From your graph, I presume you are the orange? if so, look how relatively little real estate he is at max braking G's, and how long you are down around there... He is more gentle & progressive on the brake than you, and stays on them less.

Get your braking done, and trail off.

 

At the risk of over-simplifying; release the brake sooner.
Your speeds are carbon-copy up to a point around turn-in, where blue relieves brake pressure - as evidence by the change in slope of deceleration - trail-braking towards the apex. Orange keeps the same brake pressure until reaching minimum speed - not utilizing as much trail-braking. (the arrows make it a bit hard to see exactly where minimum speed is reached)

Keep in mind maximum apex speed is not always the goal. A slower, earlier apex can sometimes allow earlier, harder throttle and result in a quicker overall segment. The "real" problem with the orange trace is where the arrow is on the lat G trace. See how much less lat G orange is using at this point? Orange should have had the latitude for MUCH more long G at this moment. If at WOT at that point, then the increased apex speed will be required for a quicker segment.

 

Matt,

What was the lap time difference?
Adam that is 100% spot on. Off the brakes learning to trust grip on entry.

 

No doubt on the entry speed - I was hoping someone had a nice little trick to help people carry a couple of more mph into the corner (braking less).

Good call on the lat g too. Maybe my apex is a little to late. I'll have to do some more note comparing with Jay.

Lap time difference is .55 seconds. I was ahead by .134 before this corner and behind by .306, so I'm losing .44 just in this corner. I was held up later in this lap and that is were I lost the rest of the .25 time difference.

 

I'm observing this more as a question.. Great opportunity to look at data. Am I reading the data below correctly??

AIM Software is new to me...

Yes at 2500 he is softer on and off, net/net carrying more speed.

But it seems that the next turn at 4000 is equally interesting. He brakes same place that you do, but initially less, carrying more speed deeper into the turn, then brakes just as hard and actually gets off brake and back on power much later than you.. He actually loses a tiny wink more speed but at your mutual slowest speed. You are off brake and back on power much earlier. But that time gap between your power on and his is also when you are both going your mutual slowest.

His softer initial braking lets him carry more speed longer & deeper on entry also reflected by his higher lateral G's going into the turn.

And by 4300-4400 feet your speeds are matched up even though you were on power sooner. You have more lateral load coming out of the turn and he is actually able to be on power longer at the end. Did he catch up on traffic?? or exit line or the scrub of accelerating against your initially higher lateral load on exit?

Am I looking at this second turn correctly?? Am I looking at the right things?

 

I'm the orange line. So at the turn around 4,000' (turn six) I braked a little earlier and carried more speed in. That corner has a small radius leading up to the corner, so you can see in the lat G that we did the radius the same, but I turned in a little earlier at around 3,900' instead of his (blue) 4,050.' This turn leads to an uphill where our all powerful GTI runs out of power pretty quick, so that is why we head up the hill the same (both WFO). I hit some traffic around 5,200.'

The best part of this graph is the time compare on the bottom. Anywhere it's moving up, I'm losing time to him. Anywhere it's going down, I'm gaining time. So you can see from the beginning to around 2,600' I'm actually quicker.

 

Its very cool software. You are right. The bottom time over distance trace graph against his reference lap is a very quick way to know where to look. I love this platform.

 

Same capability exists with TraqMate, FYI...

 

Yes Traqmate gives a quick way of seeing by sector some very useful information in just a few minutes. The distance per sector value is especially useful IMHO. I think their presentation is more readily accessible for beginning DA users and easier to get to useful data. Traqmate added graphs as an option this year so you can have it either way. Way cool. I think their software is more accessible and easier for people to use. I've used Traqmate for 4-5 years and always liked it.

Had to switch to AIM Dash and like the (love) AIM too, but the learning curve on navigation is longer. I hear people complaining that Traqmate is complicated. I can't imagine how they deal with AIM.

But its amazing what you can glean from the AIM graphs about braking, line, turn in, entry load and exit load. I am adding a steering sensor.

I'm going to learn a lot about myself this year. (aside from what my ex-wife has told me for the last 12 years )

 

Coaches,

I guess I'd like some advice on how you would interpret my Theoretical Best Lap at Summit Point from Tuesday.

I experimented with three techniques for Turns 1-3:

First, take the classic line through 2, but don't upshift to fourth and downshift back to third prior to 3 (but ride the rev limiter for a half second instead).

Second, take the classic line through 2, but go ahead and upshift and downshift prior to 3.

Third, don't track out all the way at the exit of 2, and since you barely hit the rev limiter, no need to upshift/downshift prior to 3.

So, according to the data, it turned out that the third option was fastest.

How would you interpret this?

I'm wondering if I'm taking 1 wrong. It seem like I'm getting everything I can out of the tires at the apex of 1. Then I'm WOT but just puttering along through 2 (hence the idea of keeping the line tighter).

Have I found the right line for my car?
Or, should I use second gear in Turn 1/2?
Or, can I carry more speed through 1 so as to avoid feeling like I'm not near the edge of adhesion in Turn 2?

I have video/data of my TBL (which uses the shorter distance line through 2), as well as my best lap (which uses the classic line with an upshift/downshift).

Thanks for your thoughts!

TBL:
BL:

 

Can you post up a screen shot of RS2 with those laps up showing mph, lat g, and long g?

 

OK. Blue is the Best Lap (classic line), Green is the TBL (tight line).

 

To slow entry into T1. Ideal min speed is 55mph or better min speed. You need to roll it into T1 (bend the car) and deal with it on exit (more mid corner speed). Open the wheel more and drive hard out of the corner. There is a small patch of dirt at T2 exit off the track on the left side of T2 and you should hit it. Your T3 speed is fine, but you should at most lift for T4 (pucker factor if you stay on the throttle, but it works) and again take more speed into T5 using all the track. The slow corners and T4 make a big difference in lap times.

 

RS2 should have the time compare on the bottom as well. That will tell you a lot of where each one is quicker/slower.

Sounds like bobt gave a pretty good set of instructions.

 

Matt,

One bit I picked up from working with Cervelli is how important entry & mid corner speed is at Summit. You spend eternity in T1-T2 and also toss away T5 (try and get a bit back on line after T4). T4 is a pucker factor with high risk, but you have to learn not to brake on entry even if you lift a small bit. I will dig up a good race lap there running NASA GTS3 1:20.4 (of course Josh smoked that last year 1;19.9 in his Bimmer).

Rough rule of thumb:

When two turns are connected by a very short straight (or none as in Summit T1-T2, T5-T6) always work on flattening the trough (speed vs distance graph) and maintaining a more constant speed. Earlier entry, larger radius is the best place to start. Entering faster is not going to do it if you keep the same angle of attack. Open up the corner a bit more, less throttle induced understeer.