I'm going to be joining the UCI car club if i can. They go to track quarterly so that'll be fun if i go for the first time
I've got some questions about tracking.
1) WHen going straightway, do you keep the RPM high (above 5k) and not downshift when turning into corner? Or do you shift up and do hill and toe BEFORE entering the corner?
2)Do you shift down while braking BEFORE turning into the corner? Or is it ok to do hil and toe while you are turning?
3) Does tracking eat up your front tires like rear tires?

I never thought about tracking cause i'm more into drifting..lol

 

If it is your first time at the track, don't think about heel-toeing too much. Shift normally if it is more comfortable.

First just concentrate on your lines, braking, shifting and learning the track itself.

Before entering a corner:
1. Position the car
2. Brake
3. Downshift (i'd say keep it @ around 4k rpm)
4. Turn
5. Gradually squeeze the gas while u exit and unwind the steering wheel.

do 1-5 very smoothly. THe smoother u drive the faster u go.

Changing gears while inside a corner will throw the car off-balance and could cause your car to spin.

Tires and brakes life depends on your driving style. If you want to make them last longer, brake early and take the corners a bit slower.

Just give 70-80% of your effort while trying to learn the track and you'll be fine.

 

i use heel and toe sometimes for daily. Do you downshift when going straight before the corner or gradually turning into corner?

 

Like he said, don't worry about the heel-toe yet. You have enough to take in on your first day of tracking. Ask if an experienced driver can ride with you - or you ride along with them.

For beginners especially - Braking and shifting (if you decide to try shifting) should be complete before you start to turn.

 

Read Speed Secrets Speed Secrets: Professional Race Driving Techniques by Ross Bentley

http://speedsecrets.com/PRODUCTS/Spe...9/Default.aspx

readily available from most online book retailers

 

Surprised that you are asking basic questions while touting your heal-toe skills. Something is wrong here.

 

as he said he's a drifter, drifters still have pretty good driving skills.

 

I was also told, not to do anything abrupt. Ease on and off the gas / brake pedal. Don't jerk the steering wheel.

 

oh yeah, read this sticky -

https://my350z.com/forum/autocross-r...-hpde-faq.html

 

i wonder why i didn't see this haha

 

More like a wanna be drifter for now. I practice heel and toe for fast corner exist during spirited driving haha

 

[QUOTE

For beginners especially - Braking and shifting (if you decide to try shifting) should be complete before you start to turn.[/QUOTE]

let say i slow down b4 start to turn, but i didn't slow down enough to turn without sliding.

So you need to know the max corner entry speed so that you slow down to that speed before entrying and not use brakes during the turn.

 

let say i slow down b4 start to turn, but i didn't slow down enough to turn without sliding.

So you need to know the max corner entry speed so that you slow down to that speed before entrying and not use brakes during the turn.[/QUOTE]

you'll probably spin or go straight in the grass....
that is usually a reckless n00b driving error... and your instructor is allowed to spank your butt for that.

first you should read the faq... if wasn't covered there ( i doubt) than get a nice advice... you don't gain anything getting in a corner 5mph faster than you can... and you lose very little getting in 5 or 10mph SLOWER...
what is really important is the exit speed from a corner... and it's way easier to achieve if you set your car properly before and during the corner itself...
braking at the last possible inch is the last resort to try to shave some time off a lap when all the other task are performed close to perfection....
and it's the most tricky one because if you miss... you'll spin or go out in the field.... and sometimes it isn't a soft ride out there.

 

As stated above, corner entry speed is one of the least important things for a good lap time. The secret to a good lap time is how soon can you get back to full throttle. The old saying of slow in and fast out really deals with throttle application and chassis stability. If you can slow down enough and have the car in a good position you can get back on the throttle and have the chassis set in one position before event entering the turn.

As recommened read the Ross Bentley books, they will tell you a lot about chassis dynamics and how the car reponses. Anything that disturbes the chassis after the corner starts is going to hurt you in some way or another. So get your braking done, steering set, shifting done, and try not slow down after the corner is started but instead slowly accelerate out of it, and slowly unwind the steering wheel as you exit the turn.

It's all way too much to try to cover in a post or two. There is a lot of it in the FAQ, but the most you will get is from an in car instructor at an HPDE event. Even the pros use in car coaches a lot.

 

Like a duck...

 

Why is this thread still alive?

 

 

no one asked for it to be closed yet.

 

I feel like i have enough info now to get started. THX

 

The entire speed secrets series is great. At first it may seem like you know it all, but it is just repetition that gets you prepared for better technique and faster lap times. I especially like the "traction circle" concept. It's so easy to understand and implement.

Doesn't Bentley say that mid-corner speed is most important?