[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by EAGLE5

The higher the power, the later the desired apex, at least if there's a straight next. Cornering speeds may go down, but the laptime can go down too.

I know I don't have a lot of track experience and all.. but you are now talking about grip vs power. Give a 1,000HP car enough grip and it can follow the same line as a Miata. And it should if it's not grip limited putting the power down. This is also generally only the case in complex corner, in a normal corner every car will want to be full power as early as possible, low HP or high HP. I've even played with this specifically at Sebring following the so called "high HP" car line vs the "low HP" car line. My car has enough mechanical grip and I have enough throttle control to be faster on the "low HP" line. Lower laptimes/higher corner speeds through T10, and pretty much the same speeds from T11-T13 (within lap to lap margin of driver error) because the car can't overpower it's mechanical grip in those turns and at those speeds. Now the "high HP" line does allow for safety factor.. but so does driving 8/10ths. Maybe worth noting, the record lap for NASA TT2 at Sebring is a 650HP Camaro that's basically stock (tires, exhaust) and that driver uses.. the "low HP/momentum" line.

Now take a Miata and put some old terrible tires on it.. I think I'd go for the "high HP" line myself.

In many years of W2W racing I've always seen the fastest cars taking the same line.... sometimes those cars are Miatas.. sometimes they are Mustangs with V8s.. sometimes they are FWD cars..

I guess I could convince myself of a momentum car if there was a car and track out there where the car could be at top speed the entire lap only (by that I mean 1 speed the entire time) with a normal apex, never going late.. and certainly never early.

End of the day though, do whatever makes your laptimes the lowest - just don't early apex ha