Tracking/race craft technics

[dmann]

I am starting this thread to list out as many track technics or race craft technics for all track oriented enthusiast. I will list a few but want others to add in what they deem as fun or critical technics to develop our race crafts. I know there are lots of noobs and lots of heavily experienced drivers here.
Soo.. Here goes.

Heel toe- I think this is a must do well technic for those with manual trans. The timing and smoothness is so critical here but it's also more than just that, you have to comfortable with the pedal position and even down to the right shoes.

Left foot braking- This is a little difficult with manuals but still a good technic for corners that don't need a downshift.

Trail braking-The ability to rotate the car by lightly pressing the brakes as you turn-in

Braking zones- Do you focus on the BoB(Begin of braking) or the EoB(End of braking)?
I think most newbies focus on the BoB and never the EoB. If you are trail braking you already understand EoB as you are using it to rotate the car. (per Ross Bentley)"perform 2/3rd of your braking in the first 1/3rd of the distance between BoB and EoB"

If you look at the distance between BoB and Eob you can determine where most of the braking will take place.



The most intriguing to me is the invoked entry oversteer. I have not attempted this but would like to hear what others think, especially how our cars like this technic. This seems like a more aggressive form of trail braking to me.

Invoked entry oversteer- Supposedly it's a faster way through a corner than just being smooth. Brake hard (back end light) and add in enough turn in until the cars rear steps out then you correct to get the front and rear to balance into the corner.

So, with that. What do you guys have to add?

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[BmacIL]

Invoked entry oversteer- Supposedly it's a faster way through a corner than just being smooth. Brake hard (back end light) and add in enough turn in until the cars rear steps out then you correct to get the front and rear to balance into the corner.

Those are good things to discuss, but this one is a bit of a square peg for the round hole that is the Mustang, or any other heavier, FR car. This is an excellent technique for FWD or even some AWD cars, and a good way to initiate drifting in a RWD car. It's typically not going to be a fast way to drive a high-powered, heavy RWD car. Our cars have a lot of power and put it down very well on exit. You have to take advantage of this to go quickly. Often that means sacrificing a little bit of entry and apex speed for a fast exit. This is where controlled trail braking comes in. It depends on the course and corner, but generally that Scandinavian flick type of driving isn't going to be fastest on a road course.

 

[dmann]

Those are good things to discuss, but this one is a bit of a square peg for the round hole that is the Mustang, or any other heavier, FR car. This is an excellent technique for FWD or even some AWD cars, and a good way to initiate drifting in a RWD car. It's typically not going to be a fast way to drive a high-powered, heavy RWD car. Our cars have a lot of power and put it down very well on exit. You have to take advantage of this to go quickly. Often that means sacrificing a little bit of entry and apex speed for a fast exit. This is where controlled trail braking comes in. It depends on the course and corner, but generally that Scandinavian flick type of driving isn't going to be fastest on a road course.

Good point of view and discussion. A good friend of mine has a tracked out GTR and his opinion is weighted heavily for this technic which lines up with what you stated. I watch in his videos of him performing this often.

No doubt that our cars put the power down. I just hope I didn't under purchase by getting the GT PP1 vs a GT350.

 

[BmacIL]

Good point of view and discussion. A good friend of mine has a tracked out GTR and his opinion is weighted heavily for this technic which lines up with what you stated. I watch in his videos of him performing this often.

No doubt that our cars put the power down. I just hope I didn't under purchase by getting the GT PP1 vs a GT350.

You didn't, IMO. Some light suspension work and you'll have an amazing corner carver. The GT350 is obviously an amazing car and far better on the track, stock for stock, but you didn't underbuy. Not buying the PP would be underbuy.

When I was going fast autocrossing FWD cars, the chuck it in via lift-off oversteer/rotation was the best method. Going to the Mustang I had to unlearn this. Took me a couple years to really shed my prior driving style, but now I have a lot of comfort with management of exit yaw/oversteer.

 

[dmann]

You didn't, IMO. Some light suspension work and you'll have an amazing corner carver. The GT350 is obviously an amazing car and far better on the track, stock for stock, but you didn't underbuy. Not buying the PP would be underbuy.

When I was going fast autocrossing FWD cars, the chuck it in via lift-off oversteer/rotation was the best method. Going to the Mustang I had to unlearn this. Took me a couple years to really shed my prior driving style, but now I have a lot of comfort with management of exit yaw/oversteer.

I was hoping I didn't. I'm a big suspension guy from my last sport and will dive into that soon enough but there is so much to learn about cars.

 

[BmacIL]

I was hoping I didn't. I'm a big suspension guy from my last sport and will dive into that soon enough but there is so much to learn about cars.

Big suspension guy here, too. Happy to help when it's time.

 

[dmann]

Big suspension guy here, too. Happy to help when it's time.

Cool! Because I don't know cars that well I am having to learn so much lately. You helped me tremendously when I was having camber plates on. Still cant get more that -1.95 up front. :(

So, what kind of suspension have you had experience with?

 

[dmann]

I don't think we revalve any shocks/struts in cars as far as I have read but I still have the nitrogen tanks for pressurized systems like the Ohlins. JRZs have nitrogen bladders too so hopefully that'll come in handy.

 

[BmacIL]

Cool! Because I don't know cars that well I am having to learn so much lately. You helped me tremendously when I was having camber plates on. Still cant get more that -1.95 up front. :(

So, what kind of suspension have you had experience with?

Well outside of this car, I have done open-wheel racecar suspension design.

I forget, what springs do you have on the car? One idea I've been toying with to help with the Mac strut's lack of camber gain is to use bolts and plates together to increase the kingpin inclination angle even at the same static camber.

 

[dmann]

Well outside of this car, I have done open-wheel racecar suspension design.

I forget, what springs do you have on the car? One idea I've been toying with to help with the Mac strut's lack of camber gain is to use bolts and plates together to increase the kingpin inclination angle even at the same static camber.

My car is a new PP1 with stock suspension and maximum camber plates..
I am heavily considering JRZs when the timing is right.

 

[dmann]

I'm not sure this falls into the technic category but here goes(adding this to the top as well).

Braking zones- Do you focus on the BoB(Begin of braking) or the EoB(End of braking)?
I think most newbies focus on the BoB and never the EoB. If you are trail braking you already understand EoB as you are using it to rotate the car. (per Ross Bentley)"perform 2/3rd of your braking in the first 1/3rd of the distance between BoB and EoB"

If you look at the distance between BoB and Eob you can determine where most of the braking will take place.

 

[BmacIL]

The answer is both lol. A lot of newbies do the opposite of what you want (you should brake hard initially and slowly ease off as you release into the end of braking zone). As far as where your eyes are, they should be a zone ahead of where you are/what you're doing.

 

[dmann]

I agree, this is a really good topic too.

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