Ivan
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 04:49 PM |
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Trackday driving strategy
After my track day in a GT40 I started to plan my next drive in it and was thinking about the things I should, or should not, try in my next drive and
the risks involved therein.
To my mind the biggest accidents happen during, or as a result of the braking phase of the corner when the consequence of misjudgement or mechanical
failure is the most serious. i.e. a small error in your braking point can lead to a big off and is really difficult (or generally impossible) to
recover from. But maybe the biggest thrill happens in the turn in to the apex and acceleration out of the corner when the consequence of an error in
judgement is generally a spin, or under steering which is easy to correct with a gentle lift of the throttle.
So would I be right in thinking that to reduce risk of a really big off one should be most cautious during the braking phase, i.e. brake early and
lighter but keep the speed closer to the limits during the rest of the corner.
The other thought is that the worst wear on the tyres and highest mechanical loads is also most probably during the braking phase which increases the
risk of mechanical failure.
So what do you think is the right strategy.
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 04:52 PM |
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hmm I think mine would be, not to race a hired car or is this a car suppied by the race track owners for you to drive into a wall?
I'm not being cheeky like, I was just wondering 
[Edited on 1/2/08 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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Jubal
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 04:54 PM |
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I think you think too deeply about it  In other people's cars (that I'm not paying to drive) I sometimes hold back a bit, but
it's more for mechanical sympathy than anything else.
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Ivan
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 04:55 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
hmm I think mine would be, not to race a hired car
It's not a hired car as such - it's a trackday car used for that purpose with the owner present.
I only used the expression "hired" as previously people thought I had bought it. - I bought the right to drive it on 6 trackdays.
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vinny1275
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 05:06 PM |
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I work up gradually, especially if I've not been to the circuit before, but I aim for the best racing laps I can - braking as late as possible,
using the apexes properly and using full throttle for as long as possible. Though most circuits in the UK don't allow timing for insurance
purposes, videoing it and watching the laps back on the video allows you to get an idea of lap times, and where you might be losing time on a lap.
Note the use of the word gradual. I have a video of me crashing swmbo's dad's trackday car at Castle Combe, with him in the passenger
seat. I braked in the wrong place for quarry, didn't use the apex and dropped onto the very wet grass. Slid sideways into the tyres, damaging
every panel on the passenger side. Doh!
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 05:07 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ivan
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
hmm I think mine would be, not to race a hired car
It's not a hired car as such - it's a trackday car used for that purpose with the owner present.
I only used the expression "hired" as previously people thought I had bought it. - I bought the right to drive it on 6 trackdays.
oh well that's fine, I did originally think you had hired a car and then sneecked off to a race track with it!
sounds like fun, I'd just go mental and crash
[Edited on 1/2/08 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 05:18 PM |
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SPANK IT!
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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John Bonnett
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 05:19 PM |
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Hi there, just having read your post, perhaps I can give you a few pointers.
First of all, it's not a race so you don't have to be at ten tenths right from the start. Take it steady and work on smoothness and
working out where the clipping points and apexes are. Then of course there are you braking points. These will change as your knowledge of the circuit
and your car increases.
There are three phases of cornering, the braking, turn in and exit. Each has to executed to perfection one element flowing into the next seamlessly.
Easy to say but much more difficult to put into practice.
Under braking, the car is unstable with all the weight having been transferred to the front. This why you should aim for braking in a straight line
not in the corner. Don't leave it too late and build in a margin of safety should it go wrong. Brake progressively harder and harder which will
give the weight transfer time to take place and give maximum grip from the front wheels. A sudden hard braking can cause a lock up which will prevent
any steering.
Try to be inch perfect with your lines, turning in at precisely the same point on each lap and hitting the apex each time. The old adage of slow in
fast out is very true. try to keep the car nicely balanced and drive at a pace where you are in control.
When I worked for Jonathan Palmer at Bedford Autodrome we had a lad there who was so smooth you thought he was slow until you saw his lap times. It
was unbelievable. Each time you get out of shape you are losing time.
So to summarise, don't be the last of the late brakers and work on precision and smoothness and if you put a clock on yourself you will be
amazed at the improvement.
atb
John
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smart51
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 05:36 PM |
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I start off fairly gently until I know the track and have warmed up the tyres, then I gradually build up. I don't go to 100% though because if
you overcook it, you're off and are either walking home or you're Richard Hammond. Its just a bit of fun.
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roadrunner
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| posted on 1/2/08 at 07:42 PM |
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Just go and have fun, if you think about it to much you will make more mistakes.
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Ivan
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| posted on 2/2/08 at 06:22 AM |
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Thanks for the feedback guys - re the over thinking - that is what I do - I guess it's the engineer in me - have found in life that it takes me
to higher levels of performance like winning the national championships of my dinghy class or setting very consistant fastest time of day lap times in
a Formula Atlantic track driving experience (I have never raced cars ) - I think mainly because a strategy helps smoothness and consequently speed
and reduces errors. 
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Jubal
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| posted on 2/2/08 at 01:57 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ivan
Thanks for the feedback guys - re the over thinking - that is what I do - I guess it's the engineer in me - have found in life that it takes me
to higher levels of performance like winning the national championships of my dinghy class or setting very consistant fastest time of day lap times in
a Formula Atlantic track driving experience (I have never raced cars ) - I think mainly because a strategy helps smoothness and consequently speed
and reduces errors.
Maybe I was flippant but sports style visualisation aside I can only do my real thinking whilst on track doing it. You sound like it works for you
being a bit more analytical while stood still, so good on you.
However, I would really struggle to split my behaviour/attitude at different parts of the corner. It's a flowing whole and the way you brake,
set up the weight transfer, turn in and accelerate out is a complex mixture. I really cannot see how a strategy of trying to be more gentle under
brakes than you'd ideally desire would do anything but compromise the whole corner. Would it not be better to drive at 90% (or whatever you are
comfortable with) everywhere and achieve the same overall result in corner speeds/lap times?
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Ivan
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| posted on 2/2/08 at 03:46 PM |
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Ja Jubal - good point. I guess the whole art is to drive as close to the limit of your confort zone as possible.
What got me thinking about it was that on some corners under really heavy braking (98% or just below lock up) the car started to squirm quiet a lot
and it made it difficult to stay smooth and actualy place it accurately for the turn-in., whilst under 90% braking the whole corner became what you
said it should be (a flowing whole).
Part of the problem with the car I think is that the tyres where pretty ordinary road tyres and beyond their comfort zone (in some ways a good thing
as they really squealed when reaching the limit and gave plenty of warning of that limit). It might be a whole different experience the next time with
racing slicks
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