A friend of mine (yes, really), frequents this karting course.
He's asked me to post this:

Can y'all help us out?





Feel free to photoshop the line on.
Thanks!

 

Sure ... I'll take a stab ...

http://24.0.108.222/mitchntx/Image2.jpg

In traffic maximizes the straight and allowing the driver to get on teh gas sooner.
No traffic allows the driver to maximize the straights

JMHO ....

 

Thanks!
Ayone else? This is a small indoor track (if you look closely, you'll see doorswings in the plan).
From what I saw, on the big turn on the far right side (last turn), the fast lappers brake, enter wide, cut straight (left), exit wide, accel.

My bud needs help on the tight hairpin though.

 

Hey carlos, is this local? I will post my line after i figure it out after i mess with it in photoshop.

 

No, It's out near Reston, VA.

I'll post up a line later too.

 

Hey Mitch.. how about doing the same traffic/no traffic with MSR for us? I've been thinking a lot lately about Rattlesnake on the first lap...

 

i dont know how accurate you can make that, but i dont quite agree with your lines.

i wont really get into this, but you've got to nail those turns that lead to the straight, all the others arent really going to help you make up time in karts. To be honest, im not sure which way you drive the track, but use all the road you can (all the runoff in the top left corner turn leading to the back straight). Id even cut later apex's to help with the top speed

my 2 cents

 

what karts are you running btw?

 

If you look for the s/f line and look at where the cars grid, it is obvious which direction the track is run.

When in a race and when in traffic, that is to say protecting your position, it becomes a game to get the guy behind you to lose momentum and not necessarily maintain or maximize your own.

Protect the line down low, early on means you have to brake sooner, yes. However, it also means you can get on the gas earlier.

What is the affect on your opponent? He will either have to over-take you on the outside or get on the brakes hard to keep from hitting the back of your car. And because you are braking early, you will be straightline braking and if you do get hit, it won't be a spin ... in theory.

So you maintain an acceptable pace yourself and you disrupt your opponent's. A race is not necessarily FTD every lap. It would be nice, but not practical. A race is about keeping your own lap times faster than the guy behind you.

Jaimie, please get into it. I'm curious about your line. Turning in at the optimum point leaves a HUGE hole for a faster driver to muscle you out of the way.

 

you are right Mitch it is obvious which way the track is run, it just comes up so small on my comp, i didnt notice it.

I was asking what karts they are runnning to help with the line i would use.

the 100cc karts are very competitive in which everything is momentum so you want to use all the track you can, yet still drive defensive. you have to be smooth to be fast and you have to have a good feel for the limits of the brakes. The 125cc shifters are very different in that they have so much power and such better braking that they can take advantge where the 100's cant.

i was thinking for doing an early apex to turn one and using all the run off into a straight line setup to turn 2 which i would either do a late apex to setup that hairpin or perhaps try a double apex coming in hot. I would use more of the pavement around the hairpin and be more on the right side for the setup of turn 3 to get on the gas sooner for for a straighter shot and hopefully more speed through the s turns. Then the most important turn, I would then take a late apex for turn 5 to help with the straight speed so you can outbrake someone you are overtaking.

this would be something i would do if i was lapping, i agree with you mitch that racing is much different. There is alot of track to take advantage of in turn one if you are going to overtake someone in the braking zone. From the looks of the map, you could do an early apex and still be ok getting on the pwer early.

with all that said i dont think you are going to get much help online. Your best bet is to talk to the guy who runs the track and get his opinion. Try not to just look at the map for your line, but find what works best. I like to walk the track and "walk" the line i would race before i ever get in a car. From my experience, track maps can be very inaccurate.

anyway hope that helps

 

Hey, thanks all. Much appreciated.

 

Something I learned from a very experienced race driver (Lou Gigliotti) is more than 1/2 the race is figuring out how to hurt your opponent's momentum.

Because RARELY does one have the luxury of running away from the field ... unless of course you build a Caddy and give all the SCCA officials huge kick-backs ...