How a proper game plan can help deliver time trial success

Just send it.

Right? 

Success favors the bold, and what better way to succeed at time trials than by throwing caution to the wind, uncorking your wildest fantasies of speed, and going full throttle into tomorrow. 

Right!?!?

Okay, let’s dial it back a little, tough guy. As the discipline of time trials becomes more popular, the techniques required for success …

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I try to grid either upfront or all the way in the back.

People run painfully slow warm up laps and are way to cautious on their first flying lap for me. In the Datsun I'm pretty much on it after half a lap.

One thing I'll add is that if I get hung up behind someone or blow a corner I will experiment with things on that lap. The lap is toast anyway so you might as well.

The predictive lap timer in the app I use shows me within .11 of the best possible lap. Can ask for more than that.

Ironically my fastest lap at the last three time trials have been the final lap of the final session. It's a great way to end the day.

Tire choice can really make a difference. My car is turbo (Civic Type R) and on a hot day, there is can be just 1 good lap before IATs decrease power output. OTOH, lap 1 is not usually my fastest from a driver's point of view but I don't use Yoko A052s, so it makes a difference what tire I choose. I need to get the tires warm but not the engine.

Something else to consider is that during a lapping session, tires may increase by 8 to 10 PSI but not sure how much increase occurs in 1-2 laps so starting cold pressures are a bit of a guess. 

In reply to SlowHonda :

I helped a friend who races time trials with that very concern at a Road Atlanta track day last fall. Every 2 laps he pulled into the pit for temp and PSI readings. We found the PSI increase was pretty much done by the end of lap 4 and mostly done by the end of lap 2. Your tire volume and type may affect that, but it was pretty simple to establish.

TPMS systems make this much easier, of course :-)

The events I have run work best when gridded fast to slow.  Yes, you have to patient on the out lap, but things should work out from there.  If you blow a lap, you need to get out of the way if someone catches you.  I have had TT sessions completely blown by a novice drivers who grid in the wrong place and then do everything possible to keep you from passing cleanly.  Heads up driving can often allow a pass by a faster car without sacrificing the lap.

Personally, my fast lap is usually the 2nd flying lap (and that's generally how I plan it), but sometimes the first depending on conditions.  I have had my last lap be the fastest as well, however.   All depends on conditions and traffic.

Speaking of traffic, I'm looking at an upcoming TT series that's very interesting to me, but all 'competition' laps are timed during the normal HPDE group sessions.... seems like a terrible idea to me.  Thoughts?

Rodan said:

Speaking of traffic, I'm looking at an upcoming TT series that's very interesting to me, but all 'competition' laps are timed during the normal HPDE group sessions.... seems like a terrible idea to me.  Thoughts?

 

This is going to be heavily dependent on track density. The best laps are going to either be at the beginning or the very end of a session. Sounds like a perfect opportunity to have an impromptu meeting on gri dna get a feel for everyone's plans and figur eout who's there looking for times and who isn't. 

Also, are they somehow designating TT cars vs HPDE cars? With like a sticker or something? A windshield banner that basically tells the non-timed drivers "do not impede this car if you see them in your mirrors" might not be a bad idea.

Rodan said:

Speaking of traffic, I'm looking at an upcoming TT series that's very interesting to me, but all 'competition' laps are timed during the normal HPDE group sessions.... seems like a terrible idea to me.  Thoughts?

 

Depends on group and density. Intermediate is almost always full to the brim and you have everyone from people who self promoted themselves from novice to people who are lapping at advanced pace, but afraid to sign up for 'reasons'. When I ran there I rarely got more than a lap or two unimpeded. Advanced group I have a lot less interaction with traffic and density is typically lower. The biggest issue is if the track is short and they don't get the last car out before you come around. Following someone on who is on their outlap is terrible. It sounds like a mess if they don't have special accomodations.

• No outlap yellow- so they can let you pass
• Grid TT near the back so that by the time you finish your outlap, the non tt drivers will be fully up to pace?
• Maybe outset the sessions a bit? Let TT drivers get 3-4 laps in before releasing the hpde guys? Id would make sessions a bit longer but your most likely window would be clean at least.
• Maybe have a TT only session just in the morning and then mix cars later when the track is hotter?

Eh. I wouldn't be expecting a lot out of it.

theruleslawyer said:

Eh. I wouldn't be expecting a lot out of it.

This is kind of where I'm at.  How the TT competitors are distributed through the run groups is the $64 question that no one wants to answer...

The organization running the trackday is one that didn't impress me the one time we ran with them, but that was 8 years ago.  The organizers of the TT series haven't had much in the way of answers to how things are going to run.  A lot of 'we'll play it by ear'...  Doesn't inspire the confidence level I'd like before hauling 500 miles to an event (the closest one, BTW).

Fortunately there's at least one event before the one I'm considering attending, so there should be some feedback. 

Rodan said:

This is kind of where I'm at.  How the TT competitors are distributed through the run groups is the $64 question that no one wants to answer...

The organization running the trackday is one that didn't impress me the one time we ran with them, but that was 8 years ago.  The organizers of the TT series haven't had much in the way of answers to how things are going to run.  A lot of 'we'll play it by ear'...  Doesn't inspire the confidence level I'd like before hauling 500 miles to an event (the closest one, BTW).

Fortunately there's at least one event before the one I'm considering attending, so there should be some feedback. 

 

 

One of the groups I run with did a similar TT event for awhile, but it was more like bracket racing. In the morning you'd run with your normal group. Then you'd set a target time for your TT only group session at lunchtime. You'd be scored by how close to the goal you got. It was an interesting idea that got around the classing issues. I kinda wish more places offered something like that. The SCCA TT around me usually only has a couple cars in each class and often only 1. Not enough for real competition.