bobt993

I worked with Paolo this past weekend at Tbolt ( not on his track etiquete tho) applying various cornering methods on a very technical track.

We tend to repeat our techniques corner to corner, but Tbolt is a good example of how learning to vary entry, throttle, and apexing makes for big drops in lap times. Despite not having open track room Paolo was able to immediately apply rolling, early apexing, and midcorner apexing by receiving feedback from his video and data. I think it would great if we kept this thread to the education process.

Veloce Raptor

Bob, what was he doing before in T1 and T4 that you changed?

bobt993

VR, One of the easiest mistakes in T1 is early power and not extending the speed into the corner. I worked with Chris Cervelli on this and he was spot on. T1 meets the criteria that Buddy Fey suggest for an early apex: Extending a straight into the corner; Corner is connected to a medium speed turn so there is big opportunity for exit speed; The potential corner entry speed is nearly the same as the exit speed.

T4 follows a very fast corner where the apex speeds easily exceed 100mph. Most drivers over-slow and even downshift for T4 which upsets the car balance and drops entry/midcorner speed. T5 is a slight compromise corner so you need to focus on speed in T4 and not worry about traversing to track right to prep for T5. You can give up a little speed in T5 to gain big time in T4. The curbing in T4 is very easy on the car as long as you take an early and large radius through it. Paolo was very game to learn this and picked up most of his time in just those two corners.

Veloce Raptor

Fantastic, thanks. Agree 100% with your assesment. When I saw you there a couple of weeks ago (when your fuuel gauge malfunctioned), 3 and 4 were ones where my client really made huge progress. He was already very solid in 1, we picked up a little bit there by handling 9 and 10 better. But 3 and 4 were big leaps forward, as was 6 actually.

BostonDMD

Bob, like I said in the other thread, your help with the data and the faster line greatly helped me shave more time off.

For the price, you offer a program at a great value.

The only change I would make is to do it in a different venue such as open track event or race practice sessions.

A DE event was, at least for me, a bit restrictive as the presence of lots of slow traffic made it impossible to lay down one clean lap.
......Then again, that is not what DE is really for......

Thanks for your help, I look forward in working with you again soon.....

Pete Debusmann

Come to a Schattenbaum DE Lots of clean laps.

Pete

bobt993

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Pete runs a great event and you have to use your mirrors!!!

Veloce Raptor

+2. See my thread about my first Schattenbaum experience recently. Total quality!

BostonDMD

Thanks Pete, just signed up (waitlist) for the Rolex support race.
Otherwise I will run with you guys at the T-bolt August PCA race.......

PhilElement

Do you have any videos you can post? I really struggle at Thunderbolt determining the "fast" line. It always feels slow in the back section but when I push it a little it's so hard to keep from sliding due to the camber roll off.

Here's my best but I would love to see the best from someone else.


Thanks,
Phil Grabow

Veloce Raptor

Phil, two suggestions on the back section: you overslow & are late back to throttle in 6; and as you finish 7, let the car go into mid track before turning into 8, rather thhan just cranking it in there. it forces a slightly later apex in 8 which will get rid of some of the instability you are seeing there with understeer going to oversteer...and it also sets you up a bit better for 9. Watch the Andy Lally video posted earlier in this thread....

PhilElement

Yes I struggled with 6 all weekend and I was sliding the car wide and just couldn't get the grip I needed there. The 7-8 corners, OMG it's so tough to master especially after the Viper Cup race as the outside lines were so dirty with tire rubber. It feels nerve racking running so fast and going wide into 8 because as you brake the car tends to slide out wide.

Honestly it's the hardest section to master of any track I've ever run at. Thanks for the tips.

For some reason I'm not seeing any video links. Can you post it again?

Veloce Raptor

Sorry, man, I was confusing threads. Here you go:

bobt993

Actually Phil I think you have the grip correct in T7, most drivers turn too late and lose the larger radius. Your smart being patient coming up the hill staying middle track to track left before the essess. I would suggest slightly later in T2 or more curbing so your steering releases a little more propelling forward towards the end of the gators. T4 more curbing and stay track left as you head to T5. You want hard throttle just after the apex then hard brakes (straighten the car) before trailing to the inside of T5 (not the outside wide line). If you look at the curbing you will see the paint is worn out completely on the fast inside line. That's a bunch to handle with your current monster and some nice driving to stay on top of it.

sprintamx

Just a quick comment from a newbie developing driver: Bob and Larry H (Trackside Data) are terrific coaches, and their data analysis work is both easy to understand, and provides excellent immediate insight / feedback. They're very supportive. Also, Schattenbaum does tend to run an excellent DE.

I don't have any prior experience with driving coaches--I don't put DE instructors into this category--but I do have a lot of experience with other kinds of teachers and instructors. It's really encouraging to see that Bob and Larry are able to focus on drivers as individuals, and on different skill sets and concepts with those drivers, even while helping everyone to maximize the same "line". And, that's what makes a coach a great coach.

Ok, advertisment over. I don't otherwise have any business commenting here . . .