How do you learn a track?

Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just do lap after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you figure out your braking points? I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on that lap or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 medium speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) NB

**** Post for FREE via your newsreader at post.usenet.com **** Here's what I do... Race online... Then, write down who won the race. Save the ENTIRE race replay. Offline, go sit in the car with this driver, and watch how he won the race, and especially the line they used. Tune your setup to work on that line, allowing for personal taste in race car handling. Of course, the 'cheap wins' don't count. Go for someone you see who wins regularly and seems highly respected for their talents. -Larry "NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]... > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just dolap > after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you > figure out your braking points? > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on thatlap > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) > NB > > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *** Usenet.com - The #1 Usenet Newsgroup Service on The Planet! *** http://www.usenet.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Different people learn different ways. Personally I usually go out there and run a few laps, way too fast. Try to brake deep, try to leave out of the turns faster than I should and that helps me learn where the "tricky" parts on the track are. Then I go into slow mode and I start taking it real easy. I slowly build up my speed lap after lap until I can feel the car getting away from me. That is when I know that is about the fastest I can take that portion of the track at. Do not be afraid to try different entries into the turns. Some tracks you can go faster if you enter low and hug the bottom.. some you can go faster if you enter high and come down to the bottom as you get to the apex of the turn. Just a matter of experimenting "NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]... > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just dolap > after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you > figure out your braking points? > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on thatlap > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) > NB > > >

Everyone does it different. I run lap after lap, Start out slow and go faster and faster learning the limits of braking. Try entering corners slow , fast, high, low, etc,. You just have to put your time in in Practice. Don't try to turn Hot Laps. Experiment with different Lines and different speeds. Learn the track, become consistent, then push yourself and your setup. -- Kevin Anderson [email hidden] "NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]... > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just do lap > after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you > figure out your braking points? > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on that lap > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) > NB > > >

Drive cautiously for a good few laps braking at the first brake marker or just before when the line turns dark (GPL) until you know which way the track is going next. This is very important, you can't go fast at a track if you have no clue which way it goes. Next you need to learn how tight each turn is...if you have a track map available, use it to note the tightest turns on the track. Work on braking zones for just these turns and drive the rest of the track at a moderate pace. Once you have a conservative brake point setup in the slow corners, push the limits of the faster corners and try to figure out the optimal line/landmarks through the turns. Now you can work on getting faster in each turn individually. Make sure you know which way the track is going next before you start any extra speed development. Any time you run off the track, all you have learned is that you weren't prepared for the turn. You won't learn how to drive a corner by running off the road...and you won't learn anything about the following corner either. So just keep the speed down until you are confident in your brake points for the corners. The only way you will learn the best brake points is to start braking early, then just brake a little later each time. Only move the brake point forward when you are comfortable driving the corner at the previous brake point. JB

>"NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just dolap > after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you > figure out your braking points? I basically go out on the track and find the limit of each corner, but instead of starting slowly I speculate on the normal race line/speed/apex/gear I take of that corner, mostly by instinct. Yes, instinct. I find it an essential point that many drivers can't use as they should (you know, those mechanical drivers). If you start very slowly and gradually go up speed, it's imho much harder to push the car to it's limit as you will soon find a nice and easy groove. You won't really want to push it harder as the lap feels totally smooth and your under full control. But did you really know you could take that turn five 15mph faster while keeping the same momentum? That's where instinct come in play. -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.ymenard.com/ -- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

I presume you are talking about GPL? There is no quick and simple way to reduce your lap times. You just have to practice and then practice some more. Saying that, some people (myself included) seem to need considerably more practice than others. Chris On Thu, 15 Feb 2001 20:25:16 GMT, "NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just do lap >after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you >figure out your braking points? >I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one >slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on that lap >or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 medium >speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) >NB > > >

NightBreed wrote: > > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. At a brand new track, I go as fast as I can and brake if I see a dark patch on the road or it looks like I need to slow down. If there is a blind or poorly marked corner (The Snett 67 bridge leaps to mind - no skid marks.) I crash! Needless to say I crash an awful lot in the first 5 laps or so! As for the setup, I grab a universal, stable setup and (sometimes) tweak the gears if it's obviously an unusually fast or slow track. As I drive, if I find that 5th is too short, I stop then and there and raise it. After ~15 laps, I'll start thinking about what gear to use in what corner and how I want to tweak the ratios. > Do you just do lap after lap? Yep, just keep going. After a few laps, I've learned enough landmarks that I can correct obvious screw ups (crashing!) in a few problem corners. After 5~10 laps, I have a fair idea how each corner works and am experimenting in with different lines, gears, brake points, etc. in all the corners. I still go off a lot when an "experiment" goes awry. > How do you figure out your braking points? Go deeper and deeper until I (nearly) crash! > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on that lap > or the next. No big deal (IMO). Although crashing breaks your rhythm, it also teaches you how not to drive! > I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) Whatever works for you....works! As long as you don't keep crashing at the same place, in the same manner, you're learning. I'm not the methodical type so I just go at it. > NB $0.02 -Greg ============ Anti-Spam measures have been taken! Remove duplicate letters to reply.

"NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]... > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you justdo lap > after lap? Yep. > Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? Just drive... > How do you figure out your braking points? Look for "features" on the track, like a particular grandstand, billboard, or whatever. > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can doone > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing onthat lap > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) Change your setup to be "stickier". It'll be slower, but it'll be more controllable. Drive until you can do a lap with absolutely no problem, then start to make the car a little "looser" but faster. --KC

NightBreed <[email hidden]> wrote: > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just do lap > after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you > figure out your braking points? 1. Exit pits. 2. Floor the throttle. 3. At the first sign of a corner, brake to 1st or 2nd. 4. Estimate the speed of the corner while negotiating it. 5. Repeat from step 2 until I'm at the finish line again. On the following laps, whenever I'm approaching a corner I try to match my speed to what I estimated at step four, iterating the line, speed and braking point lap by lap. Yeah, it isn't very fast - it took me around twenty laps to get a hang of Snetterton '67. But I suspect this is how they do it in real life too. My problem is that I usually take it too far. More often than not, I know I've found the optimal speeds and braking points when the track marshalls come from the hut to wave flags and collect bits of Brabham from the trackside. OK, maybe brake a little earlier in the future. Shift-R. > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on that lap > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) At the risk of me sounding silly, may I suggest you try a "role-playing" approach. You have a car, and a track to learn, a GP the day after tomorrow and a team boss who'll kick your ass if you break the car. ;) +Cinquo [GPLRank 27.14]

You could go here and read the track guides: http://www.team-lightspeed.com/B_Stanley/Guides_Main.htm Arc "Kasey Chang (use EXCITE.COM instead!)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:G44j6.182$[email hidden]...

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> "NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]... > > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just > do lap > > after lap? > > Yep. > > > Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? > > Just drive... > > > How do you figure out your braking points? > > Look for "features" on the track, like a particular grandstand, > billboard, > or whatever. > > > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do > one > > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on > that lap > > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 > medium > > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) > > Change your setup to be "stickier". It'll be slower, but it'll be more > controllable. > Drive until you can do a lap with absolutely no problem, then start to > make the > car a little "looser" but faster. > > --KC > > >

"NightBreed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]... > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do youjust do lap > after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? Howdo you > figure out your braking points? > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually cando one > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing onthat lap > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) > NB >One turn at a time, keeping them in order! I say this because I just tried to improve at Rouen, got the hairpin off pat and then improved my time through T2-T3. Of course, I arrived at the hairpin much faster than usual and all my carefully learned braking points were trashed. So I have found that just driving around doesn't work - each turn becomes very different when you arrive at it at a different speed, and I am useless at judging speed in GPL. (The cockpit editors for GP2 were great for this! - putting instruments up in line of sight). So now I work on T1, and on T2 only when I am arriving at it at a consistent speed, and so on ... to the Ring :-( Well that's my theory - if I can reduce my handicap from current 140 then we'll know if it works - for me! -- Laurence Wilmer [email hidden] --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.231 / Virus Database: 112 - Release Date: 12/02/01

Ville V Sinkko wrote: > At the risk of me sounding silly, may I suggest you try a "role-playing" > approach. You have a car, and a track to learn, a GP the day after tomorrow > and a team boss who'll kick your ass if you break the car. ;) Actually, that's probably one of the better pieces of advise I've heard. The 'break it - you bought it' attitude tends to keep you on the pavement. It's not very brave, but you'll learn the track and perhaps race long enought to get the experience to make it to a 'faster car'. Of course, by then you'll have gotten comfortable and *be* faster.

I'm not super fast or anything but I do as I do in real life. Just keep on circling the track braking very early, not sliding or anything until I know what lies ahead no matter where I am, from that just keep trying to learn new corner, get one, move onto the next... To get braking points you simply have to choose a trackside marker, if you feel your too late you'll be in the gravel, if you feel your too early go a little deeper next time... takes a while to be very good at a track but just lots of lapping is an unbeatable way of practice... In something like GPL try watching some replays of others too as you can see their braking points and everything since GPL allows you view a full lap replay. NightBreed <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]... > Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just dolap > after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you > figure out your braking points? > I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one > slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on thatlap > or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20medium > speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) > NB > > >

In article <MWWi6.239036$[email hidden]>, NightBreed <[email hidden]> writes

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>Just wondering how some of you go about learning a track. Do you just do >lap >after lap? Do you concentrate on perfecting one turn at a time? How do you >figure out your braking points? >I am asking because I run into trouble all the time. I usually can do one >slow lap, then I get impatient and get some speed on - crashing on that lap >or the next. I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 >medium >speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) >NB

Find out in which direction the corners go and what is probably the most appropriate gear for each corner. Once you know the order of bends and have a good grasp of the ideal gear then it's just a matter of pushing it a little more each lap with regard to where to brake, turn in points etc. Once you reckon you've got it pretty close to being on the edge without flying off then it's probably time to start checking your setups. -- Peter Ives - (AKA Ivington) Remove ALL_STRESS before replying No person's opinions can be said to be more correct than another's, because each is the sole judge of his or her own experience.

In article <[email hidden]>, Greg Campbell <[email hidden]> writes: >> I guess I just need to learn some patience and do 10-20 medium >> speed laps, huh? But I wanna go fast! ;) > >Whatever works for you....works! As long as you don't keep crashing at >the same place, in the same manner, you're learning. There *are* some places that continue to 'reach out and grab you'... These are the ones that are usually mentioned in the "what's your toughest corner" threads...<g> Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL F1 hcp. +28.67...F2 +151.26...F3 hcp. +373.73 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.