Traction issues mid corner

[EFI]

If it's your second track day, it's technique and experience.

2nd track day with this Mustang, I've done many others before but with completely different cars (live axles cars, lightweight low power cars etc).

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[M3Convert]

2nd track day with this Mustang, I've done many others before but with completely different cars (live axles cars, lightweight low power cars etc).

My bad! Sorry!

 

[SteveW]

A free mod to try is going full stiff on your front bar. That will help with power down on exit but also could create a pushy entry/mid-corner and make the car transition more aggressively.

 

[NightmareMoon]

At my last track day, myself and nearly all the other intermediate guys and gals were struggling to add power mid-corner. The instructors said it could be done, and that it was going to be scary.

Adding some throttle (while unwinding the steering) will shift the balance back a bit to help the rear tires grip, but it sure seems like everything is going to let go.

That and these cars do have 400+ hp stock, so you won't be using as much of the 'go' pedal mid-corner as you would in a Miata or BRZ.

 

[M3Convert]

After my first track day with a completely stock car, I've added a bunch of stuff (including PSS tires) to help with traction and turning. However I still find myself struggling for traction especially when turning mid corner.

For example, see picture below. I'm coming into turn 3, downshifting then where the red star is I start accelerating. I'm slowly adding throttle but I cannot for the life of me seem to be able to get more than 50% until I'm at the green star. If I do the rear end starts coming loose. There is a bit of an uphill and bank to the right during this whole turn.

So being a newb I'm not sure if this is purely how high powered cars are on a tight course (and I just have to manage it), of if it's something I can be helping with the car? Any help with tips or possible mods to help would be appreciated.

This is a bumper mounted cam of the turn in question. This is me in an M3 seven years ago. Fast forward to 45 seconds. I used the bumper cam because:
1) It makes it look faster than it is
2) You cannot see how bad the line really is...actually you can
3) The engine sounds awesome...and also shows I was a throttle/brake psusy
4) It gives a good perspective of the gradient of the corner being discussed

[ame="[MEDIA=youtube]A_iJNb74CZQ[/MEDIA]"]

 

[EFI]

Nice view, too bad the camera is actually a potato.

Anyway, I saw that you took a much wider path that I did. I would turn in earlier, go over the rumble strip to the right and the headup to corner 4 middle of the track. I would "skip" the apex there and keep going straight to the next set of turtles (the colored edge of the track) and then turn in.

Maybe that's not the way to go, but most high powered people were taking that route while the low powered guys were going out wide and then cutting to the apex and beyond turn 4.

 

[Norm Peterson]

After watching M3's video . . . there's a bump that will unsettle the car tending to unweight the car as the suspension rebounds at the start of the uphill climb. Plus the contour of the uphill is actually trying to drop out from underneath the car until it flattens out somewhat past the peak (and might even be a touch off-camber to boot). Basically, you aren't getting as much benefit of going uphill as the hill itself might make it look (or enough to support what the grade itself looks like it "needs" in terms of power).

It's also possible for understeer to have you cranking in more steering than the corner would need with a 'square' or at least closer to 'square' wheel and tire setup, and when the front finds a little more grip that the rear hasn't got the full message yet. Also, maybe google 'tight-loose' phenomenon under circle track racing.

Regardless, it looks to be a section that rewards patience and penalizes the lack of it.


Norm

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