Body roll and tire load

[BhZ]

I just finished reading "Tune to win" by Carroll Smith and while it helped me to understand better the dynamics of a racing car, it left me with some questions about some topics. From what i understood, each tire has its graph with grip/tire load. The grip on the outside tire should increase thanks to the weight transfer during a turn, but too much weight will have the opposite effect, reducing grip due to the slip angle getting too big. Based on this, i suppose that reducing the weight transfer should help, since the inside tire will have more load, being able to get more grip and the outside tire less, developing less slip angle at the same speed as before. Am i correct?
If so, my thought was to play with springs and ARB. Is there a way to know approssimatively the correct value to get more grip?

 

[BhZ]

Learning the track is so, so important. I always drive to RD rules ( two wheels inside the white lines on corners ect) so find it hard to talk about lap times in general.

I honestly don't understand that rule. Where exactly can you gain lap time driving outside? Eau rouge is the only one where the rule can be applied, am i wrong?

 

[Brandon Wright]

I honestly don't understand that rule. Where exactly can you gain lap time driving outside? Eau rouge is the only one where the rule can be applied, am i wrong?

Lots of places, depending on the track. At Spa specifically Pouhon, Stavelot, and Blanchimont are a few turns you can gain some time by going four-off. You can run wide at the exit of La Source to gain some time too if the kerb doesn't kill you, same with the exit of the bus-stop chicane. None of those would gain you as much time as straight-lining Raidillion but you could still gain quite a bit of time if you put four-off in all of those turns. Especially if you're doing it lap after lap.

 

[Rupe Wilson]

Im talking about tracks in general, time can be saved on corners either cutting tight over curbs or taking full advantage of run off's on exits.. RD rules are different to just hot lapping.
http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/racing-club-regulations-2017.10978/
Rule 8

But how a track is driven outside of RD club races it totally up to you

by Brandon

 

[BhZ]

Im talking about tracks in general, time can be saved on corners either cutting tight over curbs or taking full advantage of run off's on exits.. RD rules are different to just hot lapping.
http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/racing-club-regulations-2017.10978/
Rule 8

But how a track is driven outside of RD club races it totally up to you

by Brandon

Hotlapping or not it's the same...In hotlap mode penalties are activated and the lap is not registered if you cut in any turn, so at least for me, there's no point in cutting turns.
P.s. This post is going places...the topic change every 3 messages

 

[Brandon Wright]

Hotlapping or not it's the same...In hotlap mode penalties are activated and the lap is not registered if you cut in any turn, so at least for me, there's no point in cutting turns.
P.s. This post is going places...the topic change every 3 messages

Except that AC's boundaries and penalties can be inconsistent, so for the sake of consistency we stick with the rule found in most motorsports that two wheels must be on the track (inside the white line) at all times. We also usually run the club races with penalties off because the dreaded slow-down penalty can cause havoc on the track so we have to go by and enforce our own rules.

 

[Rupe Wilson]

My original reply was to Brandon's statement about learning the track is or can be just as important as any set up

 

[BhZ]

Except that AC's boundaries and penalties can be inconsistent, so for the sake of consistency we stick with the rule found in most motorsports that two wheels must be on the track (inside the white line) at all times. We also usually run the club races with penalties off because the dreaded slow-down penalty can cause havoc on the track so we have to go by and enforce our own rules.

Don't get me wrong, i absolutely agree with that rule. I just thought it was abvious. Btw, i love the fact that penalties are disabled...god knows how many times i ran wide in a turn, maybe in the gravel and got a penalty as well.

 

[Brandon Wright]

Don't get me wrong, i absolutely agree with that rule. I just thought it was abvious. Btw, i love the fact that penalties are disabled...god knows how many times i ran wide in a turn, maybe in the gravel and got a penalty as well.

Yeah, the AC penalties do more harm than good in an online race IMO. And sometimes you get a penalty for barely going off in one turn but can completely cut another one and not get any penalty. But then again most games I've encountered had penalty systems I did not care for, must be a hard thing to get right.

 

[Glaurung]

I honestly don't understand that rule. Where exactly can you gain lap time driving outside? Eau rouge is the only one where the rule can be applied, am i wrong?

I can guarantee that if you try to stay with at least 2 wheels inside the track at the left hand after Rivage, Stavelot and Blanchimont your lap times will be affected. Particularly at the exit of Stavelot, staying with the whole car on the outside kerb is a huge advantage because allows you a wider line at Courbe Paul Frére with faster speed in the flat-out part up to Blanchimont. The advantage it's a half second there.
The cut at the left hand of Radillon is sure 2 tenths gain.
Summing all it's about 1 second in a theoretical best lap.

 

[Strikeman]

I can guarantee that if you try to stay with at least 2 wheels inside the track at the left hand after Rivage, Stavelot and Blanchimont your lap times will be affected. Particularly at the exit of Stavelot, staying with the whole car on the outside kerb is a huge advantage because allows you a wider line at Courbe Paul Frére with faster speed in the flat-out part up to Blanchimont. The advantage it's a half second there.
The cut at the left hand of Radillon is sure 2 tenths gain.
Summing all it's about 1 second in a theoretical best lap.

The corner with no name is faster if you take a sharp initial turn in and then keep 2 wheels inside the track, Blanchimont is best not to hit any rumble at all.
With car setups its allways a compromise and you have to find out which area of the track you need to tune the car to. For example in spa you will be faster if you set stiffer arb in Pouhon but slower in Les Fanges because of a longer entry to the corner and vice versa.

 

[Coffer]

Really? In my experience it's about a half second, maybe a second at the most. I usually go drive the car stock first, get to know it really well and how it handles around the specific track. Once I feel I'm getting the most out of it I'll find a tune to throw on and maybe shave another few tenths off but nothing major. But just by driving the stock setup around for 15-20 laps I will shave several seconds off from my first laps and I really get to know the behavior of the car.

It depends on the person. It's definitely closer to 3 seconds for me, since with certain setup changes I can completely change how I take specific portions of the track, and with that comes extra confidence, which itself also improves my times. The only time I'd gain less than a second is if I'm on a track where it's very unlikely that my lines will ever change, and of the base tracks only Silverstone seems to fit that description so far for me.