Racing line feedback

Id like to get some feedback on my racing line, I can’t find that paper of the old one so I whipped up a similar line on the phone. Suggestions and criticisms on line improvement welcome.


I don’t know that we can do much to help with line drawings. But, video we can work with, if you have any.

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I meant more feedback on my line choice than drawing, I can draw them fine on paper I just dont know where it went. I wanted to verify wether this was a good line or if some corners should be tweaked.

@Gabe_Eats_Grapes I think Dom’s point is that there is too much we don’t know for anyone to provide useful feedback whether or not a drawn line represents a good or optimal approach to a given turn. In racing, many terms are thrown around with the implication that they have some specific intrinsic meaning, but if you try to understand them without the context, then they really provide little or nothing useful.

I know I harp on this a lot, but there are NO SEPARATE THINGS in racing! For example

“Line” represents an objective, but that objective can change lap-by-lap or turn-by-turn, for example optimum lap time, vs position defense, vs prioritizing a different part of a turn to launch an attack for position, etc.

But at the same time, “line” can also not be separated from the kart, because different karts have different strengths and weaknesses, so different ‘lines’ may be required to optimize performance.

Also “kart” cannot be separated from the tires it rides on, and how it is setup to transfer energy through the chassis and into the tires. And, of course, the ability to follow any ‘line’ depends on the ‘work’ you ask of your tires to do throughout a turn, and the amount of work that can actually be performed is dependent on multiple factors such as the track (surface. surface temp, rubber accumulation, camber, elevation, corner radius, etc.).

Just to try and put some context to this based on your drawing, I’m assuming that even though the picture says it is the CCW layout, it looks like your line drawing is for running the track in the CW direction? If so, then the line at corner 04 looks theoretically good for optimal lap times, BUT, for a ‘racing line’ it would leve you very vulnerable to inside dives from your competitors.

Also, just because it looks like a good optimal performance line, that may not actually be the case if:
The corner has banking (- camber) near the apex. If that were the case, delaying turn-in could upset the kart as it transitions into the banking during the most heavily loaded part of corner entry (how you introduce a kart into banking that extends throughout a turn can be very important). Or, even if there is no banking, perhaps in a lower HP kart you might not want to travel the extra distance on entry to straighten the exit… it might be more beneficial to basically run the inside radius, or make a mini-diamond at the apex.

Anyway, bla, bla, bla. :grin: I encourage you to ask your self ‘what if’ questions for each turn, or series of turns, based on what you want to accomplish, and what you already know about the track (surface, layout, etc.) - if anything. E.G. what if I’m in a shifter, or a 206, or KA… what would I change in this corner. How would I alter this line if my kart has too much over/under steer dialed into the setup, etc.

Asking What, Why, When, Where, & How questions about what you think you know is how you integrate theoretical ‘line’ selection with what you already know from previous driving experience… connecting theory and experience is one way to connect with your true skill set, and broaden your potential. :+1:

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Thanks man, bookmarking this answer :joy:, yeah it’s running CW currently and I’m just doing practice laps for now trying to get better at driving. Thanks for clearing up the difference between a race and practice line,I hadn’t thought about it.

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Yeah. While there is a fundamental line to every circuit, how you navigate it varies. The line drawings are useful in visualizing how to approach a corner but grip changes, entry speed changes, etc.

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Looking at a drawing of your perceived racing line is next to useless to be honest. 90% of new drivers don’t actually realize where they are driving. Many have an idea in their head of where to place the kart but when they go on-track they don’t actually follow the line they envision in their mind. So many times I am coaching and after showing, describing, and instructing in detail where to place the kart, the driver continues to drive off line but they don’t even realize it. Some people are just focused on other things like braking points or what kind of sandwich they are going to eat for lunch.

As noted, video is far more telling as to what you’re actually doing. And as Warren noted, there are so many other variables than what line you’re running. You could be running a good racing line but executing every other aspect of driving incorrectly and not find the lap time as a result.

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Looking at what you’ve drawn, it’s a perfect start as a concept. As you drive you may notice things like bumps that make the “geometric” line slower, or exit kerbs that are worth using but you’ll maybe backup your apex a couple of feet to take advantage.

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The ideal racing line is great for qualifying, or if you’re not driving in a pack. It’s just as useful to learn how to be fast OFF the racing line.

My recommendation is to use a Mychron data logger and start to analyze your laps. Look at the data from your fastest lap vs your slowest, and start to learn from that.

I was showing my son his data from his last race. the difference between a 40.04 lap and a 40.40 lap was 165 total feet of additional on brake time. It was eye-opening to him. He didn’t realize how 15 feet here and 20 feet there of additional brake time can affect lap times.

Now if you can get data from a really fast driver to compare to yours, that’s EXTREMELY helpful. I had a national champion jump in my son’s kart last year and run laps. Comparing the data from his lap, and my son’s laps showed us where to focus our time.

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Very good points I’ll keep them in mind, thanks.

Ive noticed, thank you for pointing that out. Would it make sense to redraw it?

Here is the mychron i use

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You’re going to want to update to at least a 4 or 5.