How To Do It?!

[Guest IgnativsElvis]

Hey Keith,

 

While, this is my first post here, I've emailed with you a couple times and have read all the TOTW books numerous times.

 

I've been fortunate enough to do well this past year, racing with WERA, but I've got some stuff I need to work on for next year.

 

Getting out of turns faster. I know that at every track I've raced, I can get at least 2 more seconds out of my best lap times. It seems that this is all "in the corners".

 

My first inclination is that I need to get on the gas harder between the apex of the turn and the exit. Pretty basic.

 

My second thought is that I need to get into the turns better. I think sometimes I plan too much on setting up the turn, that I go into it slower than I should be, and am accelerating before the apex. In the theory of being smooth and "being on the gas as early as possible", I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing.

 

My last inclination is that I'm way off and there's something else I should be working on.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks,

 

Eddie Kraft

[Bullet]

Hi Eddie,

 

Thanks for your post. Sounds like you've gone well racing, so well done on that front.

 

Have you done any levels of the school? If so, what did you feel you could improve on? What did you feel you least understood? If you've not done the schools, ever considered the benefit of coaching and observation by trained coaches?

 

If you don't or can't for whatever reason, how about breaking down your riding with some self analysis? You say "I could be 2 seconds a lap quicker", can you give that some context? Where do you loose time to other, faster racers? Where do you feel weaker? How do you consider your riding/racing after a heat or championship race? Do you sit down and note what you did, what went well? Consider what was bad and you wouldn't do again? Do you plan for how to improve?

 

Have a think, come back to us all, and let's discuss?

 

Bullet

[Cobie Fair]

Hey Keith,

 

While, this is my first post here, I've emailed with you a couple times and have read all the TOTW books numerous times.

 

I've been fortunate enough to do well this past year, racing with WERA, but I've got some stuff I need to work on for next year.

 

Getting out of turns faster. I know that at every track I've raced, I can get at least 2 more seconds out of my best lap times. It seems that this is all "in the corners".

 

My first inclination is that I need to get on the gas harder between the apex of the turn and the exit. Pretty basic.

 

My second thought is that I need to get into the turns better. I think sometimes I plan too much on setting up the turn, that I go into it slower than I should be, and am accelerating before the apex. In the theory of being smooth and "being on the gas as early as possible", I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing.

 

My last inclination is that I'm way off and there's something else I should be working on.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks,

 

Eddie Kraft

 

Hi Eddie,

 

It would be best to see you ride, then we'd be able to see what you are doing. Some riders get on the throtlte too soon, before they have set the lean angle fully, and guess what, makes you run wide! Then you can't get back on the gas as early or as hard as you'd like on the exit.

 

Could be caused by what's happening at the approach to the turn; body, visual skills, turn set up, braking and downshifting--there's a pretty long list.

 

Any chance we'll get you at a school, so we can have a look?

 

Best,

Cobie