General driving observations

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by BoothJoe, Dec 9, 2015.

  1. BoothJoe

    BoothJoe Registered

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    I watched the Skip Barber video last night and saw a lot of things that I do wrong and the reasons why I suck so bad. But I want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding a couple of things.

    #1. The gearbox is not for slowing down; the brakes are for slowing down. When approaching a corner, you downshift not to scrub off speed but to get to the gear you will need to be in when you exit the corner to give you the maximum acceleration.
    #2. A racecar should be either accelerating or braking. "Freewheeling" by simply letting off the accelerator sacrifices rpms needed for accelerating and also could potentially result in a skid if done suddenly at high speed.

    Now, I know the things above aren't true all of the time, but are they generally true? If so, they really change the way I look at driving on a track.
     
  2. ErnieDaOage

    ErnieDaOage Registered

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    The perfect way around a corner would be that you brake in a consistent way to the apex and as soon as you hit the apex you start accelerating out of the corner so yes you are either on the brakes or on the accelerator. If you hit the apex with 100mph and you are on 130 on the exit of the corner you should use a gear where you are shifting when you are back in a straight line. Its not good when you hit the apex and suddenly you have to make a gear change on 115mph and you are still in the turn on your way to the exit. So basically its true all of the time. You can still lift to loose some speed like you have a turn where the perfect apex speed is 120 and the gear you are in goes from 100 to 150mph for example, and you are approaching the turn with 130 you can try to lift to get through the turn or you can try to break a little bit. Depends on driving style and setup.
     
  3. Spinelli

    Spinelli Banned

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    Yes. Downshifting is to get your car in the correct gear in order to accelerate out of the corner. There is some engine braking helping but theoreticall speaking, you should be braking to the absolute limit of the tyres and therefore there should be no grip left to increase your braking performance anymore but that is in a simplistic and perfect world.

    Engine braking can also help turn the car. However, you can really exploit this much more in the ISI engine. You can be at low RPMs and approaching a corner slower than usual. You then go to turn the steering wheel and the car too easily just wants to understeer especially mid-corner (and especially at slower speeds). Then you do the same thing but in a gear lower, with higher RPMs, and you can get around the corner now, not only that, but you can get around the corner at even a faster speed, plus, while applying even less steering lock to get around the turn. The ISI physics engine benefits overly from engine braking and/or minute dabs of braking which make the car - almost on it's own - want to turn in and continue turning into the corner, and without you having to turn the tyres much (not much steering lock required, the car sort of just continues to turn-in more and more). It's just a part of the physics engine (going back to at-least 15 years) so just giving you a tip. If you don't do that, and just try to turn the steering wheel, the tyres, or don't rely on the high RPM thing, then it will be very easy to all of a sudden get doses of understeer and at quite low angles of steering and tyre lock but don't let this fool you because if you do what I explained above, then you'll be able to go even quicker through the corner (while not turning the wheel/tyres much) and while not understeering. It's just the way it is in this physics engine. You'll get used to it.

    Generally speaking, yes. In a perfect scenario, you want to be braking and then instantly start accelerating again. That is all theoretical perfect scenario, perfect car, perfect driver stuff though.

    Yes :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 9, 2015
  4. Emery

    Emery Registered

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    While you sort of coast through a corner (or maintain throttle if corner is long enough), you're really decelerating/accelerating (good old physics equation says so).

    So, yes, generally true.
     
  5. Lgel

    Lgel Registered

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    This video is very good, and you can try all the lessons on track with the Skippy.
    Simply be aware that this shool car enhances driver errors, so don't be surprised if the cars seems a devil, try to be smooth on pedals and wheel.

    Cheers.
     
  6. Ho3n3r

    Ho3n3r Registered

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    In formula cars, engine braking is very much part and parcel of slowing down, if done right.
     
  7. Comante

    Comante Registered

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    I like to remember about load transfers, every input move load through tires, and every input deplete part of the avaiable grip, that is too related to load. Thinking about this you understand why you make mistakes, applying throttle too much/too early exiting a turn, for example, will make you spin, because rear tires are still unloaded and will spin easily. Another example : if you brake too much entering a turn, there will be no grip avaiable to make the turn of the right radius, as soon as you will start turning in, the front tires will start slipping, and you can understeer out of the track. Actually, in some conditions, applying no throttle or no brakes is the easiest way to employ all the grip avaiable to make a turn, this obviously depend on the car and the track, it is not necessarily the fastest way around a corner, and if the car is upset, is not even said that you will make the turn, but is a good way to not overdrive the tires... actually if your car is an "oldies but goldies" it is probably a recipe for desaster as they are supposed to turn around corners with throttle and/or brakes and noticeable oversteer.
     

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