Lodelle! i think ill be there saturday the 22nd for my bday! lemme know if your working

 

ive gone a few times and i still havent figured out the best way to go through turn 8 because the other people in front of you usually dont know how to take that turn and you lose so much speed and time when they stop and you have to avoid hitting them

 

just got back from it... damn they repaved the course!! things were so different this time. I couldn't take turn 1 at WOT, I had to lift right before the apex then I can WOT through 1, 2 and into 3. My co-worker was also there and the fastest guy today said he just went sideway through 1 and into 2. I was trying grip throug 1 and into 2. Not sure which is faster.

However, I am able to go through the entire course without braking now and I think I am okay with 3a and 3b. But my setup for 4a and 4b are just wack. I think I should have take wide on 4a and clip the apex on 4b.

I am able to take 6 with no brake too, but too slow on exit. I think I need to take either an early or neutral apex and take it wide on the exit to carry some spee into 7 and 1. I was able to hit low 20s last time and today I was running low 21s. I think I still suck at 6, something is different with 3b and 4a and I wasn't able to get through them like I did last time. And 1 I just couldn't figure it out...

 

Now, I know that for both tracks the workers keep saying "don't brake". But I'm confused, so can someone explain? I only find two instances to brake on this track, please tell me why this is the "slow" way....

After the high speed from the exit of 6 through 7 through 1 through 2, going into 3 seems like just way too much speed, so I brake a bit. Otherwise, I have to lift throttle very early (and seems like a long coasting) after exiting 2 in order to balance throttle through 3.

The other one is after the double apex 4, speeding through 5, it seems like a similar situation... too much speed for a hairpin 6. If I only lift throttle, I feel like I have to coast a LONG time. Balancing the throttle is obviously key through those hairpins to control the tail slides.

To me (a novice), it would seem that these braking examples are providing a later "braking zone" for the same apexes. No?

 

I know exactly what you mean... I was thinking like that too. You don't have to lift early, just go in HOT and LATE. I only lift the moment I start turning then I get right back on the throttle. When you turn, you turn SHARP! It's almost like going into a spin then you power out of it. My best lap came from one of my last ten laps where I started not braking at all. Trust your kart, it will turn! This way I was able to get a much faster entry and mid corner speed. The I was able to catch the fastest guy (after he passed me at turn 1, by turn 3a he was abou 3 kart length ahead) by the time I enter 4a. Then I suck at 4a and 4b AND 6, where he would be 4+ kart ahead of me...

Same thing with 3a, but theoretically we should take an early apex due to the straight after the turn for max acceleration. I have a lot of trouble with 6 myself so can't tell you much. But I think I was able to carry more speed if I take 6 WIDE on the exit to avoid sliding/drifting and more grip for acceleration...

Turn late and sharp not brake..

 

this is what i think why no brake is better than late brake...

no brake going into turn 1 say at 25mph and drift all the way in to 2 and stay at 25mph the whole time. until you regain traction at entry of 2.
brake for turn 1 say at 20mph and accelerate through 1 and into 2 and exit at 27mph.

because you had a slower entry speed even you were able to accelerate, you weren't able to cover as much ground as 25mph all the way with no acceleration. therefore no brake drift is faster than brake before turn. Think trail braking...

For those karting experts, please correct me if I am wrong...

I guess maintaining max speed is more important in go kart...

 

I am 275'ish and my best time last time I went was 21.9x. I was averaging 23/24 though.

 

Hmmm, there must be kart dynamics that don't happen like in a regular car with suspension. I've heard about this "kart trick" like you mentioned where you use the turning of the wheels hard like this. Why does this work, as opposed just breaking traction of the front wheels or sending the vehicle into a tail out induced oversteer from the sudden weight shift to the front (like in a regular car)?

Yeah, wide seems to be the way as it allows the kart motor to spin up faster to the higher rpm power band. But you're saying you took an early apex for this one?

I must not have turned sharp enough because I tried that on turn 1 (after the long straight) and smashed sideways into the wall when I did a 4 wheel drift after breaking traction... ;D

What is it that different with the kart vs a car?

 

I think weight shifting is the key. Until I went on the track and start karting, I have only read about it and understand it conceptually...

The dynamics are the same just much easier/more sensitive with kart. When I turn then lift, I shifted the weight to the front and being oversteer and back on the gas to induce understeer.
I did similar thing at Infineon but had to brake to shift the weight to the front. Then back on the gas to prevent spin and induce understeer. The induction of the understeer helped pushing the car to the outside on exit and as that happen you unwind the steering to regain traction. By the time you are done you are already in the straight. And of course, the sooner you regain traction, the faster your exit will be.

As for 6, I am still playing with it... I just know I have to take it wide at exit. Not sure if I should take early or neutral apex. Textbook turn for late apex is so you can stay (speed) in the straight for as long as you can. early apex is so you can get back on the gas as early as possible for the next straight.

 

One trick I learned it to lean out. If you do that it should free up the inside tire a bit and let the motor spin up faster.

I'm not as good as some of those guys there, but you don't really need brakes. My best so far is 19.7, but I need some more practice. I'll probably be down there on Saturday as well.

A few of the employees are down in the 18s IIRC. Supposedly the track surface is not any grippier, but is more consistent which should help around some of the corners.

Are you guys going to the meet on 8/12?

 

lets just plan a day when most of you can come out and ill show you around and help you guys out before the big subaru meet on the 12th of aug..

shoot me an email and we will put it together - robbie@lemanskarting.com

during the day mid to high 19's are really good, at night low 19's are really good..

Thanks,
Robbie

 

I'm up for that! How about a lunch time thing or a weekend time?

 

I want to make karting a monthly thing... And I just went last Friday around noon time. Robbie, I don't know if you remember the group, I was with Bob's group and only had 7 guys.

Next time I go I am going to do the all you can drive thing again on Tuesady (my less busy day) and that would be some time in August.

 

i am game for a lunch time thing, i am there usually mon, wed and fri (9-5) so anytime would work... plus at lunch time we do have a special of 20% off!!

so take advantage of that!!

shoot me an email to confirm when ill be there..

thanks,
Robbie

 

I probably do, we have so many groups come through its hard to remember exactly haha...

Yeah the all you can drive for $75 is a great deal, see you then!