Crazy amount of effort here. Nice work.
55.964
Well, that took two attempts and about 6 months, it feels like, but it’s done. A mistake at the exit of S1, gave me free reign to “just drive”. So, I did what I could with S2 and then banged out as good an S3 as I am capable of. And, it was enough,… just.
S1: 18.930
S2: 21.022
S3: 16.012
Pretty solid S1. I bogged going into S2, which added a bit of time to what would likely have been sub 21s run. S3 was bang-on. As good as I can do, at least. So overall, a decent lap, but nothing amazing. But, that’s how I got here, banging these sectors out over and over again, until my mistakes became less of a big deal.
My optimal is 55.65 these days so, despite thinking I was gonna call it a day at 55, I am gonna see if I can get top ten global.
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S3 lights up…
Wellp, the “ding” did what it always does… I am now faster, again, overall.
What is now significant is that I am officially sub 16s for S3. This is legit quick. It’s not repeatable at will yet, however.
S3 is always a bit of a crapshoot, but I now understand how to make speed through there and were/how to get on gas. This requires a great deal of patience and you have to be careful with throttle. Too early on throttle doesn’t necessarily feel wrong, but when you delay it a touch and do it correctly, things suddenly get fluid and fast. This is one of those places where going flat out is slower than carefully feeding in throttle.
So now we have all 3 sectors in the fast category. Sub 19 for S1, sub 21 for S2 and sub 16 for S3.
Given this, I am seeing more and more laps where 2/3 sectors are at my best. I am getting very close to having all 3 wired to the point that I will be able to land a truly fast lap.
Here’s a new faster lap. This moved me to 13 from 15 globally but no change USA.
S1: 18.886
S2: 20.999
S3: 16.073
All this lapping is affecting my normal driving, apparently. My wife keeps telling me that this hotlapping is making me a worse driver IRL. I don’t think she is a fan of using “all” of the road. I should stop trying to apex everything. 
Edit: stuff just got interesting. I mentioned in discord that I might take a run at Tanguys time. I was informed that if I were to beat his time, a fellow racer would donate $20 to a charity. So, I’m gonna match that and go for it. So there’s a whole $40 on the line for charity now. Wish me luck!
12/17/19: The Charity thing got in Tanguy’s craw and he rage-lapped just enough to set a new fastest time of 55.45. The problem with Aliens is their vast reservoir of talent, which allows them to kick everyone else’s butt. What takes me a month takes him 2 hrs. Well, Bleep him anyways since I decided I’m racing for 3rd, not 1st.
In any case, progress. Today I ran 3 back to back 56.00. That’s a first, to be consistent like that, at the pointier end of my time-range possibilities. Shortly thereafter, I made another small step forwards. 55.900.
S1: 18.956
S2: 21.005
S3: 15.939
12/18: The new faster lap didn’t register because of a server hiccup. Don’t care since I am now running much, much faster.
It started with running 3 back to back 56.00 laps. I then proceeded to run 55.9, 56.1, 56.1, 55.9. This would have been impossible 48hrs ago.
As my average laptime plummets, the likelihood for a podium lap increases. I called it a night after running the first two sectors 18.88, 20.88 and then crashing in 3rd. That’s on pace for a .65.-.75.
I don’t know what I’ll land at, eventually. It’s going to be lower than I thought, however. I keep finding a bit more speed with each ding. Tanguys optimal is now .2. Is it feasible to shoot for a .5? As of now, it seems hugely unlikely but look at the progression I have experienced. I keep being pleasantly surprised. I may find that I am capable of this, not sure. Time will tell.
Evening: 55.875
S1: 19.055
S2: 20.802
S3: 16.018
A few hundredths off third, now. Maybe tomorrow.
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55.797 US #3, GLB #9
S1: 18.872
S2: 20.900
S3: 16.025
Got US #3 and top 10 global!
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Do you happen to know the actual times at PFI
This is what Alan Dove from the UK says.
seems decently close, impressive
They have done a great job. Its not perfect but I don’t know that it can be. The interpretation is very realistic.
New track this AM. North Texas Karters.
https://www.ntkarters.com/track-info/track-map-photos.html
… The race track is a .5 mile track with nine turns and two long straights. Normally the track is run counter-clockwise.
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Is the track bumpy as all hell for you? Front straight seems especially bad.
Was able to rattle off a 35.9 and just missed global #1. I’m sure people will be doing 34’s before too long…
Yes. It is bumpy as heck and there are areas in the edge of the track that are wavy and stuff. I think it’s because we are driving on what would be kerbing?
