Hatzenbach

This is from yesterday, my best lap at Laguna Seca
2009 C4S (PDK) on Nitto NT-01 with DSC suspension module, otherwise stock.

Any pointers, where I could find more time?

Veloce Raptor

Not bad!

Be more patient with throttle in 2 rather than double spiking it

Carry more speed into 3 such that you can't get to gas quite so soon...you're over slowing

Don't double spike brake in 9

Apex 11 slightly later...you're fighting the car
over the track out rumbles which hinders your launch

Mahler9th

I concur with what VR suggests.

What is a DSC suspension module?

Car looks like it has big push on entry to some corners. Seems like it sometimes lead to hesitation to get to/stay at WOT.

Do you have a legit benchmark for your car on that track?

One of the age-old methods for learning ways to go faster is to compete. Was that lap in a time trial?

claykos

Hard to say from watching a video - but in general it seems like you are turning in too abruptly for the car and washing out the front end. It also looks like you are really heavily into the ABS at turn in which is causing the front to wash out. Slower hands at turn in and less reliance on ABS will ultimately make you faster.

As far as line:
You are giving up a ton of time in Rainey (t9 - after corkscrew). No need to pull the car all the way track right after the corkscrew to enter Rainey curve. The camber of the track and the fact that 9 opens up towards the exit make a shallower entry much faster. After the cork screw let the car track out naturally to the left and enter 9 maybe a car width or so off the left side of the track. If you walk the course you will see that the track is highly banked towards the inside and once you get track right you are falling off the edge of a hill.

I definitely have more to learn at Laguna as well - but check the video for what I am talking about in 9.

Cloudspin

Way, way OT, but you shouldn't post anymore with that screen name. Your post count matches the Cup in your avatar. Bored, waiting for F1 race.

Veloce Raptor

Agree with Clay regarding 9

ProCoach

My collection of data supports right of center entry into T9, no need to go full track right, but the shallow entry requires earlier throttle moderation (or LFB) and additional steering input precisely when the road begins to drop MUCH more severely.

Have done too many forensics of people that go off at the exit of T9 by driving around the inside early and NOT waiting to finish pointing the car before applying too much throttle, the corrective result being the "double punch" that VR talks about.

The area under the pedestrian bridge after T8A is a useful acceleration zone, but most folks need to go much further than they do before the really begin to turn left into T9.

Laguna Seca is a really easy track to loose a bunch of time. T2, T9 and T11 are prime opportunities for improvement in this and many other cases.

A great analysis by my SBRS Instructor colleague Grant Ryley explains this section well.

audipwr1

I'd say biggest time saves are

T2 - patience out and commit to full throttle before the Apex

T3 - turn in a bit faster

T6 is the biggest and also has the largest punishment for failure You could go in 10mph faster which translates all the way up the hill - that's a full second there

ProCoach

More amplification with my experience across a broad range of drivers, cars and lap times (1:20 to 2:00).

Turn 3 is where folks are often plagued with understeer going in, and oversteer coming out.

Ninety percent of the entry understeer (according to my TB of data and video collected) is due to people braking early, releasing early, having the nose come up and the weight come off the front tires, then adding power thus sealing the understeer deal.

Make sure you "leave enough brakes" to quicken the direction change at turn-in, because if you're waiting on that, you're losing time in T3 and ALL the way down to T4...

winders

Concur.

Then again, I like it when people take that far right line. It turns Rainey Curve into a nice passing zone!

ProCoach

Easy when they don't FULLY commit to the throttle and GET there first!

jrgordonsenior

Great article Peter.....

Another highly critical aspect of getting Laguna right is car setup. The OP is on Nittos which is going to limit his car reaching it's potential, but there are many other factors in play on that course and they will change throughout the day. Laguna is known for it's smooth surface which can lead you to believe it has excellent grip. It does not especially in the afternoons after multiple cars have gone off and brought sand back onto the surface. End result is many cars will understeer here more than at other tracks and drivers then compensate by softening up the front (bar or dampers) or stiffening the rear. My pro coach, also a long time Skippy instructor, told me the key to fast laps at Laguna is the high speed intermediate turns T4, 5, & 6 and of course getting out of 11. Setting the car up to control oversteer on exit of those turns builds confidence and allow you to go throttle up sooner. You just have to be able to offset entry understeer which is an art form and one I'm still learning....

johnwb

Love that AIM data set up. What do I have to purchase to have that and how difficult is it to set up?
Thanks.

ProCoach

For your car, pretty easy.

1 (one) AiM Sportline Solo DL with CAN/power cable connection
1 (one) SmartyCam HD Rev2.1 84 degree FOV camera
2 (two) mounts, one for the Solo DL inside the windshield with a suction cup (serious suction cup) and one (generally) V-Mount (to harness bar or roll bar) for the camera

$1698 plus I throw in the $80 worth of mounts and a 32 GB Class 10 card, set it up for your car with the video background and make it as plug and play as possible.

You will, for your car, need to connect to two wires near the fuse box for the car information (RPM, throttle position, brake switch on/off) but the video is completely automated.

No batteries to charge, no software to navigate, pull the SD card from the camera and play it on an Apple or Windoze computer thirty seconds after you get out of the car.

If you (or a facile instructor or coach) want to dig deeper, there is a massive amount of information available that can very quickly be harvested for low-hanging fruit.

It's amazing technology in great packaging (two devices, self contained, no larger than a cigarette pack each) that has revolutionized how people learn on-track.

I have sold more than four hundred of this combination over the last several years (almost half to people here on RL) and it's tried and tested. Let me know if I can help.

johnwb

Thanks, Peter.
I'll put this on my wish list.


OP- sorry for the hijack