Martin S.

1. Karting very good practice,
2. Seat time, however, doing the wrong thing over and over is counter productive, as mentioned above, get a coach
3. Talk to the fast guys in your class, what are doing differently than you. You'll be surprised on all the good info they'll provide you.
4. Get data acquisition....have your coach drive your car, you drive the car, look at the data overlays...you'll see right away where you can improve
5. Get out of the mirrors...a really fast driver told me this tip. Drive your line, the faster cars will get around you
6. Don't be a moving chicane...once again, the fast guys will get around you.
7. Read the first two chapters of Think Fast by Neil Roberts, thinkfastbook.com
It is mind altering stuff.
8. Watch "Faliure, Secret to Success: You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiaPNlR5A4I
Take particular note of Danica Patrick's comments on fear, Note she also practices her craft by karting.
9. Qualifying is the key, the further ahead in the pack the fewer people to pass. In a spec series, passing is NOT easy...
10. Once qualifying well, you need to start well...some apply the "On the Brakes" and gas simultaneously on the way to the start, when the Green Flag drops, pop off the brake and mash the gas.

Good luck with racing....once I converted from Time Trial to racing in late 2005, I never went back...racing is just too intense and addictive to walk away from.

jaje

I'm also going down this avenue. I've progressed from various methods (mainly by learning on my own). I've now got my times down to about 2-3 seconds a lap slower than the fastest guys in my class (track depending). From my novice standpoint I worked on the following:
- Alignment this was the biggest factor and I am now much more comfortable at the limit after I had it done. I am of the opinion - get your car mechanically reliable and consistent.
- I had trouble trailbraking in various important corners and losing time - verified by Traqmate data. So I am spending my car budget this year on installing an LSD transmission and making sure my brake pad compounds work together better (I had too much variance in compounds with a more aggressive rear pad). I'm hoping with the better brake balance and LSD I will be able to carry more speed to the apex and make up a lot of time lost.
- I ran in a car with a traqmate and was able to see where I was losing time - my next lap out in my own car I started applying methods from my discussion with our regional race director and found one second a lap. So I would put in comparable data.
- I agree with the need to be personally fit as that makes not a difference in just one laps time but the consistency over the entire race - even more important in enduro length stints. I've been changing my diet (less sugary snacks and sodas) and running 5 miles 2x a week and biking 20 miles 1x a week (though I find when I bike I wind up acting like I'm racing apexing corners). I just bought an multi exercise home gym and am setting the expectation to work out 3-4 days a week while watching the news.
- I do want to get some professional instruction but budget won't allow it at this time with all the money I'm spending on my car.
- Mental exercises - sounds funny but when I'm running I no longer think about random thoughts and work...I've been focusing on remembering driving some corners at the track. A buddy of mine said...when sitting on grid before you go out - close your eyes and pretend by memory to drive the track for several laps. By the time you are ready to go out in your mind you'll be sharper and less "conservative" at the beginning of the race. I was also told that the warmup laps will get your tires to 90% heated and that means you don't have to be so conservative on lap one.
- I am also doing for the first time an arrive & drive so I no longer have to load trailer / tow to the races. I'm hoping the less stress will help out.

Potomac-Greg

Thx. The guy who sold me my car (with the data acq system included) has all sorts of data -- and he was a regular winner-- so I should be able to compare that data. And given the spec nature of SRF, I can share data with other drivers.

Sterling Doc

Joel - good points all. Neal & Angel are getting TM's, and along with mine, we have the comparable data to all find places to go faster - should be a lot of fun.

To OP-

Start working on sizing up you competition - where are you faster, where are they faster. Learn how to set up passes in the former, defend in the latter (and work on getting faster there, specifically). New racers often feel they have to be as close to the car ahead of them as possible, at all times. This makes it very hard to pass, especially in a Spec series.. You can't get a run on them while tracking out, without ruining your corner exit by going offline/pinching it off, or running into the back of them. Find the corner that you exit speed is the best vs. your competior (especially ones leading onto straights), hang back a car length or two, and exaggerate a "slow in, fast out" approach to that corner. Later apex, or use more curbing, and early on the gas. If you get it right, you will be back on them, with a run, at track out, and can then move over to make the pass down the straight, without scrubbing speed at corner exit. Feels great when you time & execute it right! If you have to let off at corner exit to keep from running into the back of them, you need to leave more room. Visualization helps a lot here.

