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Help me improve my laptimes....


Fordboi

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So on tuesday im going on my second trackday at Mallory with my westy. Im eager to improve my driving and as such, I was wondering whether anyone on here with experience in such matters might be able to give me some pointers. I shot this video towards the beginning of my last track day so I was still a bit nervous etc. Do I just need to be a bit more aggressive on the brakes and lines? By the end of the day I was doing 1minute dead laps but I know there is more in the car....

Westfield track day Mallory Park 24/4/14:

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Seriously though. Quicker times come from practice, being smooth, learning how your car handles and spending money. You look like your enjoying yourself though

A good open track like Blyton is great to push things in relative safety.

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Actually one of the best days of my life to date. Great fun! I have spent plenty of money so got that bit covered. I didnt actually get the car unsettled at all during the day, apart from the hair pin so I don't think I have found its limit yet. I'm slightly nervous as to how it might behave on the edge. As you mentioned, perhaps somewhere like blyton may be better for experimenting on the limit..

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Quick look - use more Tarmac and use more revs - get it aet on the tyres and really lean on them. :-) car sounds great :-)

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Actually Mallory is a fast track and needs fast in as well as fast out so you need to believe in your car and its handling on the limit

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Your driving looks good in general, smooth inputs to all the controls, got the right idea for lines (although Mallory is a bit of a funny one as Terry said!), you just need to lean on the car a bit more in the bends. Somewhere like Blyton Park would be excellent as James mentioned, so you can find the limits without worry. It seems you can deal with power oversteer just fine so the rest will come with more track time :)

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A few comments: Try to avoid moving your hands on the steering wheel. On a flying lap going into Gerrards you need to stay well left and then throw the car in finding the best line you can ( middle or inside of track is ok ) but to be quick you need to hit the apex on the exit of Gerrards and if you are going quick enough you will nearly run out of track as you are pushed wide towards the grass. Stay left and hard on the power approaching Lake Esses then  a hard dab on the brakes dropping one gear and power through the esses touching entry apex and go over exit apex staying left towards Shaw's hairpin. Brake very very hard here and get close to the concrete wall apex on inside before you hit the gas letting the car go completely to outside of the track. Then move asap to the right before cutting back left to hit the apex at the bus stop kink. To carry big speed here you need to be accurate with getting to the apex and running really wide as you go past the pit straight. Move left as you approach the footbridge and round you go again keeping it smooth very accurate with your lines and the times will drop. This all assumes your car set up and tyres are ok as well as brakes etc

Hope that helps

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This is an old video from 2010 but may give some pointers:

 

 

(Don't use the racing line across the grass on lap 2 though!!)

 

As said previously:

 

(1) Use full width of track

(2) Keep a fixed hand position on steering wheel - do not shuffle wheel

(3) Fast gear changes

(4) Use full revs of engine to keep in power band

(5) Turn in whilst still braking (trail brake) - it gives more front end bite.

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Wow fantastic advice all round chaps. Thanks! Im going to pay for some tuition on tuesday. I think trusting in the car is the main thing, really starting to lean on the tyres. Mallory is just so fast in places though! At the last trackday my mate was doing the same laptimes in a tired 172 clio, hopefully I can do something about that with this advice...

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Ford , you should be much quicker than the Renault mate :-) what tyres have you got ?

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The tyres need binning!

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