way to learn a lot of stuff. The jerk move in karting is to tap someone in a slow speed turn so they go wide and you duck in underneath. It works in racing too, also a jerk move but it works :P I learned it in karts.

 

I just bought "tune to win" and "engineer to win". Since i have only done some De's in my street car and looking to get a track car next year, i figured in order to go fast it may be best to understand what the car is doing. I am not looking to become an F1 crew chief, just get an understanding of the car and its reactions while driving.

 

There's a ton to be learned by running karts, especially since there's no worry of writing it off. How to get by some one of equal speed, how to get thru traffic easiest, how make get by a slower person with the least loss of speed, how to use traffic to pass some one else. So much to learn without much risk.

 

so true.

 

Bill and Fred........
how do you get by a kart of equal speed and power when the other driver is 20 lbs. lighter than you?

I guess going on a diet would be the first step.......

 

That's a valuable skill to learn especially since F class is usually put in a grouping where it is the slowest class. Trying to pass G, H, I, C1, and C2 cars takes a lot of effort when you know that you are giving up some massive HP to them.

 

1) Find the guy who really knows how to drive the wheels off whatever he's in.
b) Spend a few seasons racing against him, wheel to wheel, every lap, getting beaten every time.

That'll teach you racecraft (not to be confused with going fast). That's why SM and FV racers are some of the most talented out there. Not merely that you have to be fast to get to the front; you have to be good in traffic to stay there!!

 

I think F class has pretty solid drivers, I am working on becoming one of them myself one day.......
That usually has been the norm for my rookie season, and already I feel I learned lots by just getting beaten and hanging around the right people......

 

Most likely your not exactly at the same pace everywhere around the track. You learn to find were you've got the advantage then figure out a way to make it work for you. Sometimes that means backing off and trying to time a run so that you can get by where you've got the advantage. Sometimes even putting enough pressure on someone will cause them to make a mistake.

 

See VR's post (post #4)....

I know little because i have not raced for that long... but as much as race craft can punctually help you finish ahead of others, driving the fastest seems to remain the most sustainable way to finish ahead.... I came to that conclusion after watching Leh Keen at a couple of club races.... Applying it in practice is an entirely different story...

 

How about killing your competitor's momentum at the worst possible place on the track by taking the inside and gently choking his speed while preventing him to turn in??

 

The truest truism of all!






Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

Can anyone comment on Senna's book?

http://www.amazon.com/Ayrton-Sennas-...7&sr=8-1-fkmr0