SundayDriver

I have an easy way. Watch the corrections of the steering wheel. If you are not looking ahead, there is no need for small corrections in response to slip. But you will see a lot of small corrections to follow the line.

The student looking well ahead will set the wheel and stick to it (for a constant radius corner) until they actually start to carry enough speed to require small corrections due to slip.

bobt993

I had one wake up call a couple of weeks back. I was working with a veteran racer on a track when the chicane was removed for the afternoon sessions (coned off). First session after lunch, he came out of the turn before the chicane and nearly ran over the cones attempting to use it. I knew right away visual refs were next on the list.

Rick, look down the track as you normally do and give cues to the drivers as to what you want them to have their eyes looking at. (you may want to ask them what their ref points are first to get an idea of how far they are already looking). One other technique is to tell them you will be pointing at where to look. This works good on the east coast since we have a bunch of right hand turns on our tracks.

Mark describes it well that the wheel position is more predictive and makes you more comfortable in the right seat.

RickBetterley

Thank you to everyone that responded to my question about detecting students not looking down track.
My read on the responses is generally that we detect it through secondary cues - the results of short vision, not the focus point itself.
Very helpful - thanks again.

Veloce Raptor

Yes, we often suspect the driver is not looking ahead due to secondary cues...which IMO makes it extremelyy valuable to then ask him/her exactly what they are looking at.

mglobe

Whenever I have a student who is consistently hitting too much curbing on a turn where you really don't want to hit the curb, I ask them if they are staring at the curbing. Every single time I ask this they say yes, and the next lap they drive a much better apex.

J richard

I actually walk them through where I am looking for each corner, so going done the straight way before the corner: "you got eyes on your turn in?" Yep. Getting near the braking zone "you got eyes on your apex? Yep. "then look for your track out and the next corner"....

By pushing them to visually identify the critical points well before you get there you can train them to be ahead of the car and make the scan automatic. This is a drill you learn when learning to fly where you have to be way ahead of the machine. I also like to have a T's&P's& mirrors scan on the appropriate straight... You can tell from the attitude of the helmet where they are looking.

Veloce Raptor

+1 !!!

RickBetterley

oops

RickBetterley

Since I'll be back to Watkins Glen later this month, I'm teeing up some video for your educational comments. Car is my 993 with stock motor, shortened gears, and tired Hoosiers.
But first, why isn't my video showing?

GuyIncognito

here ya go. the "embed" feature didn't play nice with vBulletin, it seems.

Matt Romanowski

In my opinion, you're in too early in the Outer Loop and the Ankle. In the Outer Loop, if you get the car come out a little more out of the Bus Stop, it lets you accellerate a little more and build more speed down the hill. For the Ankle, you are in way before the apex and lose the ability to use the hill as a boost to accelerate down into the toe. I bet if you look at the data and make a corner radius math channel, it will show you are early apexing both spots.

Veloce Raptor

Matt, which corner is the "ankle"? is that T6? In many cars, a relatively early turn, and an extended apex, in into T5 and T6 enables the car to get into the "groove" sooner and use more throttle all the way around.

Matt Romanowski

The ankle is 6. Not sure the "groove" your talking about. In six the pavement has been changing color, but their used to be an ameoba shaped spot of track sealer that was the perfect turn in point, then slowly bring the car to the apex, all while using the hill to speed up the acceleration out of the corner. Check out the attached photo for the area where the patch is.

As for the Outer Loop, I know people argue all the time that it's a rim run becuaes of the camber, but I've seen way more really fast cars exit the bus stop a little further out and building way more speed driving into the apex of the Outer Loop rather than rim running it.

bobt993

I actually did not think Rick was early, but I see a lot more track in a couple of turns like T11 onto the front straight. Your min apex speed in T1 should be over 70mph to get all the run up to the chicane. I know when I had a stock engine in my 993 it still managed a 2:07 focusing on carrying more speed on entry then preserving what you can. I do have more suspension and a full wing. Rick I can send you a data trace of some sub 2:10 laps that may help find some areas to focus on just PM me an email.

RickBetterley

Hi Bob
PM sent; thanks!

Re the discussion on Turn 6 that Matt initiated and Dave responded to - this run is actually following a morning of coaching by Dave, who was teaching me the line I was trying in 6. It seemed to work real well for me, but I know many folks that drive the line Matt is suggesting.
Thanks everyone; keeps those observations coming.