You present up on a weekend morning in your shorts and GRM T-shirt, examine your tire pressures, anticipate the drivers assembly and work assignments, and finally hop in your automobile to make some runs. Isn’t that what autocrossing is meant to be: accessible, laid-back, cheap and enjoyable? And it is.
However most of us are there as a result of we’re racers. We wish to compete and, let’s face it, we wish to win. We’ll sink massive cash into tires, shocks and each go-fast piece we are able to discover as we chase down a tenth right here and there. So why not use information acquisition like each different critical racer does? Extra of us are doing simply that.
We examined a number of completely different setups at occasions starting from native to regional to the SCCA Solo Nationals. Right here’s among the information we gained.
Grabbing the Fundamentals
[Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]
After each autocross run, you get one piece of information by default: your time. That point says when you went quick or gradual.
However to determine why you went quick or gradual, you must depend on your reminiscence or some doubtlessly subjective feeling you had concerning the run. What when you may have extra information factors? For instance, what when you additionally bought a break up time midway by way of your run? You’d begin to know the place you improved or slowed down. 4 splits could be higher. One break up per part and switch could be higher nonetheless–and so forth.
In fact, nearly any data-acquisition instrument in the present day may give you greater than only a few break up instances. It could actually present your pace by way of every a part of the course, your lateral and longitudinal acceleration, the gap you traveled, a monitor map, and rather more in order for you it.
So, if one piece of information isn’t sufficient, how rather more do you actually need? This can be a difficult query, particularly at an autocross the place you could have only a few minutes between runs to evaluation your efficiency. You need sufficient data to get an goal, measured view of the run, however not a lot that you would be able to’t make sense of it rapidly.
The first reply for us turned out to be speed-over-distance graphs. Our technique was to overlay two runs and evaluate our speeds on the identical factors of the course–for instance, the identical variety of toes traveled from the beginning. In doing so, we may see whether or not we have been quicker or slower in every part, and whether or not going quicker or slower in a bit helped us or damage us within the subsequent part.
The Instruments for This Train
There are myriad information instruments available on the market in the present day that vary from free cellphone apps to full-blown techniques that value hundreds of {dollars}. We sampled a number of instruments, then narrowed the sphere to 2 usable examples from every finish of the spectrum.
On the low-buck finish, we tried a couple of free apps and rapidly realized their limitations in high quality and repeatability. We then determined to spend somewhat cash and settled on RaceChrono Professional, a $17.99 obtain for our iPhone ($19.99 for Android). Virtually all the free and cheap apps beneficial utilizing an exterior GPS, which could have the next sampling price than a smartphone chip. We paired RaceChrono Professional with a Garmin GLO Bluetooth GPS ($99) that we connected to the console with Velcro ($2.97).
On the full-blown finish, we went with a Race Expertise DL1 Membership data-logger package ($870 base value) and an OBD-II interface ($220) from the identical model. The package features a data-logger field, exterior GPS antenna, a mini SD reminiscence card, and a few wiring bits to make connections to sensors and different exterior inputs.
This isn’t meant to be a product evaluation, so we received’t go into rather more element about both of those techniques. Nonetheless, we are able to say that the low-cost app and the complete system differ probably the most in terms of expandability and the depth of the evaluation software program. Whereas an app will be coupled with exterior cameras and a few further sensors, a full system can hook up with much more inputs. Plus, software program for the complete techniques is considerably extra developed and might actually allow you to drill deeper.
Nearly all of instruments on the market, together with those we used, are literally meant to file a number of laps on race tracks. Whereas they tailored fairly properly to autocross, we did battle a bit to make them work repeatably with single laps and separate begin and end strains. Nonetheless, they definitely helped us pace up.
Utilizing the Information
We have been initially enamored with every system’s monitor mapping characteristic, however we ended up referring to easy numbers and graphs so as to go quicker. We did use the maps to correlate course sections to graph sections, however as soon as we’d completed that, we solely seemed on the graphs after every run.
Our key technique was to ascertain a baseline, then evaluate it to subsequent runs to seek out alternatives for enchancment. If we had a co-driver, the quicker driver would set the higher baseline. The slower driver often realized extra from the quicker driver, however we discovered the quicker driver getting some use out of the slower driver’s information as properly. And not using a co-driver, our first run served as our baseline.
The extra we practiced evaluating runs to a baseline, the quicker we may interpret the information and put it to make use of. Right here’s how we put our technique in motion.