M758

Race craft? Coaching can help, but you need to race guys to really have anything stick. Racecraft is all about mind games. Once you have good solid driving skills race craft is executing those in the way that will help you the most vs a competitor. Alot of it comes down to experience. He goes left you go right, etc.

ajcjr

im hoping by mid year to have a race car and I was going to sell my TAG kart but then i thought why not keep it and race that as well.

Also i know its not totally the same but i think sim racing has helped me alot. Besides getting into shape, this year, i kicked @ss karting and i really think it had to do with the hours i log on the pc. i did p90x and lost 15lbs but now i just feel like i can conquer anything, (i never ran before and now i have ran a 5k, 4 mile and 5 mile race). I think the pc helps by keeping your brain in shape since you have to think quickly and concentrate. that is my .02.

bobt993

^^^^^^^^^^^

Joe was more direct, but I was suggesting the same. Get fast enough to be up at the front then you can learn how to hold a lead or jump on a car your chasing. Until your less than a second off the very front of the field your not going to see them long enough to be part of their race. I would focus on the track you do the most and use data to improve where it counts. eg: At tbolt I was asked by a club racer to look at his data from a race weekend. He felt like he was way off the pace and frustrated. It turns out he was blowing the slow speed corners, but fast everywhere else. It cost him just under two seconds a lap and it was 50% car setup and the rest was technique. Slow corners can kill you while your taking big chances pushing through the high speed sections. DATA & laptimes. Qualify well even if you get passed at the start.

schwank

Some good info here for sure.

I actually found I learned more in the large, mixed run groups than when we run smaller groups with less variety of cars. Having Miatas, E30's, 944's, and more on track together makes you think about the strengths and weaknesses of each and attempt to use that knowledge to your advantage. Knowing when to make the move is as important as the move itself.

M758

Well can learn race craft and still be slow. Look some guys will never be the pointy end of the grid, but that does not mean they cannot race with other guys of similar pace. You don't need to be fast to have good race craft, but you do need to be fast and have good race craft to win.

DDun911

Love the carting idea I think that will really help. Lap times are progressing and I am going to work with a coach in the spring. Mostly I have been getting my butt kicked at the starts, getting better but 5 events a year it could take a while. I new I should have married money so I didn't have to work.

SundayDriver

One of the biggest mistakes some people make in the opening lap is to drive the normal line. If you are not the first car or two, you are bunched up and have to take the corners below max speed. I have passed many cars on the outside of a corner because they are all trying to stay on the line but are going slowly. Look for that opportunity.

The most fun I ever had in a race was when I qualified badly due to heavy rain and traffic issues. I was as fast as anyone but qualified ~20th out of 45 cars. I passed 4-6 cars before I exited the first corner. By the end of lap 1 I think I was in ~7th place. By the end of lap 2, I was 3rd and gaining. Part of that was the tip I gave you above. The other part is this next tip - you need to 'h8' when you race. When you are hating the guy(s) in front of you (and maybe hating yourself for some screw-up), it is amazing how much faster you can go.

Veloce Raptor

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Professional Racing and Driving Coach

winders

This is so very true. When I was still racing motorcycles, there was a race at Thunderhill where I got a really bad start (standing start) because of a slipping clutch. In the first two turns I passed at least 16 bikes because they wanted to stay on the "normal line" even though they weren't up to speed yet.

In turn one, everyone was trying to get to the inside and I happily passed most of that large traffic jam on the outside. The gaggle that was left fought to get to the inside of turn 2. By that time we were closer to normal race pace but I still had am easy time passing most of them on the outside as well. I was in third place by the time I entered turn 3 on the inside.

Scott

ajcjr

If you need any info on karting in your area give me a shout, their are some good race series, tracks, and resources in our area.

Sterling Doc

In the same vein, you may not use the same gears you normally would on the first lap, or even in a passing situation. Traffic, and offline racing often mean slower speeds in a given corner. Grabbing a lower gear can give you an advantage over the guy who lugging in the normally "correct" gear for that corner. It's amazing how many guys sit in the normal gear for that corner, even though it's not appropriate for the speed they are going. I almost never use 2nd gear, except on the first lap, or passing in a slow corner, then it makes a huge difference to think about using it.