Your Tips On Skyline Tarmac Driving

[Tomek]

Haven't come across a similliar thread like this, definately believe it's a good idea and am keen to learn more! Will be very interesting to see different driving styles relative to tire, power, suspension and drivetrain options.

Il start with my compilation;

(This is what I find that works for ME and MY car)

I've had the car for a good 16 months now, attending a handful of track events and the more then common hill run I've learnt a fair bit and have progressed well. Adapted my driving style to suit the car and it's set-up.

Car 93 R32 GTR with HICAS

Power 240kw @ 1 bar, light diet; stripped boot

Handling Toyo T1r (front), Toyo proxy 4(rear), Tein adjustable coil-overs, green stuff pads

-learn the car.. Know what the car is, how it puts power down, brakes, turns, any tendencies it has... The simple basics..

-Make sure the car is up to the task at hand! Brakes have friction, critical temps, tires are healthy and warm.. It's not a touring car you won't be able to keep performing at 100% lap after lap. When driving always leave room for error I stick to the 80-90% rule

-Once you commit the power into the turn DON'T let go, use the throttle to your advantage adjusting the cornering lines trajectory with your feet rather then hands

-understeer is easily enough corrected with power or smooth lift off/ brake (prefer the power ).. unless your going warp speed then your screwed. ..... Slower in faster out, front heavy gtr is prone to understeer.

-Many people turn in too early and are then forced to tighten up the corner on exit. Make the corner as open as possible, you will carry more speed and reduce tire scrub ultimately spending the least amount of time in that corner.

-Brake in a straight line, my car has hicas (removing in the future) I find that the car wiggles under hard braking from the weight transfer. Do not trail brake unless you REALLY know the car, if you are forced to trail brake get back onto throttle gently asap (pending on car's direction ofcourse) to transfer the weight back into the rear.

-When linking turns be smooth, give the attessa time to work and keep the weight balance as neutral as possible keeping the car flat, power on/ brake progressively. When possible use the transfer to get out of sticky situations. Weight transfer in my opinion is very over looked! Try strapping yourself into a 4 point harness and attack the twisties, it's much easier to feel what the car is doing and where the weight is going as your are basically moulded into the fixed seat.

-Use the right gear! If you max the gear mid corner don't change (you dip the clutch, car goes from max power to 0 for a split second when grabbing the next gear. Brutal way to unbalance the car)

***end of dribble drabble**

Cheers Tomek!

Edited June 28, 2008 by Tomek

[Boss-zilla]

Interesting thread. Will be good to see the difference between the skylines (32,33,34) but as always each driver will attack the course in their own way.

So far i have not had time to get to the track but hope to change that soon.

[R338OY]

-Many people turn in too early and are then forced to tighten up the corner on exit. Make the corner as open as possible, you will carry more speed and reduce tire scrub ultimately spending the least amount of time in that corner.

Totally agree. Taking the turn a little later and swinging the nose around helps reduce understeer. Once the weight is settled and the nose feels lighter (than turning in early) mashing the throttle is more controlled and effective and throws even more weight to the rear as the corner exit is taken.

Early turn-in makes it harder to use the entire corner. The line is sharper and more weight is thrown on the front left/right wheel. This becomes an issue when tackling the apex. Late turn-in is more an "aim at the apex" method IMO, it's more balanced.

[Snowman]

The best advice I've always given people is quite simple. Hold it flat in the straights.

[evil_weevil]

best. advice. ever. there snowy! hahah

If I write my tips....I'll make everyone slower.....which means I may go faster! haha

[Marlin]

Ditto on that tip there Snowy, one of your best

I'm going to try not to produce a bunch of drivvle here on, but one of the best pieces of advice I once receieved from Gentleman Jim was to try gearing up, ie, stay a gear higher than your brain is telling you, using the torque and not revving the tits of it.

I used both methods at Winton on Sunday, and when using only 3rd and 4th gear for the entire circuit it was consistently approx one sec a lap quicker than raping it in second gear for the tight stuff.

It's a method that transfers well over to tarmac rallying as well, and the car will thank you for it

[code blue]

Found this the other day...

Top 10 Driving Mistakes

[Tomek]

BUMP

Superlap only being a few weeks, im sure people have learnt something useful or applied certain methods which payed off.

Do share.

[hrd-hr30]

you can't learn to drive on a web forum. what do you want us to tell you? brake as late as you can, get the apex right while holding as much corner speed as the car is capable of, and get on the gas as hard and early as possible - simple really

[Roy]

Use the grass, there is miles of race track out there that people don't utilise!

[DRD-00F]

If there's a hard lefter coming up, and there's someone behind you, throw on the right indicator... That should confuse them and make them turn into the wall / gravel trap

[Tomek]

lol.. bunch of jokers ey..

you can't learn to drive on a web forum. what do you want us to tell you? brake as late as you can, get the apex right while holding as much corner speed as the car is capable of, and get on the gas as hard and early as possible - simple really

Im not asking for tips for myself, but rather interested in hearing about people's different driving style.

Not as simple as you word it, or else everyone would be running fast times.

[djr81]

Use the grass, there is miles of race track out there that people don't utilise!

Bloody oath. Don't be a girls blouse. Don't just clip the apex kerbing with your unloaded inside tyres. Do it like a real man & stuff all four wheels over the kerbing and take as much grass as you can with you.

The cornering sequence is simple.

Brake (if you must).

Turn in.

Nail that kerb.

Get some air.

Get some grass.

Get some serious chassis/tarmac spark interaction when you rejoin.

Edited July 23, 2008 by djr81

[GTS4WD]

Slow is smooth.. smooth is fast..

Use the warm up laps to get into the rhythm.. start off slower with the focus on being smooth.

Find the limit by steping over it. A race track has run off areas for a reason..

[infamous_t]

I'm going to try not to produce a bunch of drivvle here on, but one of the best pieces of advice I once receieved from Gentleman Jim was to try gearing up, ie, stay a gear higher than your brain is telling you, using the torque and not revving the tits of it.

Good tip

[screamin']

I drive on tarmac much the same as I do on gravel.

A lot of fast entry sliding and late braking. Carrying max speed through the turns anyway possible to try and make up for my huge lack of power!

Plus, the car is actually setup for gravel so to get the best time out of it on the black stuff you have to be a bit aggressive and slidey.

In a car with good grip I agree with slow is smooth.. smooth is fast tho.

[Gts-t]

this is not a tip but i think i was smashing the gears a bit to hard at the track. at this stage i can still use the excuse it was my first time out lol

[phunky_monkey]

I wouldn't worry about that, I slap them in!

But I'm on my 3rd box, so don't listen to me

[sav man]

tip 1: don't crash

tip 2: win!! because teh skyline is teh fastest!!!1!!111!

tip 3: see tip 1

[Duncan]

I've got a tip....you can brake harder than you think you can especially when you are in a straight line.