LOW-BUCK DATA SETUP:
data-logging instruments: iPhone 5 in driver’s pocket w/RaceChrono Pro app related by way of Bluetooth to Garmin GLO GPS
value: $119.96 (not together with cellphone)
automobile: 1999 Avenue Touring R Mazda Miata
venue: native autocross
On this case, one driver was fairly a bit quicker than the opposite, so the slower driver in contrast his information to the quicker driver to see the place he may enhance.
1
This screenshot reveals a typical view of the RaceChrono Professional app. The highest half is a monitor map, whereas the graph on the backside reveals pace versus distance. The vertical purple line corresponds to the pointer on the monitor map. On this case, the slower driver (heavy blue line) seen that he wanted to hurry up rather a lot within the early elements of the course. He was shocked to see that he carried out fairly properly on the lengthy straight, a bit the place he assumed he’d misplaced time.
2
Learning the information comparability paid off rapidly for our slower driver: His subsequent run was a lot improved–by seconds. He nonetheless wanted to make a bit extra progress to catch his co-driver, however he knew the place to chase it.
3
The heavy line represents his second run. Arrow 1 factors to a bobble: The motive force didn’t get again on the fuel quick sufficient, inflicting him to hold much less pace by way of the part. Arrow 2 factors out one other misstep: lifting off the fuel too early.
4
This setup actually helped the slower driver, however what concerning the quicker driver? He in contrast his first run to his second run, which was about 1 second quicker on the 90-second course. When he overlaid them, nonetheless, he may see two clear locations the place he efficiently ran more durable within the first run.
On his subsequent run, he fastened these points and shaved a number of extra tenths off his time. Information had helped him pinpoint the simplest positive aspects.
5
Up to now we’ve revealed how our drivers used information to hurry up throughout the autocross. However learning that data postmortem can result in additional positive aspects. Because the slower driver seemed over the information from his runs, a sample began to emerge. Evaluating his runs to the quicker driver revealed the place he was constantly braking too quickly and coasting into turns.
This realization gave him one thing to work on for the following occasion: staying on the fuel and stabbing the brakes somewhat previous his consolation level.
HIGH-END DATA SETUP:
data-logging instruments: Race Technology DL1 data-logger package, Race Expertise OBD-II interface
value: $1090.00
automobile: 1967 CAM-T Ford Falcon Wagon
venue: national-level autocross sequence
To check our high-end data-logging setup, we headed to Indiana’s Grissom Air Reserve Base to run our traditional Ford Falcon on the Tire Rack CAM Problem Powered by SCCA.
1
On this screenshot of our first run, the monitor map is fairly clear. Every of the peaks and valleys within the graph corresponds to a bit of the course. We edited the screenshot with one other program so as to add the labels; the information evaluation software program gives its personal labeling choices, however we by no means discovered time to make use of them throughout an occasion. As an alternative we took benefit of the interactive options, like clicking a spot on the map to focus on the identical spot on the graph. Our first run took 54.524 seconds.
2
After reviewing our baseline efficiency, our most important technique was easy: Go somewhat deeper into every nook with out scrubbing off any pace popping out of it. The arrows labeled “A” notice the place we succeeded on our subsequent try.
That second run taught us a pair extra classes, and so they’re marked “B.” Lesson one: We entered Flip 5 slower than earlier than, permitting us to exit quicker–gradual in, quick out. Lesson 2: Going quicker into Flip 6 and apexing later precipitated us to wash off fairly a little bit of pace by way of Flip 7–quick in, gradual out. Nonetheless, we have been rewarded with a lap time of 53.592, an nearly 1-second enchancment.
Actually, information or no information, we might have pushed more durable that second time in an effort to seek out the sting of the Falcon. Nonetheless, that further data did assist us set a technique for our third run: We determined to maintain our earlier positive aspects and in addition appropriate the error on Flip 6. For the reason that information gave us related and goal data, we may tangibly put it to make use of on the third run.
3
The info confirmed a pleasant enchancment, and we have been rewarded with a good quicker time: 52.848 seconds.
We’re Simply Getting Began
We efficiently used information within the warmth of the battle, sure, however extra positive aspects got here from poring over it afterward. The extra information we had, the extra helpful it grew to become, permitting us to find our largest points–after which, hopefully, repair them.
Which is the higher instrument? We absorbed the information a lot quicker with the RaceChrono Professional app, however we may go a lot deeper with the DL1. In some instances, we’ve tracked our efficiency with each techniques concurrently, utilizing the RaceChrono Professional information throughout the occasion and the DL1 information for postmortem evaluation. If finances is your limiting issue, the app is the clear selection.
This comparability has modified our autocross morning routine only a bit. We nonetheless present up in our shorts and GRM T-shirt and examine our tire pressures, however now we run and evaluation information, too.
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