CR0SS

iTrader: (5)

Chalk is proving to be very useful to me. I do not have an on road track anywhere near me. So I set up tracks in either a local basketball court or parking lots. I use the chalk to mark where my corner markers go and partial lines from marker to marker. These are just to give me some visual markers for turning and braking points. It also insures my corner markers are always in the same place the entire time. Today I then took a different color chalk and marked where I wanted to be in the corners. Drawing short lines at mostly at the apexes of the corners. I set my timer for a ten lap race and ran several races. I would do a couple races driving slowly concentrating on always hitting the lines I placed in the corners. I would then drive a few races trying to just be fast.

I had some interesting results from this. First off the races when I would just try and be fast hitting the tight lines was much easier after running the slow/precise races first. Then looking at the times from the races when I was concentrating on being precise my fastest lap was around a full second slower(mid 13s vs mid 14s) then the races I was trying to be fast. Yet overall times for a 10 lap race when I was trying to go fast were only 5-7 seconds faster. I also kept track of how many times I completely hit and moved a corner marker. All but one time when I hit the markers my overall times were the slowest and the times I hit none were the fastest. The markers are light and just pushed out of the way.

The other nice thing about the chalk is when you place it in the line you want to drive the car picks up some of the chalk when you hit the line and starts to spread it out making the line even more pronounced.

Coach-Z

+1 to that question... I've been adviced to try the VRC game. Anyone else tried this? As far as I can see, you can not choose an electric TC, but does it matter if its electric or nitro?

@Art_Mighty

iTrader: (7)

To everyone that has posted here I wanted to say "thank you". There's been a lot of time in-between last summer and this post; dozens of hours on local tracks, thousands of laps on VRC Pro and i wanted to report that things are getting "better" in the consistency department (but a long way from where they need to be).

I guess I want to start off this new chapter of this thread by asking everyone how they approach corners? What's the mindset? When did you have your "Ah-Haaa!" moment in dealing with the infield and what was it?

sosidge

Corner entry is critical. You can never save a corner if you have overshot/oversped the apex.

The infield is a sequence. Every corner is connected. Don't assume you need to be on the throttle all the time to be fast, focus on the line and don't waste the cars energy by powering off it.

nexxus

iTrader: (315)

Best way I found to get consistent was to set your throttle end point to say 70% and run like that, then move up to 80%, 90% etc

I've had TQ's in VTA where I was getting killed on the straights but my Consistency for a Qualifying round was 0.2, 0.19 and 0.16

Same line, each and every lap, and as you get more consistent, allow yourself some more speed until you can reach that same level of consistency.

nf_ekt

iTrader: (115)

I always look at it like this... It's better to be "slow-in, fast-out" and get a tight line. Comming in too hot just wastes time and leaves the door wide-open for the guy behind you.

My personal style is to be as much of late-braker as I can, once I had used SIFO to learn the lines of a track, I will progressively go into certain turns faster/deeper, and brake at the last moment, get the car to turn hard then punch it. Some guys really don't use the brakes at all but I always mix it into my driving. I find that if I have someone really hounding me into the infield, sometimes the late braking technique can be a defensive manuever and cause them to run a bit wide. But this only works if you are racing guys that know how to run cleanly... get someone that it all throttle and no control behind you it may result in getting taken out. But anyways, that is how I like to go about it.

RedBullFiXX

iTrader: (34)

^^^
This
Find your flow around the track, instead of treating every turn as the final turn, of the last lap.

gonzo416

iTrader: (39)

There are so many good points in this thread. I seem to be in the same boat. I always make the top half of the A main where I race but there are not many racers. When I have gone to other tracks I have made the A-main but fall short because of what you are asking on this thread. Consistency consists of a balanced, free, good handling car that is able to be fast down the straight and glued to the track just enough to carry the optimal cornering speed. In a nutshell, How does this become an enjoyment to learn? not a frustrating chore? My opinion is it definitely does not just come to you. Practice, practice, practice but with a car that has a setup that the fastest guy at the track is using. Now how do you know how much throttle to use in every corner? Practice, practice, practice. My method has been the lap counting system. I know people at my track get frustrated because all I like to do is practice with the lap counter on so I can hear my laps.(I have no problem paying for the use if needed). This seems to make me find the line that gets me the fastest lap times. Now consistency, it will come when you are able to get your car where you want it at any point of the track. OK, so now even with a good handling car and consistent lap times, you're still not the fastest guy at the track. This is where I am. What do you do now to get your car to be faster? Whether it be cornering speed or throttle control. This is where I agree that the pro's or fastest guy at the track should should have seminars so that we can see how it is that he or they get done so we can understand and believe that it is possible that we can accomplish the same(again, I have no problem paying for their help). For example I can race with my T2 008 and switch to my T3'12 and my results don't change. Yet I drove a friends car and it handled so good that it felt slow. We are looking for the knowledge to have the ability to get our car to do this without losing it. Sorry for the ranting on and on. It's just that I have hit a road block my self and am trying to find a resolution too.

