How to Go From 3rd to 8th in the First Five Corners
Since I started racing in February, I have found that I still have quite a bit to learn! No surprise there.
This video is from AutoClub Speedway on the roval. I qualified 3rd out of 10 so I have good basic driving speed but I'm still learning to negotiate traffic. I don't want to sound like I am whining but not one is cutting you any slack out there so you have to be fairly aggressive to make a pass - or to even keep the pace. If you are sitting back or get behind a slow car, you drop back like lead weight.
So, here for your enjoyment is an example of how
NOT to start a race. I start 3rd and drop to 8th in the first five corners (about 1/3 of a lap).
What went wrong? Just about everything.
First, the pace speed at the start was right at the rev limit between 2nd and 3rd gears, so you'll see me shifting from 2nd, hit the rev limiter, shift 3rd, too low of RPM for a good take off, shift back to 2nd, on the rev limiter again, and so on. So I lose momentum on the start and lose a few positions as we accelerate down the front straight.
Second, I get held up a bit behind a 911 who is having a mechanical problem. Watch the world stream past me.
Third, with all of this happening, I fail to defend the inside line and get dive-bombed into Turn 3. Maybe this wasn't the best pass for the other driver to make but I saw him coming and gave him racing room. Again, I should have defended that line so he couldn't come up on me.
Fourth, I get squeezed at the apex of the next turn and have to slow and the car on the outside moves ahead. This was exactly what the other driver was supposed to do - force me to the extreme inside (while still giving me racing room) which allows him to roll through the corner faster on the outside.
All of this is incredibly exciting from the driver's seat and I'm having a blast out there even while I'm getting creamed.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbavOhobKB8&feature=youtu.be