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2slow
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Post subject: AUTO-X racing tips Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 12:39 pm |
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Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2004 11:34 pm Posts: 653 Location: Wolfsburg, Germany
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Here is a copy of an article that I wrote for my Porsche club.
Enjoy and learn.
2slow
AUTO-X RACING – THE LAST 10th OF A SECOND
You can divide your new approach to Auto-X racing in 5 parts: Preparation, Before the race, Before each lap, During each lap, After each lap.
A) GENERAL PREPARATION:
* Practice your driving precision. Know the corners of your car. Think about your lines. Drive clean lines on the street. Park precise. This type of training will help you to consistently place the car correctly and run closer than 10cm to the pylons.
* Know the behaviour of your car. Provoke your car on (safe, open) wet roads. Practice tailsliding and catching it. Practice braking, practice judging braking distances.
* Train your reflexes. Learn to juggle etc. where you train your hand/eye coordination.
B) BEFORE THE RACE:
* Bring an absolute desire to win. No compromises, no excuses. Test yourself, push yourself.
* Walk the track. Pace the distance between the pylons (are they constant spaced, increasing or decreasing spaced). Make a mental picture of the track. Talking to other people will disturb your concentration.
* Plan your approaches to the gates, estimate your brake points, plan your exits towards the next gates.
* Mental preparation. Don’t get psyched out by anybody or by a (perceived) better car. Take the equipment that you have at your disposal and make the best job you can with it. Never blame the car, rather adapt yourself to cope with the car’s faults. You want to train to be the best driver, not the guy with the best car. A twin-turbo might buy you an immediate 10 second advantage, but you as a driver will still stagnate.
* Ask for advice from the experienced racers, but only to supplement your own observations/planning.
* Observe the experienced racers (to see where they brake/accelerate etc.) and the inexperienced (to see where it is possible to default). You can learn a lot that way.
* Tire pressure. You can lower your pressure slightly to help cold tires to warm up quicker (more tire flex), but the car might then be less precise on high-speed sections. I personally run standard pressure.
* Empty out the car completely. Things falling around will distract your concentration and cost a few 10ths.
* Have the minimum amount of fuel in your tank. A full tank can cost you around a second or more.
* Clean your windshield.
C) BEFORE EACH LAP:
* Relax. Keep your heartrate/nerves/adrenalin level down. Relax your muscles. Do not run to your car etc. Be in the car, strapped in, at least 2 minutes before your run. Relax your mind. Do nothing that will excite you or disturb your required concentration.
* Sit comfortably, arms and legs bent. Straight arms and legs will cost you several seconds.
* Do not wear sunglasses or a tinted visor. It interferes with your depth perception and can cost you a few 10ths.
* Once you are ready to roll, shut out all distractions/sensory inputs that does not contribute directly to your driving. It’s like concentrating yourself into tunnel vision.
D) DURING EACH LAP:
* Make a decent start without too much wheelspin. Shift the car in 2nd gear before you turn into the first gate.
* One foot on the floor, either the gas or brake. Trailing throttle is „dead“ time.
* Pick your brake points and hit them precisely. Late, deep braking is for the experts and not yet recommended. You can easily blow a perfect lap by overshooting a gate. Braking should be done before the turn-in. Braking should be used to stabilize the car before the gate, so that you have a controlled acceleration through (not after) the gate.
* Get on the throttle early. Once you feel that the car is stabilized, get on the throttle. This is where you make up the most time. Compensate for your car’s throttle lag. Get on the throttle early. Try to accelerate everywhere, even between the closest pair of pylons. You pick up 10ths and 20ths everywhere.
* When you run on/close to the rev limiter, gear up. You will go faster with less effort.
* Through the serpentines, stay tight to the pylons, maintain a rhythm. Once you go wide, the effort to switch left/right/left/right nearly doubles. Your approach is very, very important. The car should be stable when you enter the first switch. If you start to swerve here already, then your rhythm will be disturbed for the whole section. Since you have already paced the serpentine earlier, you will know exactly what speed you can carry through the section.
* Think 2-3 gates at a time. It is like a good chess game where you have to think in advance. On certain tracks, if you mess up one gate, you will not recover sufficiently for the next 1-3 gates.
* Identify oversteer/understeer areas. Adjust your driving style immediately to cope with the situation.
* Learn to drive thru a tailslide or 4-wheel slide. Do not lift (if possible).
* Use careful doses of trailing-throttle oversteer to bring the tail around in certain tight bends. Only lift the throttle for a micro second (you should know your car). Do not lift for too long and spin out.
* Do not corner with crossed arms. Move your hands on the steering wheel.
* Memorize your whole lap (for analysis later).
* Never hit pylons. The penalty time cannot be made up anywhere.
E) AFTER EACH LAP:
* Analyze your lap. Know where you are fast or slow. Know why you are fast or slow.
* Plan your next lap based on the knowledge gained. Learn quick. Do not require 3 laps to figure everything out.
* If everything works out, walk up to your closest competitor and congratulate him on his second place.
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JackZ28
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 12:43 pm |
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Joined: Mon May 28, 2001 6:03 pm Posts: 8686 Location: Houston, TX
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Wow- that sounds very serious. I guess if you want to win, though, you need to be. Good article.
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Firechicken
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:41 pm |
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Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2002 7:17 pm Posts: 1201 Location: Winder, GA
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Thanks for the insight !!!!! What you said makes sense, especially training yourself durning daily driving!! You told me that along time ago and it alot of it has become second nature.
_________________ 2004 King of The Hill
2005 King of The Hill
Retired US Army
[img]http://www.fbodyeurope.org/gallery/110_Image098.jpg[/img
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Roy
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 2:33 pm |
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Joined: Sun May 27, 2001 2:52 pm Posts: 5556 Location: Mehlingen,Rhineland Pfalz, Deutschland
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Garry
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:00 pm |
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Joined: Sat May 26, 2001 9:59 pm Posts: 7823 Location: Bad Hersfeld, Germany
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Cool post, tnx Stef!!!
_________________ Garry Glendown * '99 Firehawk Convertible
"Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you." "Speed doesn't kill - suddenly becoming stationary on the other hand ..."
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Daddy
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:49 pm |
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Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 5:59 pm Posts: 2334 Location: Little Rock Arkansas
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So, you think you know what you're talking about?
Jokin man. I can't wait to try out that map you had of the Hock.
Thanks for looking out for us
_________________ I wake up in the morning and piss excellence!
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BenZ28
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Post subject: Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 10:47 am |
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Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2001 3:53 pm Posts: 2485 Location: Mainz, Germany
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Thanks Stef!
Ben
_________________ 1999 Camaro Z28, black, T-Tops, M6
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z06
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Post subject: Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:05 am |
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Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:24 pm Posts: 67
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Just what this AutoX'ing newbie needed! Vielen Dank!
_________________
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Nazman
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Post subject: Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:34 am |
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Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:39 pm Posts: 177 Location: Gernsheim, Germany
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Great stuff!
Bookmarked and saved.
Thanks Brother! keep it coming!
_________________ Garden Snake
"The F-Bodies Worse Nightmare!"
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