Can I have some tips to improve my lap time?
 

Hello everyone

I'm going to buttonwillow on 23rd this month with speed district. I had been there 4 times and this is the only race track I had been. According to my friend's information I can have a tons of on-track time this time. So I want some directions to improve my lap time instead of just blindly doing laps.

My BRZ is running 225/45/17 AD08R on stock rims, and using ProjectMu HC800 track pads. I have changed brake fluids to RBF600 since first track day. These are all mods I have for this car, everything else is completely stock. I will keep this setup until I break into 2:09.

This video is from my third visit to buttonwillow. I was doing like around 2:14+ that time. On my fourth visit I manage to get into like 2:13+ (I can't find footage for that day) but I still feel I can still get a few seconds faster in this car.

Can anyone give me some tips to improve my lap time? I believe this car can get into 2:10 at least, hopefully 2:07(not sure)?

Thanks everyone!!

Video will be posted below.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImtyxxRTX8g"]buttonwillow 12/13/2015 - YouTube[/ame]

Here are some points I think I was not doing good enough.
1. Sunset corner(last corner) I didn't use full track on exit. However I don't think in this case turning in eariler might help because this is a mid-apex corner. Maybe I should carry more speed into corner entry?
2. Sunrise corner(first corner), should try take the apex eariler. clearly I didn't use full track on exit.
3. Cotton corner(uphill S corner), on my fourth run I found that by trail braking in this corner I could enter the first much faster(as far as I feel) without changing lines for the second one.
4. Bus stop. I just can't find the best line here. How am I doing over there?
5. Sweeper. I found that by braking less in straight and maintaining little brake pressure to gradually reduce speed in corner entry, and cutting inside line at first then sliding to outside until mid corner, I can carry much much more entry speed into corner without sacrificing the accelerating on exit.
Where do you guys think I still have room to improve? Both driving lines and car control technique included.
Thank you again!!!!!!

If you think this video is too long you can jump to around 3:20 for the last two laps. Those are lines I take now

BTW for the last lap I spin out around 80~90mph........The snap oversteer happened and I didn't hold the accelerator, but lift off a little bit, which was a big mistake, transferring more weight to the front and eventually spun out.................Not the correct reflection I should take
Luckily no one was hurt

Don't downshift for bus stop, stay in 4th. Brake earlier and turn in earlier, in a wider arc. Just doing that should shave 1-2 secs from your lap time.

2:07 with just tires/pads/fluids is doable but takes considerable skill: http://www.86cup.us/records/

I agree that 2:09 is a great target to set for yourself before you spend more money on parts. Although I'd probably do camber bolts and get an alignment right away.


Here's a 2:07 from @CSG Mike with minimal mods
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZpWlSp2Hvc[/ame]

You're comfortable with a lot of wide trackouts, but you consistently miss apexes.

Slow down, fix your line, and the speed will come naturally.

Solid advise! This is what I had to do back in my Karting days I would go out and run 100's of laps at about 80% and just focused on hitting all my lines until it came so natural that on race day I could focus on how I was getting around the guy in front and waiting for him to make a mistake. It helped me tremendously as smooth is fast

thank you. Learning the track slow is important, as I did from my first track day.
Those lines are result of what I learn from a slower speed then gradually increase speed

Can I get some more specific ideas?
that's why I'm posting, I want to improve my lines but I don't know where to start. Maybe I should take some corners tighter by using some parts of curbs, or taking some apex earlier?

I can't see missing apex myself from my own video except riverside, on that corner I should go wider in mid-corner, then lift off a little bit to make the car rotate. Is that correct?

You're literally missing the apex of almost every turn. If you can't feel the berm, you've completely missed it.

Take my advice literally; slow down, and place the car at the apex of the turn.

I can offer track-specific advice, but it won't help you drive better anywhere else. Go back to the basics, and the time will come naturally.

First I will say, don't worry about lap times. It isn't a race. There are no trophies. Chasing a lap time might put you at risk of making a mistake. What you should focus on is practicing the right skills, technique, and behaviors. As you get that experience the lap times will improve.

Before the event, watch some of the videos from more experienced drivers on the track, ideally in another 86. Learn and memorize their lines. Find one with telemetry, so you can see how they roll into the brakes/gas, the speed they take, the gears they are in etc. Don't use the data to try to mimic how they drive as conditions, equipment, and driver experience will make the exact speeds difficult to replicate. The idea is that you'll get some directional input on how the car is driven around the track.

During the event, during each session focus on a specific section to get right. Take a few laps of the session to focus on the corners in that section. Once you get it right, move to the next section during the next session. Eventually it'll come together.

After the event, if you have a way of getting some very basic telemetry that can help. Compare your data with the other videos. Remember the idea isn't to match or mimic how they drive, but compare inputs, how each corner was taken, etc. You'll see what you did right and also where you can improve. Also have someone review it.

But when it really comes down to it, seat time and experience is the critical factor. The stuff I shared above are methods of how to efficiently use that seat time to further your technique and skill.

I was going to reply.. But this should be the final word. ^do this

Missing apexes is one of the mistakes we make as we start to build up speed. The issue is we have fixed turn in points and when we start to carry more speed, the sideways momentum of the car pushes us out wide. The thought process in our brain is "I have to slow down to hit the apex". "I'm much faster out here". Wrong. Never be satisfied at missing the apex.

Here's a trick to get back on line and account for the slip angle of the car. If your consistently missing an apex by 3 feet, move your vision point in. Instead of looking to the curb, look inside the curb. Say to yourself, "I'm gonna hit the very inside of that curb". Chances are you'll still go wide. Next lap move that vision point in a bit more. "I'm gonna put that tire in the grass". Slowly move your vision point in until you hit the apex. Turn 1 at Watkins Glen is my nemesis. It's off camber with a downhill approach. For some reason I'm always wide. I kept moving my vision point in until I finally said to myself, "I'm gonna put all 4 tires in the grass on the inside of the apex". That time I hit it perfectly.

Now please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying to try and drive through the grass. :slap: The key to fixing our line problems with our eyes. The interesting thing that happens when me move our eyes inside the apex to adjust our line. Our braking point changes and we end up turning in earlier.:confused0068: What? Turn in early? I thought that was bad? It is bad but our goal is to move that entire arc through the corner in so we hit the apex. We end up having to turn in earlier to make this happen.

If your not consistent, this technique won't work. It is one of the common issues I see with intermediate drivers.

apex apex apex.

A lot of your times are left because you are not using the full track.

As already mentioned, you're comfortable going track out but you seem to not run the actual fast line, which is whatever that is 1) shortest, and 2) (usually) carries the most speed out.

An example:

Your line coming onto front straight:
https://youtu.be/ImtyxxRTX8g?t=5m39s

Mine coming onto front straight:
https://youtu.be/7Id-7eMdyIE?t=3s

I am not a fast driver by any means (I chicken out usually at Riverside and Phil Hill), but you can easily get under 2:10 if you can fix the apex issues.

-alex

Off topic... What camera are you using to film and upload videos to youtube? The quality is amazing in that video of yours :cheers:

I have a first get action cam and every time I upload to youtube it looks like shit. Cameras video quality isn't good to begin with tho.

GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition, 1080p @ 60FPS.

-alex