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Hey Peter. Is that a thumbs up...or a one finger applause?
It's practice on my XBOX One...
__________________ -Peter Krause www.peterkrause.net www.gofasternow.com
"Combining the Art and Science of Driving Fast!"
Specializing in Professional, Private Driver Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Consultation Available Remotely and at VIRginia International Raceway
It's always good to experiment around and this is a good discussion, but I'd be cautious about trying to carry too much speed into T1 as your car will understeer after turn in, especially if the track is green. Like many turns at Sebring, my experience is that the focus in T1 needs to be exit speed and therefore early throttle application because a lot of passing can happen into T3.
It's always good to experiment around and this is a good discussion, but I'd be cautious about trying to carry too much speed into T1 as your car will understeer after turn in, especially if the track is green. Like many turns at Sebring, my experience is that the focus in T1 needs to be exit speed and therefore early throttle application because a lot of passing can happen into T3.
^^THIS^^
Sebring Turn One is one of the select number of corners in North America that exhibits the widest variance in observed vMins across a variety of similar cars (and different cars).
This means that for many drivers, there is not only a great opportunity for improvement, but also that drivers are disproportionately and negatively impacted by a) inability to see "around" the corner," b) uncertainty of the desired geometry, encouraging feckless execution and c) a propensity to drive within a comfort zone that doesn't change, hence no improvement.
As Frank points out, there is always a good opportunity to squeeze the throttle down a little more, and a little sooner at or slightly after entry. I see as many spins from too little throttle application at that bump as I do from too sudden a delta UP ("whacking" the throttle at that point, right over the bump because THAT coincides with WHERE you can finally SEE the exit).
It's a tough corner, but that's what makes it fun!
The fix is to be slightly MORE aggressive in the slowing for T1 and NOT allow that slowing to extend into the turn very much at all. Then, the closer is thrust positive throttle application.
this is great advice. I often screw this one up trying to carry too much speed in. A little more breaking earlier and a little later rotation (later apex) works really well in this turn (especially with a higher hp car that can put the power down early). Take a late apex here and you will be just as fast or faster (and much safer).
OTOH, I like to almost double apex 17 and trailbrake really late, get the car rotated, take a relatively earlier late apex and get on the gas early. There's a ton of room on the backside of 17.
this is great advice. I often screw this one up trying to carry too much speed in. A little more breaking earlier and a little later rotation (later apex) works really well in this turn (especially with a higher hp car that can put the power down early). Take a late apex here and you will be just as fast or faster (and much safer).
OTOH, I like to almost double apex 17 and trailbrake really late, get the car rotated, take a relatively earlier late apex and get on the gas early. There's a ton of room on the backside of 17.
Agreed, especially because T1 is MORE than a ninety degree turn... I'm asking people to turn AFTER the wall ends, at the joint between the four concrete blocks where the first lateral patch (there are more than one) goes across the track. Only then does the right front tire come away from the plane of the wall...
On T17, agreed as well. There's close to eight hundred feet most people use (combined, braking before you bend in and continuing after you pass the worker station at the concrete wall before the ultimate turn in) to do a job that should take LESS than that... So, clip the worker station, then trailbrake so late that your angle under the bridge is perpendicular, then you are good to go, as you say!
At 100+MPH that first lateral patch across the track comes up mighty quick and looks really small. But at normal speed, it's something like 30 feet past the end of the wall and at least 3-feet wide.
Also the apex of Turn 1 (denoted by the cone on the fence) can be deceiving. There are exactly SIX FEET of concrete between the wall and the yellow line. Lots of space there that not everyone uses.
There's also a little paint glitch in the yellow line beneath the cone for an additional apex reference.
At 100+MPH that first lateral patch across the track comes up mighty quick and looks really small. But at normal speed, it's something like 30 feet past the end of the wall and at least 3-feet wide.
To be quite candid here , all i can say is i can never see the patch. I can only count on my input via la derriere -- when i fell the KA-CHUNK of thr front tires crossing that seam, thats when i know ive hit my mark.
Also the apex of Turn 1 (denoted by the cone on the fence) can be deceiving. There are exactly SIX FEET of concrete between the wall and the yellow line. Lots of space there that not everyone uses.
There's also a little paint glitch in the yellow line beneath the cone for an additional apex reference.
THanks for posting! I never noticed that yellow paint, skip/flaw before.
I have gotten very close to that wall, when I turned in early at 1. at least the loaded tires are on clean pavement.
ps: I always LFB before the strip, not much, just a light touch to put some weight on the front..
Agreed, especially because T1 is MORE than a ninety degree turn... I'm asking people to turn AFTER the wall ends, at the joint between the four concrete blocks where the first lateral patch (there are more than one) goes across the track. Only then does the right front tire come away from the plane of the wall...
While we are on the topic, the harder part of T1 (to me) is the racing line (vs. the "ideal" DE line). If you are racing tight and take the ideal line, it's really easy for the other guy to jump inside and take the corner.
I find you have to take a more defensive, earlier apex with this corner in a race or you get blocked to the outside really easily.
On a lighter note, its funny how we rookies need maps, protractors and barometers etc to drive a corner fast and then a pro driver come along drives the corner very fast and he does it totally by the seat of his pants!!
05-11-2017, 09:52 AM