After a bit I started to get the hang of it. There is a smooth way around, the rubber is just less clear.
I am totally thrilled about the banking and flow of the place. The tight chicane is my problem, currently. NIce lap. Best I have done so far is a dirty 36.1. I am enjoying this track quite a bit.
Here’s a lap of the new track. What makes this place very interesting are the banked turns. The opening act involves a straight into a big banked turn which throws you into another tighter radius banked turn, and, then, into another one. Whee!
The track isn’t done. This is a mod and the fella who made it intends to add kerbs, functional lighting, etc. the wierd bumpiness is apparently due to the fact that it is made using drone footage instead of laser scanned. They have to manually smooth some areas where height data gets messy.
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Nice lap! Did you get a vid?
No video, unfortunately. I’m using the brakes to rotate the kart into the banked corners, and that seems to get me through sector one quite well. The chicane is quite difficult to be consistent through. I hit a bit of curb on the first apex, and as much curb as possible on the second, drifting into the grass slightly on exit. I again rotate the kart under braking, though not as dramatically, at the end of the back straight, and get back to power pretty early. Last sector is tricky due to the bumps. I late apex the first bit, but with about half of the kart in the grass, and make sure not to turn in too early to the last corner. Shorter gearing seems to help here as well.
So, I feel really solid pretty much everywhere except that insane chicane. I am forever dirtying the entrance by taking too much grass (early?).
What does seem to work is a slight reduction in speed a bit earlier, and then squeezing throttle all the way through from turn in.
I get it sometimes but I am not ready for 35.x until I get this wired. Optimal is there, turn isnt.
The big round turn at the end of the back straight is hilarious. You can late, late brake there and pull so darn hard on folks being cautious. The final turn exit is tricky without kerbing. I keep dropping back right wheel onto the angled part of the edge of track and then shooting off into a lightpole! 
They need to remove that impediment to my progress.
I’m running 10-74 currently which feels pretty standard.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
36.091 North Texas Karters
First “fast” lap on the new track. That’s about as close to the tire wall I’d like to go to. Yeesh.
35.843 NTK US 1 GLB 2
S1: 9.88
S2: 10.29
S3: 15.68
The chicane is an amazing feeling when you nail it. Its so dicey, right, left, right. When it is done right, its like you are shock rotating the kart; bam, bam, bam. But somehow it’s efficient, and feels absolutely right.
I have also been paying attention the the final turn exit sequence. The speed down the straight is an absolute must with the short gearing (10-74). A slightly less good launch turns a great lap into a 36.3. I’m really trying to get as much flow as I can, using as much track as I can, to take it such that I can really get all of the exit. I brake early and gently on the first turn to get far right before turning out. I was slightly off here. Somehow I pulled off a screamer, though. I have done 1/10th faster, however.
This place is the land of “How early can I get back on gas?”. Moderating how “hard” you get back on gas seems to be key in terms of maximizing grip in the banked sections.
Had been lapping at a better pace in the last couple of days, working into better and better times within each sector. Improved my overall lap by a tick, but was still in the 35.9 range. Just this evening I was hitting best sector times that would add up to 35.501 (S1 9.710, S2 10.167, S3 15.624), and FINALLY strung together a strong lap that landed me P1 Global (at least for now)!
35.601 Boom!
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Nice. Congrats! That’s quite an accomplishment. I am not sure why, but it’s a very hard track to string all 3 sectors together.
I was in a desert for laptimes after hitting the .84. Past couple of days, it’s all been coming together and I started to land a bunch of laps in the ballpark of my best. Now the final challenge is figuring out what exactly makes some s3 sub 16s.
I just have to be patient and it will happen. Also, Eric Chin posted a nice time so the game is afoot.
This is where I’m at. I am now capable of, on occasion, nailing chicane. I can now be neck and neck everywhere. It, however, is a matter of finding the exit and clocking a 15.6-8, to land solid sub 35. So hard. Dirty as heck but the bones of the lap are solid.
I am curious to know what the aliens will do here. Is it possible to see a sub 35? I am having trouble seeing that, but maybe I can convince Tanguy to show us how it’s done.
Oh, hey… Did you guys find the little jump? If you cut off the chicane, you can get some air time (just a little bit) but its fun.
Here’s where I’m talking about. I have gotten air over another ghost, believe it or not. This one is lame, however. Not much height but it feels like I was all 4 off for about 5-8 feet.
There’s quite a bit of jump potential if we can just figure out how to use the back of the banks. Tear down fencing!
Now its all coming together… If you look at just one, this is the most best!