Van

I was at Thunderbolt yesterday for the first time. Anyone have any line suggestions? I deal with a bit of understeer in my C4 with street tires... at times, I'm not where I want to be, despite my trying.

Specifically, anyone have advise for T4 (setting up for T5) and T9/T10?

Circuit Motorsports

General things I see. Turn in earlier, use a LOT more curbs.

I've only run with the turn3 chicane so I don't have as good a feel for that area without it.

For T4, I pinched the exit a little bit to get all the way to the right then make a good distinct turn down to the curb and open your hands up early as the exit of 5 is really wide and you can lose a lot of speed by turning to much there.

Going into the octopus area is fun IMO. There are a few different lines that get through there in the same time but differ in defnedability, ease, etc. For me the entrance into the tight right was key. I'd run right along the right side until I saw the bleachers and open up so I was braking straight at them. Once I was close to turn in speed I'd trail off the brakes and turn at the same time to get the car to rotate early in the corner and get a fast run into the tight left. I was able to gain .25-.5 seconds on people just by being able to get on the gas a LOT earlier because of getting most of the turn done early.

The long left after that was pretty straight forward as I'd do a slightly late apex but not as late as the cone in the vide as you do have a lot of run out room at the end there and it's okay to be a little late through the next few turns as you are flat on it.

bobt993

As joe said more curbing especially in T2 (like another foot or two). T4 should is much faster and your speed should put you all the way to the inside. Entry into T5 is hard to get back right because of T4 speed. More curb in T5. Octopus T7 to T8 should be more inside trailing at the end and again letting the car go wide on exit into the long left turn. Turn in for one is very fast (75-80mph corner). With the chicane T2 is critical as you loose 3 seconds adding the chicane. Eg: I have 1:31s with the chicane so without is about a 28. I will be running bigger and new tires and a splitter so I hope that improves somewhat. See you at the race in July.

Van

Yeah, for T4, as I tried to carry more speed in, I had a harder time getting all the way to the right for T5 - so I just went for T5 from the center of the track. A few times I was able to squarely go over the apex curbing of T5, and it felt really good, but I had a hard time doing it consistently.

What I was trying to do for the octopus was, from T7, keep 1 arc (and I was flat on the throttle, too) which brought me over to the right side of the track - then I'd straighten the wheel a bit (while headed for the bleachers) to slow down, then turn back in and try to hug the right edge for T9.

From 9 to 10, I struggled that that, but found overall that I liked entering T10 from the middle of the track (there was a lot of debris on the outside of that turn), and then gradually brought it tighter to make it all the way to the left curbing. BTW, I agree that the apex cone was placed very late there... In my C4 I found I couldn't modulate the throttle much in that turn, because as soon as I'd life a little, the PSM thought I needed saving (I left it on because the street tires were getting very overheated and slippery...). So I'd have to keep some steady throttle in there and just play with steering angle to direct where I wanted to go.

Overall, I liked Thunderbolt a lot. It has a nice rhythm, lots of high-speed corners, I think it's gentle on the brakes, and has a bunch of unique turns that are unlike any other track!

cello

Van - FWIW, here is a vid of a run on June 17. Brand new car to me, so ..

But, what makes the vid interesting is the white stripe shown. That is the powder NJMP uses to clean oil spills. The same is from a Spec Boxster from the run group before and shows a totally different line (around ~3/4 of the track) ...

http://vimeo.com/12713265

Edit: You know - I realized I never finished the thought/post. Did this at work and thought I had some free time - I might be Captain, but the Ship does not give a sh*t

Anyhow, the point was that the line from T5 on is very dependent upon the ride. I have seen a guy that posts here infrequently in a Diasio of some iteration go flat all the way thru to T9 on the line set by the SpecBox... While hugely a 'duh' comment the correct line is whatever your car will do quickest. BTW I, unlike FredC, should not be posting anything here ... Carry-on.

Sean F

curbs, curbs and more curbs. you have to use every inch of them and then a little bit more at Thunderbolt. I took out the first pylon at the apex of T2 in the club race and went over the empty spot every lap. T3 is flat and high up on the curb on the flat area, not the curved area. You're right about T4/T5 - use all the track out in T4 then shove it into T5 from the center of the track. I consistently hit the pylons in T5 trying to use all the curb or even up on the dirt. Same thing entering octopus, I often had the two inside wheels over the curb and into the dirt. Out of Octopus it's flat all the way to T1. All 4 wheels on the curb for the last turn. I didn't think it was faster until Fred flew by me on that line.

FredC

Nice driving. You could use more curbs all over but since you seemed to be driving your street car on street tires, probably wise to stay off of them. Don't know much, but it looks like you are making in expensive compromise in the T4/5 complex. 4 is at the end of a long straight so keep as much speed as you can as long as you can. Don't care about coming back to the right for 5 since it is not that important nor difficult a corner. My data tells me 5 is just as fast when you hug the inside as it is when you drive it outside in. Disclaimer: that's just me and I don't know much.

Circuit Motorsports

See I see it exactly the opposite from Fred but I think it's a car dependant thing in my case. It's at the end of a long straight and only 2.5-3 seconds from the apex at 4 to brake zone for 5. From 5 until 7 I'm flat and those couple extra mph add up a lot more there than they do during those 3 seconds from 4-5.

FredC

Can't be flat fron 5 to 7 in my car. I don't have the skill level or *****. Not sure the car/tires can take it.

Circuit Motorsports

Yeah, that was my fault for not seeing the difference there. You definitely have to be confident in your turnn-in in the SRF at the end of a long run though.

FredC

I didn't say that it can't be done. I qualified my post with "i don't know much". I'm just not at the level to have the confidence to try to go flat from 5-7 in my car. SRFs must be fun!

Circuit Motorsports

yeah, sure you don't know much.... humble you are

MUSSBERGER

FredC

whatever. It is not misplaced humility and don't even try to make it look this way. Some guys out here provide tremendous advice based on a lot of experience. I'm not one of those people and that's all i am trying to say. Sorry if i came across like an ***. Last thing i seek.

BostonDMD

Freddy, come on, I have seen you drive and I have seen your videos........

You are not lacking anything in any of those two departments......... car/tires, OK, I can understand, but come on dude......

You are just too humble..... and I really appreciate that here on RL.....

BTW, Van, I have nothing to add except that good advice and practice makes you better.....