We've talked some about trying to help everyone improve their racing and step up the competition at the top.
there is a Thread over on Mini-zracer that has some really good info in it about driving and how to build your speed and consistency.
I'll be following it and posting alot of the info into this thread. It's some good information for Everyone.
Some of these quotes are from a couple PNCW World Champions, and overall there is a pretty clear message, Consistency is the most important. With consistency comes speed.
Do you crash a lot? When I say a lot I meant, ONE crash every lap and that's A LOT. If so, just practice on going around the track without hitting the walls for the entire 3-5 mins straight. Then check how much lap you did within a certain time. Do the same after that and try to beat your lap and time (not referring to best lap). As you progress, you'll see your line will start to change on it's own because you're trying to find short cuts to shave some of your times. I know this is what I did and it worked out for me.
If there's traffic or other drivers on the track, just let them go if they're faster or go around the slower drivers but do not hit the wall.
Them being there is part of your training.
Goodluck and have fun!
Oh yeah, when you're taking a break or cooling down your car, this is the perfect time to watch the faster driver. You'll learn a lot too just by watching them.
Line choice really depends on class and track layout. In general, you want to take the shortest distance around the track. For slower motors, keeping speed up through a slower section may be important depending on the layout. Try to concentrate on the slowest corners on the track, to get through them as fast as possible time wise.
Going through very slow corners, tight lines make much bigger of a difference than keeping speed up. Running wide in a slow corner can make a big difference on lap time. You want to make sure to slow down enough to take the corner tight, but not too much to slow down the lap time. Wait on using full throttle until you are exiting the corner. Using throttle too early (before the apex) will make you go wide on the exit... slower lap time. The fastest line between two points is a straight one. Accelerating too early in the corners will make you arc wider, wasting time. Also, letting off throttle too late will make you go wide as well... You only want to get on full throttle if you know you dont have to let off again in the corner. Getting on, then off and on again will increase laptimes a lot...
In general, if you want to try to drive smoothly. Reduce scrub and keep apex speeds high. Break the track into sections, and try to get the fastest time through each section that you can. Setting up for the slowest corners of each section helps reduce laptimes. You also want to get up to speed as fast as you can. Accelerating in a straight line will give you the fastest increase in speed.
Hope this helps for starters... more will come in time.
edit: when I was writing my post, Tjays wasnt there yet. Hes right on with what he said. Every crash is a minimum of a second, if not more. Clean lines matter more than fast lines. Over time when you run a series of clean lines, you can tighten it up. Having a car that is not edgy will make it easier to be consistant. Most people say that my cars push a bit, but that makes them consistant and I can find the limit easier. I always prefer a car with a little push to the opposite, oversteer. Oversteer may be a little faster on the fast lap, but is much more likely to get out of control. In practice, push the car as hard as you can, in races, back off a little bit to keep it from crashing. That is what I do, and normally my laptimes from 100% to 80% only differ by .2-4s per lap, but consistancy increases tremendously.
I'll have to agree with Tjay... first and most important is consistency!!! When you get to a point when you can hit the same lines over and over again you will start to get a feel for what is fast, and what isn't.
And when you get enough consistency, you can try different approaches to just one corner, or a small section of the track and see the difference in laptimes.
One other way to learn a lot, is simply by just watching other drivers, and try and chase a faster driver. That's the best way to practice when you get to a skill level when you can control your car. Following another car gives you a good idea of where your losing time, and how you can improve your lines.
What an education! Some fast guys posting some serious tips. The name of the game really is all about consistency and mental focus. Try doing 30 laps without touching anything. Just count in your head 1,2,3,4,5...10,1,2,3,4,5...20,1,2,3,4,5...30. When you can do that, stretch it to 40, then 50.
You'll find that you'll have to take it easy (85%) if you want to accomplish the goal. You get to lap 26 or 27 and you start tiptoeing around the track... :p And you'll find that being careful and getting out of your rhythm will cause you to blow a sequence of corners leading to a crash! After you get used to that drill, then turn up the heat to 90-95%. The hardest part for me is to stay focused and in rhythm for the entire duration. Keep in mind that the top drivers have less than 0.5s between their fastest laptime and their average laptime over the course of an entire race. That should tell you something about how important consistency and rhythm is.
The final step is to be able to break out of rhythm to attack, pass and deal with traffic. The ability to change your rhythm for 2-3 corners and get right back on pace is the key to being at the top level, and it takes a lot of practice.
The fast lines will come with practice as well. Shorten up the track as much as possible without affecting momentum. Wide exaggerated lines rarely work with mini-z, since they turn and carry speed so well when set up correctly. Think a couple corners ahead and make sure your exit line doesn't put you in a bad place for the entry of the next corner. Every now and then, I'll try to drive a lap at 1/4 throttle and put the car exactly where I want it. Then slowly ratchet up the speed while trying to hold that line.
Well I've been driving for a year now, so I'm not a top driver, bur here's what I've learned so far.
At first I thought I need to make my car as fast as possible and the consistency will follow. After being able to put donw fastest laps for a couple of club races but still ending 10 laps down on the winner I knew I was wrong.
You need to make your car consistend and then start working on faster lap times.
At first I had realy soft front tires to give me alot of steering so I didnt need to slow down alot for the corners. Now I use harder front tires but I also use the brake ALOT. I trimmed the brake down so it does brake but at full speed it takes a meter or 2 to stop. But thats just enough to slow you down for the corner. First thing I noticed was that I didnt make as much mistakes going into the corner as I first did. Secondly the front tires last alot longer (being harder and putting less stress on them going into the corner). Thirdly, my lap times dropped 0.1 0.2 sec (we race on RCP laptimes about 5.5 sec so 0.2 is alot).
I'm more relaxed during a 15 min race, my car is much more consistend during the race (before it would start to loose front grip after 7 8 minutes) and I make alot less mistakes.
Gl in finding your way
i totally agree with what has been posted...as i am working on the same things...altho i have proven not the most consistent
one of the things that i do is PRACTICE @110%.....to find my fastest lines ,not caring how many times i hit the wall i feel that driving by brail helps me get my timing down
(u gotta find the limit!)
i do this to find my peak...
i am of the school of "practice slow=go slow" "practice fast=go fast"
however when i am going for consistency i average about .2 sec slower l typically get within the .5 sec margin, however if i make a mistake in that 10min run i know that i can go faster to try and make up for that mistake
all who have posted above are champs so i would do as they say....
jus my $.02
When practicing that's what I do. Just try and get the 'fastest possible lap' out of the car. Don't car if I crash 4 laps just to do a great one... That just establishes a benchmark lap for me. Then i try and fine tune the car so it is confortable driving around that time, even if it's a bit slower. Then when the race is up, i know I have a fast pace, but I can push it a bit more if I need it.
The thing is, for novice drivers as LED pointed out the fastest lap means nothing. So the word is consitency, consistency, consistency...
It's simple, the driver with the best average lap times always wins (well duuuhhhhhh
) the fastest lap is just for bragging.
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