Wade....

iTrader: (2)

I have found much greater consistency on corner entry by minimizing my need to use the brakes (actually fingering forward on the controller).

One hiccup I have always had with racing RC is how I could really never replicate a proper corner entry, where you apply full brake to adjust corner entry speed and then relax the brakes as you turn in toward the apex (balancing braking and cornering forces). Brake modulation in that manner was never consistent or reliable because it was happening so fast and the brakes were too sensitive and hard to modulate smoothly. I couldn't do it well consistently.

Since, I have found some ESC's that have very, very good drag brakes that tend to taper off as speed decreases. This is ideal because it gets very close to replicating ideal brake application on corner entry. AND it does all this while you sit with a neutrel throttle finger waiting the hit the apex and power out. This has seemed to greatly help with consistency because it reduces my needed "processing power" and is very consistent to drive.

__________________

imjonah

Brand and model of those ESC and what settings? Please.

DesertRat

iTrader: (2)

All electric motor brakes are is when your ESC deliberately shorts the motor against itself, causing the motor to take the kinetic energy of your car and use it to generate electrical current that is disippated as heat through the windings of your motor. The braking force your motor/esc combo can provide is proportional to the RPM it is turning, so when the motor speed approaches zero (which can easily happen in a slow apex) the braking force goes to zero. This is why in a car you can be hard on the brakes but still roll another six feet at walking speed (my 1/12 does this real bad). All ESC's and motors do this.

As far as driving fast and consistent goes while being on the brakes, I try to have markers where I hit the brakes and let off again.

For everything else, I tend to run a few laps at a set throttle position, and just hit the lines, and slowly speed up until I hit the lines at wide open and I know the car is feeling right.

Wade....

iTrader: (2)

The only one I can speak to specifically is the Tekin RX8 w/ latest firmware. Drag brake is set as strong as it can be short of the wheels locking up (this setting changes frequently)

gubbs3

iTrader: (7)

I would have to say the Ah-haa comes when you realize you can drive proactively, not re-actively. The style is "my car goes here next, then here, then there." Opposed to reactive "fix my sideways car here, went wide here, hit the pipe there."

That knowledge only comes with experience. Lots of laps, lots of trial and error, lots of researching setup guides, and lots of wrenching. There is no short cut to a perfect handling car. However, there is a place to start. When you drove the friend's car that was "Sooooo good," was it also fast? Of course. An easy to drive car is always fast. Sure you could probably squeeze another tenth or two out of it but generally if you're in the camp of poor handling cars, there are probably quite a few tenths still left in the transmitter as well. Start by making the car easy to drive. An easy to drive car is predictable. With a predictable car you can work on your lines and consistency.

Con

I would have to say the Ah-haa comes when you realize you can drive proactively, not re-actively. The style is "my car goes here next, then here, then there." Opposed to reactive "fix my sideways car here, went wide here, hit the pipe there."


I think you have hit the secrect right there!!!! I have never heard it explained that way. Thats got to explain why i can give my car to a faster driver and he can drive it a 1/2 sec faster than me.

C&B RC

iTrader: (1)

Lots of Wisdom in this thread and so many of us at a plateau. I track my consistency and little by little it improves. I tend to be in the middle of the class, sometimes in the A, sometimes in the B. A couple of things that I have found is to run your race, race yourself not everyone else. easier said than done. Also a spec class like VTA where driving is close alot can be learned, as that fast guy passes you, drop in behind him if you can, you'll see quickly where he loses you and what you need to work on. As been said, each corner has a proper speed and angle, get one under control and tie the next one into it. I can tie 2-3 together, the fast guys are dividing the whole track into a couple of sections. Lots of truth in slow is fast & smoother the better. Don't overdrive, spinning wheels cause time loss. Frustrating at times but I still come back week after week to try and get just one more lap in.