greenfrog

I would like to add another data point to the braking discussion. The following data traces is from last weekend at VIR on the north course.

I was working maintaining maximum deceleration throughout the brake zone for turn 1. As I found out, to do so and avoid over slowing I have to move the brake point forward. The adrenaline really started rushing at the turn in point, where I feel the speed is slightly above comfortable, and I have to trail brake more. On a good lap, the car rotates just the right amount and it felt wonderful. On a bad lap, I am opening up the steering and busy transferring weight to the back. Luckily, it never felt out of control, but certainly a little uncomfortable at times.

The blue trace is from session 3 of the day when I am brave enough to brake late. The yellow trace is from last session when I decided to dial back a bit by braking about 30 feet early. Car felt very under control at turn in. However I do not get to trail brake as much and felt having to wait a little longer around the apex before being able to feed throttle.

So, my question is this. With enough practice, can the blue trace be executed lap after lap, and balancing the car between turn in and apex becomes a manageable (and maybe even comfortable) act?

Veloce Raptor

Yes.

Also note in the yellow trace that you are double-spike braking into T1, likely as you are blipping for the downshift? Presuming you have a manual trans car??

greenfrog

Yes. Manual transmission.

ProCoach

Yes, it can be the blue every time...

You need to work on WOT from exit of T1 to at least the beginning of the apex curbing for T2. That speed trace needs to look like a sawblade tooth, with a peak.

greenfrog

Thanks for the confirmation. In more than a few occasion I have found this kind of encouragement of an experienced voice saying 'you can and should do this' works very well on me.

I went back to my video to see if my car placement during T1 track out is preventing me (maybe mentally) from going WOT. The only time I can recall exiting T1 with WOT is when I botched the entry, over slowed, and then after gathered up, finding the car pointing more straight down the track. Maybe that is the picture I should aim for when rotating the car under trail braking? Does that also mean I should make the line through apex of T2 to track edge right straighter so that I can brake harder initially for T3?

This leads to another question. Is it always worth the extra wait (to turn in later, or for more rotation) if the result allows full throttle in the following short straight?

As for the saw-tooth shape, I suppose it should also apply to the north course cut through? It seems in anticipation to enter Stevie Wonder at proper speed, I do not accelerate hard enough in the two corners preceding it. Should I rather accelerate harder after finishing turn 7 and then tap the brake to set the entry speed to Stevie Wonder?

Veloce Raptor

YES!

Far too many people get on the throttle too soon and/or too hard, and then have to lift when they get nearly immediate understeer because the car hasn't rotated quite enough for them to start unloading steering. Wait just a split second longer, so the car can rotate just a bit more, and you will be able to roll to WOT with one input.

One throttle application to WOT is always better ane faster than a stacatto burst of on off on off on throttle imputs.d

ProCoach

Yes, YES and yes!

(Krause's shortest post. Ever. )

On Turn 1, HOLD the apex slightly longer (do not come away from the curb until your right shoulder is even with the end of the curbing) to give you more options, finish pointing better and to allow earlier and progressive WOT to make the car "wash out" to drivers left well down the road to left-of-center.

Then, complete the arc back to just right of center in the short straight after the second inside (and unused) curbing, bending the car back to the left for a gentle arc through Turn 2 apexing the center few car lengths of the curb.

Each time, accelerating strongly enough to engage in "a conversation with the car" so that it's arc is controlled as much by the throttle and slowly increasing slip angle (due to that WOT), than it would from steering input only and from simply tracking true...

(Drat! Knew I couldn't let it rest! )

greenfrog

Peter, I like the way you put it.

Veloce Raptor

Here is a topic based on a common thread among a lot of drivers with whom I work. And this will also be the topic of this month's upcoming RaceCoach article feature on ClubRegistration.net.

Let’s discuss a simple basic concept we all learn our first weekend as beginners: the apex. We hear a lot about the importance of hitting our apexes, et cetera, but why is this important? And why am I discussing such a basic concept here? Well…I am discussing it because so many people, even advanced drivers and racers, miss a lot of the apexes they should be hitting.

Why is it important we get to and hit our apexes? Because, quite simply, the farther inside we make the inside edge of the corner, the easier it is to open up the radius. This means less steering angle, often less braking, and sooner to the point at which we can begin opening up our steering and adding throttle.

It does not get any more fundamental than this.

If we are fighting the car at track out and/or adding steering after the apex, there is a very good chance we did not fully get to the apex (or we early apexed or both).

And it is especially important, at tracks where there is benign apex curbing or wide rumble strips, to use ALL of it. Radius, radius, radius is your friend. Prime examples are T1 at Watkins Glen, T7 at Sebring, the climbing esses at VIR, and nearly every corner at COTA. Get all the way in to the inside edge of that curbing!!!

Often it is very easy to fool ourselves that we are apexing every corner. I challenge everyone to regularly take an instructor or coach with them as a passenger, specifically to see which apexes are hit and which are missed. The perspective from a neutral observer can often be surprising…but fixing this is very easy to do and will make a fundamental difference in your driving.

ProCoach

Good post. Good points.

Video is also your non-judgmental friend!

Matt Romanowski

Does anyone remember the video of Schumacher showing the track from above and how accurate he was in hitting his marks? It was a great example of being precise with your driving and always hitting the apex.

greenfrog

Good point, Veloce Raptor. I noticed how much inside curbing my instructor uses consistently when I rode with him.

In my own case, when I go my own 9/10th, I can hit all of the apexes (I think ). But when I push my speed beyond that, I begin to miss some apexes. What's your process to diagnose the cause and how do you fix it?

I certainly don't want to give up the speed. How do you tell if it is really because the entry is too fast? Or if it is my inability to bend the car enough during turn in? Or are there new trick to use for hitting the apex with higher entry speed?

Veloce Raptor

Some of it is being able to bend the car enough. Some of it is subtly changing your timing of inputs as speed increases. in other words, beginning the turn in process sooner.

ProCoach

Can't fight physics. First, be precise. Then, introduce rotation that is sustained, but retain precision. If you can't hit your marks, then you need to fix it.

Overshooting the apex is the NUMBER one result of excessive entry speed...

Gary R.

This is it 95% of the time with anyone I ride with that is driving beyond their long established muscle memory.. It's hard to get them to turn in sooner than what their used to as they think it's going to lead to an "early apex".