|
|
| Race Tips - Performance Newsletter |
from Auto-Ware
July 2013 | |
|
|
|
|
Coaching Tips - Comfort is the Enemy of Great
 As humans we tend to settle into what is comfortable. However, in racing, comfort can be the enemy of a great champion.
Another strong human trait is self preservation (or dollar preservation). It also plays into how fast you drive your race car and can very well be limiting your lap times.
As a Racing Coach, I help my drivers recognize that much of what they do on the race track is habit due to comfort or a past bad experience. Sometimes when a driver has an accident in a particular corner it has a permanent impact on how fast they traverse that corner. It may not take a big accident, either. In any case, subconsciously you tend to seek comfort and that is where your lap times plateau.
A simple solution is to have your coach evaluate your performance and challenge you to set a new comfort level that is still within the car's limits. You can self-coach using data acquisition techniques as well, but either way, look to match your comfort to the car's limits
For information on how you can get coaching assistance, call 505-890-8708 ext 201
|
|
Race Tips - Go Faster in August
Working with a fellow a while back, he was very concerned with "trap speed" on the long straights. He insisted that we "fix" the car so he could see a bigger number. (Yes, he was new to the sport).
No matter how much we talked I could not convince him that more speed at the end of the long straight was not going to lower his lap time enough to get to the top of the sheet (he was off by 6 to 7 seconds). However, thank goodness, he was willing to look at the data from his system (which by the way he was using only for shift lights, speed and alarms).
After using some basic concepts of data analysis, this driver made a few changes to his driving and suddenly his lap times dropped by 4 seconds.
This is a true story and there are many more just like this one where racers have used the techniques from our data acquisition webinars and have shed seconds from their lap times and made their cars handle better.
Don't wait, join the webinars starting the week of August 5 and see what happens to your lap times. Go HERE for more info and sign up today! |
|
|
Shop Tips - Less Mess
 Let's face it, many of the jobs we do in the garage are kind of messy. Of course there is the time factor, but ask yourself "Would you rather be working on the race car or doing janitorial work?" No brainer, we all would rather work on the car.
One of the things I do to reduce the mess when using my chop saw is to use an old drip pan. Just place it under your saw as shown in the photo and then make sparks.
Granted, it is not paint booth clean, but 90-95% of the mess stays in the pan. |
Equation of the Month - Thrust Limit
Choosing gear ratio doesn't have to be trial and error. Back in the May 2011 edition, a drive thrust calculation was presented so you could identify how many pounds of force were pushing the car forward. However, sometimes choosing a first gear ratio can be a little tricky. You may pick a ratio and the thrust equation presented two years ago might indicate a huge amount of force pushing the car forward, but in reality it just didn't work out that way on the car. That's because you have to remember the "burn out" parameter. At some point the tires cannot generate enough force and you get wheel spin. Use this month's equation to identify the thrust limit before wheel spin. Then compare the old thrust calculation to see if you are adequately pushing the car forward or "up in smoke."
TL = Cf*SRW/(1-(Cf*CGH/WB)) TL is the thrust limit the tires can generate, Cf is the tire's coefficient of friction (1.1 is a good starter number), SRW is the static rear weight, CGH is the center of gravity height, and WB is the wheel base |
|
Also, let your friends in on the secrets!
Thanks,
John Block
Auto-Ware |
|
|
