How to improve lap times with a simple speed/dista...

Discover the Flats

Usually, on most tracks, it’s best to both be accelerating or decelerating always. Your minimal velocity for a specific nook ought to happen at or simply earlier than the apex, and except for that, you’re both accelerating towards the subsequent nook or decelerating towards the apex.

The primary issues you’ll be able to shortly determine on any pace/distance chart are flat, horizontal areas indicating regular pace. Sure, some tracks have segments that learn as comparatively flat areas, however even essentially the most fixed of constant-radius corners sometimes has a reasonably small part of vMin–quick for minimal velocity–as you attempt to exploit the observe geometry to increase your acceleration space out of the nook and delay your deceleration into the nook. 

Even the Nordschleife’s legendary banked Karussell, which fits properly past 180° and has a continuing radius, exhibits a vMin early within the nook as you roll in over the lip. After that, the pace climbs barely by way of the nook as you feed throttle and the automotive presses more and more tougher into the banking.

Flats are enormous pink flags that must be investigated. If these flats happen in a nook, ask your self should you might alter your line to discover a single level–or at the very least a shorter level–of vMin and successfully lengthen the pre- and post-apex straights. 

If that flat happens on a straight, ask your self why you’re lifting and going to a impartial throttle. Perhaps you’re working on top of things on a brand new observe, through which case some psychological well being lifts are actually justified. Or perhaps you’re simply giving your self extra time to identify visible references to your subsequent main management enter. 

Flats on straights are telltale indications of a novice driver, and it’s completely okay to be a novice. However as a novice now armed with the flexibility to shortly spot areas that would use enchancment, you’re now properly geared up to boost your standing.

Sharpen the Peaks

When you’re glad which you can produce an affordable clarification for all the flats in your chart, it’s time to show your consideration to the stuff on the prime, notably the peaks that present the transition from acceleration to braking.

What did we are saying earlier? In an ideal world, you’re both accelerating or decelerating. If you happen to aren’t producing some type of pressure on the tires, then you definately’re simply coasting–and coasting is the enemy of lap instances. 

A superb indicator of how properly you’re maximizing your straights is the sharpness of the transitions from acceleration to braking when coming into a nook. Ideally, you need the acceleration curve to terminate after which instantly drop with as little lag or delay in between the 2 as potential. The much less lag you’ve got, the sharper these peaks will look. Areas for enchancment are sometimes going to manifest in a single–or a mixture–of 3 ways. 

Pink flag: A flattening of the pace hint displays an space the place the automotive is basically coasting and must be investigated. This one precedes a braking space, so it could possibly be indicative of the driving force lifting early and coasting towards the braking marker.

The primary: the overly mild entry. The acceleration curve will climb steadily after which taper and shallow out a bit, if not go utterly flat, earlier than braking initiates. 

The second: a gentle climb of the acceleration curve to the purpose of braking however then a gradual drop in pace adopted by a extra dramatic drop indicative of a very mild brake utility. 

The third: Mix the 2, and also you’ll have the rounded prime exhibiting that you just’re each coasting into the braking zone and initially making use of the brakes too gently. This third pink flag is fairly indicative of what you’d see from somebody studying a brand new observe, so if that applies to you, it’s good to observe how these spherical peaks sharpen from session to session and even lap to lap. This generally is a good indication of how shortly you’re getting on top of things on the observe.

There are a number of real-world conditions the place these indicators aren’t essentially a pink flag–should you’re in a fuel-saving mode, for instance, these lift-and-coast moments earlier than braking will seem pretty steadily–however for many corners, a pleasant, sharp peak on the prime of the curve must be your objective.

Thoughts the Dips

Just like the peaks on the tops of the curves, sharp valleys are additionally your objective. Due to the advanced nature of many corners, nevertheless, anticipate some variation right here. 

For instance, it’s common to see a pace hint shallow out because it nears the vMin level of the curve. That is as a result of decreased charge of deceleration in the course of the path braking section, so the space represented by that shallowing goes to fluctuate primarily based on the form of the nook, your path braking talent, and your automotive’s inherent stability when decelerating and including corning load.

Likewise, the far facet of the vMin level, when you’re accelerating by way of and previous the apex, can present a slower constructing of pace. Just like the corner-entry section, the preliminary acceleration section could be shallow because the automotive digs for traction whereas additionally making an attempt to speed up, then ramp up shortly as you absolutely unwind the wheel. 

Pink flags: Transitions by way of vMax and vMin must be decisive. That’s one of the best ways to spend essentially the most time going quick and the least time going sluggish. A pace hint that peaks with a rounded form is indicative of step by step rolling off the acceleration and gently rolling into the brakes. Likewise, one which bottoms with a rounded form exhibits the brakes being rolled off step by step and the throttle being utilized gently. There are corners the place this can be a needed method, however recognizing these in your pace hint can warrant a deeper examination. Inexperienced flag: Usually your acceleration curve ought to finish in a decisive braking utility.

So don’t sweat these shallow areas an excessive amount of, though it’s best to attempt to reduce them when potential. Nonetheless, there are a pair stable pink flags to observe for right here. The primary potential concern is an prolonged space of vMin. Keep in mind, even within the longest corners, your minimal velocity continues to be going to are inclined to happen in a really small space between deceleration and acceleration. If you happen to’re seeing prolonged flatlining at vMin, examine.

Additionally, be aware of humps and spikes on this space. The deceleration charge shallowing, then dropping, then shallowing once more towards the vMin level most likely means you thought you hit the brakes too flippantly and have been going to overcook the entry, then both utilized extra braking or scrubbed an excessive amount of pace on the entry, then needed to hit the gasoline once more earlier than the apex. 

Likewise, a hump after vMin most likely means you bought on the throttle too early, needed to again out, after which reapplied throttle because the automotive regained the grip that you just took away from it.

Watch out for Spikes

Lastly, scan your pace/distance graph for any humps, spikes or dips–small areas the place the curve detaches from the good circulate of the road and bumps up or down. Normally, these curves must be pretty easy from peak to valley and again once more. 

Pink flags: Spikes within the pace hint often replicate driver error. Throughout nook exit, a pace spike can present too-early acceleration that needed to be given up for a course correction earlier than observe out. Within the braking hint, a spike can point out lockup, aggressive ABS intervention or just misjudging the braking level and adjusting pedal stress too aggressively. Attempt for the inexperienced flag look of a steadily rising or dropping line into and out of corners.

These anomalies could be attributable to momentary wheelspin, sudden brake lock or a sideways second in a nook, however usually they’re straightforward to elucidate as a result of there’s often some drama concerned. And stuff that’s straightforward to elucidate is often stuff that’s straightforward to beat–or at the very least straightforward to make a plan to beat. Whenever you begin seeing the identical spikes on a number of laps, nevertheless, that would level to a foul behavior or an precise drawback with the automotive. Add that investigation to your listing.

Now Go Win

Armed with this cheat sheet and a easy graph that any $30 knowledge program can produce, you’ve now received the instruments to deal with lots of the driving errors that may be uncovered by way of fast and straightforward knowledge evaluation.

And we haven’t even explored further channels but. Having a number of channels of knowledge to pore over between or after periods is nice, however it will possibly additionally result in evaluation paralysis, particularly should you’re simply beginning out with knowledge. 

Begin with a easy pace/distance chart and don’t overwhelm your self. It’s possible you’ll be stunned at how a lot information you’ll be able to shortly entry with a easy, two-axis graph.