s2i

Instead of having a tip of the month in this newsletter, we are going to start the year by showing you ten ways to reduce your lap times. Each month this year we will then take one of these points and examine it in more detail, giving you a free guide to data logging. Make sure you catch our newsletter every month and learn a few things that may help you get the edge over the competition. The hyperlink on each point refers to an image displaying how that point is displayed in the Analysis Software.

• Compare speeds and times on multiple laps. Consistency is one of the key things you need to achieve in order to go faster. Comparing many laps will help you identify areas which you need to focus on improving
• Compare cornering forces on multiple laps. Make sure you are consistently using the maximum available grip in each corner.
• Look to see how much later driver could have braked using longitudinal acceleration, comparing braking points from yourself and another driver can often reveal "lost" time on the circuit.
• Time slip rate on track map (red = bad, blue = good) Timeslip can be viewed in many different ways, a quick way to illustrate where time is being gained/lost is to colour the trackmap with timeslip rate, this helps you identify areas where you can improve.
• Simulation to show what is possible with perfect driving. The simulation tool allows you to see what is possible if the driving is absolutely perfect, this can be used to set a goal post for improving laptimes. Be aware though that the simulation is only as good as the input parameters so be careful.
• Simulation to show how much lap times would improve for a particular car change. Experiment with the simulation parameters to identify which area of the car will improve performance the most.
• Play back video as a function of distance for looking at line differences. Using video in the data Analysis can prove to be an invaluable tool to review different lines and the effects they have on laptimes.
• Use internet maps to find braking point "reminders". The internet map option can be useful to find landmarks close to braking point, this will enable a quicker track familiarisation and inspire more confidence in using the brakes.
• Use histograms to check RPM usage. A histogram can quickly reveal whether the engines powerband is being used properly, you find that a gear ratio change will help keeping the revs up and maximise the engine output.
• Use performance table (acceleration times) to check that the car is running 100% and to maximise start performance. The Performance Calculation tables provide a simple and easy check to make sure your vehicle is performing as it should. It also provides a very useful tool to measure race start performance. Being able to start consistently well is very important to achieve the maximum from a race.