AMP3 2010 - In car video

[tut]

N3 does not have the best gear change in the world, so thankfully I am in 4th all the way around with 5th on the two straights.

tut

[campbell]

Hairpin?

[Sanjøy]

Hairpin?

6th

[tut]

Well spotted, 4th for normal use, 3rd for chase mode.

tut

[campbell]

Bizarre. Guess you must be carrying quite some speed through the hairpin then.

[alicrozier]

Bizarre. Guess you must be carrying quite some speed through the hairpin then.

Remember tut has a JDM box with S1 wheels so his 4th is shorter than 3rd in a standard S1...his 3rd is only slightly longer than 2nd in a standard S1 (actually almost identical to 2nd gear in a standard S2)...and he has lots of lovely supercharged torque.

[campbell]

Aha. I knew the box was C-R...but not quite THAT C-R! (as in Crazy Ratios )

[CubanGav]

Colin wouldn't have been driving. A couple different people had it out including me. Can't get a clear look at the helmet to be sure so going to apologise for that one. Still learning and very green.

Not me - my passenger for the day had a white helmet. I didn't think I had done the sharp exit from the pits.

In the spirit of learning (and only a brief thread swerve Ferg if I may) - What’s the correct move for the guy that moves over to let the faster cars past at the start of the straight to find come the end there are still cars queued up on the left aiming to get past? Happened only a couple of times to me during the day as I wanted to keep out of everyone’s way so moved over as early as possible.

Do you muscle back to the left to take the corner on the right line, and hope a space is made? Responsibility on the driver behind to see the slower car needs to get back on line.

Or stick to the right all the way round and move over when you can see the space is available? Saw this happen and had to do it myself as I wasn’t confident a gap would appear.

Seeing a huge line of very rapid cars looming in your mirror makes you question your choices and what you have been told.

[Lazydonkey]

I always indicate left in plenty of time and move across and take your line......unless there is someone hammering down and you'd force them to brake. You paid money for a trackday and no-one will complain if you move back to take your line as long as you give people plenty of notice and dont move back over halfway down the straight.

If you are on the right and dont move back most people will say "thank you" and pass you until you run out of straight so you generally have to make the move.

i generally get passed a fair bit on track and no-one seems to have complained yet.......

[tut]

Gav, although you have pulled over to the right to let cars past, the corner is yours and you should move back on line when you are ready to.

Any responsible driver will anticipate this and slow down to let you in. However when they get in a line following each other this does not always happen and from your point of view it can be difficult to move across when you see several cars bearing down on you.

Best bet is to start your move across gradually so that cars behind can see what you are doing and anybody but a complete dickhead will let you in. In that situation if anybody made contact with you, then track rules would not apply, and we would ensure that he was responsible for any damage to your car.

tut

[campbell]

Lazy and Tut are broadlly on the money, Gav. I spoke to Danny about this (my novice for the day) and impressed on him the importance of returning on-line to take the corner. Telegraphing with a left indicator whilst having an eye in the mirror is about the best you can do.

If you don't get assertive like this, you end up crawling round the apex (which I saw at least once) which turns out even more dangerous IMHO.

I was wondering though...did I see Colin's 340 do an "interesting" move into the pits on one of the vids...Sanjoy's I think...where the car took the hairpin apex, appeared to be near the inside of the track on exit, then dived across to the pits fairly late (albeit indicating!) causing what can only be termed a traffic jam! Sanjoy was practically at a standstill I think. Important to be hard left on entry and through hairpin, with left indicator, if heading for the pits I think.

[tut]

There is no reason if you are going into the pits not to go right around the outside bend and use the kerb as well, then cars can actually pass you as they come around the hairpin and you are leaving most of the track width for overtaking.

tut

[CubanGav]

If you don't get assertive like this, you end up crawling round the apex (which I saw at least once) which turns out even more dangerous IMHO.

This happened with me and the Mini (sorry not sure who was in it). We arrived at the end of the straight and I slowed expecting them to move out back on line. It got to the point where we were both at the end of the straight at a near standstill. I figured I'd rather dive round the outside than get caught stopped in the braking zone. More a case of each not really being 100% confident than anything else I think.

Thanks for the confirmation folks.

[alicrozier]

Here's my unofficial but recommended technique Gav:

Clear the previous corner fully, check mirrors, indicate and pull smoothly right (I've seen people spin trying to dive out of the way too quick).
Only then lift off as/if required but don't slow down too much, harder to slot in when you're doing 30 and I'm doing 130!

If you're happy for multiple cars to overtake get right over to the right edge of the track and keep right indicator on.

When you want to move back on line (even if faster cars are still coming) cancel indicator and smoothly position your car in the 'middle lane' of the track. Still leaving a 'lane' on the left for sefety. Look to do this as you approach the normal braking point, maintain reasonable speed. At some point a faster car in the train will realise it's not on to overtake - you haven't given them consent and you're now in a braking zone. Left indicate and smoothly retake the line.

Any 'lane' changes make them smooth and slow - don't swerve. That gives everyone time to see whats going on and react.

It's alot down to common sense, vision and anticipation from the faster cars but doing the above will clearly signal your intentions which is all that can be asked. The faster cars must abide by the rules and everyone should be safe. I don't get overtaken much these days but still use the above on cooldown laps.

[campbell]

That's a great mini-guide actually.

Nicely put Ali.

I think it's great to be able to introduce novices to the thrill of a trackday and it's important that people are not frightened off by the level of experience and pace they are surrounded by. Within our group this is now particularly high given all the racers, sprinters, hillclimbers, and Frolickers, as well as the evolution of a lot of cars into higher performance spec than the fairly std Elises most of used to hack around in back in 1999. I still remember when Robin's first silver S1 was one of the most powerful Elises on-track with its 135 upgrade!! In those days it was only mixing with 300bhp Scoobies or "118" bhp S1s...