drifting a formula car..... (a SLIGHT amount on ENTRY) ;)

[malcolm]

ok, well, the thing is that you actually do find the maximum speed through the corner. For example, lets say at the apex, the max speed is 50 mph.

-start braking from 100 mph, and downshift.

-before turn-in, let off the brakes, and let the car settle

-at about 60 mph, turn in, and let the car drift to the apex. (the specific speed is just something you need to work on, and then just do it by feel).

-at the apex, the car is now going the required 50 mph.

-after the apex, get hard on the throttle.

Now, taking the classic line, you might be able to take the entire corner at 55 mph. However, you would have to slow down to about 55 mph before turn-in. Then you would go through the entire corner at only 55 mph. With the other method, you enter the corner way faster, thus allowing you to brake later... Then you have all that time where you are faster than the other car while you are going towards the apex.

Here's a graph. The red line shows the car getting off the brakes earlier, and allowing the car to coast and drift into the corner. the green area shows all the time where the red line is above the black line, and thus going faster. the red area is where the black line is going faster than the red line. In this case, if you calculate the area between the lines, it will give you the difference in time between the two. (theorems of calculus...) anyway, in simple terms, there is more green than red, so therefore the red line is faster.

[SidewaysGts]

I meant applying throtle to your technique, not doing it the classic way. Braking Like you mentioned, then coasting in to the maximum speed, then getting on the throttle only to maintain your speed andn to accelerate. Your graph shows a point where the red speed is lowwer then the black speed (For simplicity), im wondering if combining both would be ap ractical way to keep it above at all times.

Example: Maximum speedi s 55 (number you used) Brake down to 65 and stay off the pedals and coast itno the turn, drifting slightly to help rotate the car through the corner and take off the excess speed, then when you hit 55 in the corner get on the gas enough -only- to maintain the speed, then accelerate hard out of the corner. However my reasoning tells me this is easier said then done. Too much to watch and too little were humanly capable of doing to properly time and watch everything.

[malcolm]

the thing is, if you're getting on the throttle partially to keep your speed up, then you could have gone into the corner faster...

[SidewaysGts]

See where the red line dips below the black line according to your drawing? why couldnt you get on the gas at that point to keep the speed up above 55, only using it to maintain your speed andn ot accelerate

[Oki Drifter]

HEY that's they same technique you use for drifting in the Ridge Racer Games

[malcolm]

well, in theory, it's not supposed to dip below. the **perfect** driver would coast/drift in, and never go below the "black line." Once you are past the apex, the theoretically perfect driver would be hard in the throttle just as the speed ticks 55 mph. I am basically just illustrating what the very good driver would be able to do in reality.

[zdss14]

hey malcolm, what series do you compete in?

[SidewaysGts]

That makes sense then. Is the "exit of corner" section just after the apex, or actually out of the corner at the corners exit (just for personal curiosity)

[malcolm]

well, this past year, I raced in a few different series.... however, none of them amounted to much more than a regional series (ie. provincial, or the equivalent of an SCCA Region series). Basically, there is no national GT championship. The FIA delegates in Canada have stated that any series that wants to be called a "national" championship must pay them $25,000. That's just for the title. So yeah, basically what I raced in was GT1, in Quebec and Ontario. I also did some testing for a Radical SR3 (google it), and just recently did a test for a Formula BMW team (they also run in Formula Atlantic).

as for next year, I have no clue. Sponsorship will be a major factor. If I can get some good funding, I might do a few races in a pro series somewhere, but it could be open wheel or GT cars... who knows. If I can't get much funding, I might just have to do another year in Canada, perhaps going after a Quebec championship to change things up a bit... Can't really go into the states, because the car isn't really legal for any series down there. Because of Canada's lower population, there will be less cars out, so we have what amounts to championships with no performance rules. It makes for some wild racing, and even crazier cars.

SidewaysGTS: the exit of the corner, the way I am portraying it, is just after the apex. Basically, the way I view it, it's just where you get in the gas and accelerate.

[SidewaysGts]

everything ive ever read says your supposed to accelerate the the apex, so i was just clearing that up. I was makign sure you didnt mean to litteraly take the -entire- corner with no gas coasting through it then just blasting out in a straight line.

[malcolm]

yeah, haha... that would be a terrible way to go about a corner... I think if someone tried that (coasting all the way through the corner, to the point where you couldn't get on the throttle until that point), they'd end up in the wall. :P

[s0nny80y]

hey, in gran turismo 3, they teach you that tecnique. also, its in the gt3 instruction manual. try hittin/getting near the apex as much as possible, not just passing it. this would include steady braking or throttling. but thats what gt3 said.

the best racing line would 'involve' hitting the apex basically. in drifting, usually judges grade on how much road you use so your pretty much going to try hitting the outside of the turn and not the inside (apex). i guess the only kinda drifting you could use in speed races is to slightly powerslide and hit the apex. or, if the road slopes inwards or downwards, you probably could use drifting and gravity to gain a lead, i dont know.

dont take me seriously tho, im getting inferences from gt3

[Fransisco]

wow I've been pondering on how to get better lap times in my car, its been a real struggle turning the car after the 2way lsd was installed, I have to release the throttle longer before I can turn or else it will just understeer, correcting it costed me alot of time.

I'm keen to try this out next time hope it works, and I also need to stop racing on street tyres