Mx-5 Race day - Lakeside 14 May Special Event PSCRAQ

Trackphotos · Postby **Trackphotos** » Mon May 16, 2016 12:05 am

It was an ambitious attempt, a little too fast for him to get inside you and not push out into you. That being said, predictability is important and wandering across the track changing lines half a second before turn in can have results like this. You can see the car in front of you turns in later than you do, and from further right on the track, to hit the late apex line about 5 metres further along the kerb than you would have. If David was expecting you to take this normal late apex line, he might have been caught out after committing to the move before you began drifting back over to the middle of the track for an apex somewhere between the usual early and late ones. As you said, it's all a learning opportunity, and no major harm came of it.

gslender · Postby **gslender** » Mon May 16, 2016 7:08 am

Trackphotos wrote:You can see the car in front of you turns in later than you do, and from further right on the track, to hit the late apex line about 5 metres further along the kerb than you would have.

I actually can't see that, but then again, can totally admit to lacking the experience to know the difference. All looks like I'm on the same line as the person in front (up until being hit), but hey, that's motor racing and many a fists have gone flying over such incidents. I'm pleased David and I talked about it and the biggest issue we had is that we both couldn't figure out how we got an equal dent in the same place?

Trackphotos · Postby **Trackphotos** » Mon May 16, 2016 8:59 am

Yeah it can be difficult to see sometimes, you need a point of reference for both cars. The most visible one in this video is a lockup mark in the middle of the track. The car in front has his left wheels on the right side of the lockup mark when he turns in. Keep your eyes on the mark and you can see that by the time you turn in properly, you've gradually drifted from the right side of the track far enough over for the line to pass under the right side of your car. It's easy to begin drifting toward a corner without realising, I think it's related to the target fixation that catches people out. When you look at something you tend to steer toward it without realising. It might take a conscious effort to be looking toward the apex and continue straight until the turn in point that the leading car uses.

MattR · Postby **MattR** » Mon May 16, 2016 2:48 pm

Grant, got to remember racing door to door is completely different to sprints.

Yes lines are important, but when there is a gap you put the car down there to get a spot. Racing isn't about times so much as position. Having said that, yes you need fast times to get the positions.

Also Grant, you left the door very open and begging to have someone take the spot off you. More experience would have you driving a bit more defensively to make the pass harder.

Hopefully the bug has bitten and you will make the step up to racing.

I can't wait to have my car finished, hopefully this year if the fun tickets stack up high enough, so I can get back to racing. Five years is way too long to be out of a car, and the sprints, whilst fun, just don't cut it compared to door to door.

MattR · Postby **MattR** » Mon May 16, 2016 3:00 pm

Trackphotos wrote:Yeah it can be difficult to see sometimes, you need a point of reference for both cars. The most visible one in this video is a lockup mark in the middle of the track. The car in front has his left wheels on the right side of the lockup mark when he turns in. Keep your eyes on the mark and you can see that by the time you turn in properly, you've gradually drifted from the right side of the track far enough over for the line to pass under the right side of your car. It's easy to begin drifting toward a corner without realising, I think it's related to the target fixation that catches people out. When you look at something you tend to steer toward it without realising. It might take a conscious effort to be looking toward the apex and continue straight until the turn in point that the leading car uses.

Look at any shot of most racers and you will see them looking at where they want to go, here's a couple of examples, my eyes are looking to where I want the car to go...

Or when things go wrong, still looking to where i want to go....

zossy1 · Postby **zossy1** » Fri May 20, 2016 6:53 am

Some beautifully presented cars - looks like it was a great event!

We need to do more of this. I would dearly love to bring the blue rocket up and try my luck against the QLD contingent!