(Weekly) KartPulse Racer Videos Thread

1251

Yes, no doubt about that! He seemed really comfortable keeping it pinned through the really fast stuff while skillfully managing the kart’s tire loading to product the trajectory he needed. That seemed to gain him a good chunk of time each lap.

Maybe the words or pictures from this document could help with the discussion. If you decide to broach the topic with Austin, feel free to hit me up with any questions before and/or after.

Also, I just wanted to say, that the ‘adjustment’ I’m talking about is a VERY subtle change in perspective rather than a ‘technique’ thing; his technique is very VERY good already. I think of it this way:

He already has very good intuition/feel/technique for controlling the kart, but when driving mostly by intuition (which is more of a preconscious level), the driver tends to be submerged in the moment (not really seeing the forest for the trees if you will), so from that mental perspective, it’s hard to mentally get very far ahead of the kart and/or driving process.

However, if you still do the driving with your intuitive skills, but instead of being immersed in that, you do so based on direction from a higher mental level (your intellect/consciousness), then you can see both the forest and the trees. With that perspective, you can manage the entire driving process by providing specific intentions/objectives for yourself. This can place you mentally ahead of the process (or you can create it on-the-fly, while still staying ahead ahead of the actual driving action). So, in this mode, you simply observe your ‘skills’ (your inner driver) bring your intellect’s plans/objectives into being, which is an awesome feeling that can be faster and/or more consistent than purely intuitive driving.

Sound a bit whacked when I type it out, but that internal work division (inner driver vs navigator/planer) is real. Making that subtle shift from ‘action’ only to ‘intention-driven action’ can open new levels of skill resolution, confidence, and help with whole-driver development.

Anyway, congrats on the hard work so far, and best of luck to you guys! :+1:

1252

So basically he’s too “on top” of the kart. Which is another way of saying he need to free up the way he’s perceiving/seeing things? In his case it’s a very subtle change as he’s in the right place overall, just needs a bit more forwards-ness?

1253

Not really too “on top” of the kart… maybe more too “in the kart” or “in the stream of moments” when driving. But I hesitate to use the word “too” anything because you can be blazing fast just driving intuitively (assuming your intuitive skills are at ‘blazing’ level); you don’t have to be way ahead of the kart if you’ve got the chops to manage it in the moment (so it becomes kind of a do you want to be a fast hands driver, or a fast brain driver who also happens to have fast hands).

I speak from experience; in my youth, I would just fling cars around, cranked sideways… all in the moment. I was very fast driving that way, and it was super fun. But, with time, I realized there was more; another level, and so I pursued that. Doing so opened many more levels, and pursuing those is both fun and rewarding on many different levels.

Anyway, bottom line is that racing is a results based sport; if your setting lap records and winning national races with intuitive only driving, then the motivation to look beyond that probably won’t be there. But if you’re looking for that last bit of performance to push your over the top (or you’re fast, but you’re starting to outgrow intuitive-only driving), then maybe you look for something more. :wink:

1254

Ya kind of get the impression he’s seeking. There is everything he needs there but he’s makes it look a bit like there is effort involved. He’s really good as is but I’d love to see what his driving is like when no-one is looking and he’s not thinking about the race, etc.

1255

Moved cross the country last month from Charlotte to Phoenix. Trying to get back into the swing of things. Bought a new kart and my first Rotax. Prepping for the Rotax Challenge West in a couple weekends. Video is of one of my 3 or so session at PKRA. Definitely a challenging track, learning a new motor, and the Mojo tires. Should hopefully have some good footage from the race weekend coming soon.

1256

Here’s my first X30 senior prefinal race at AMP. Qualified 6th (they only gave us two laps and I ran into masters guys on each of them) and finished 4th despite being geared way too high. I wasn’t able to get footage of the final, but that was a less interesting race anyways, and scoring issues also meant the prefinal results ended up being official for the day.

1257

One thing that immediately sticks out to me is his eagerness to power brake. Seems like something that could cause him issues as he steps into more powerful vehicles, whether karts or cars, and I don’t really see top drivers employing that technique all too often.

1258

Hey, no beating up on old guys! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: now I’m definitely watching this, cos out of context it sounds like you accidentally crashed them.

How do you like amp on the x30 as compared to our race there in rentals?

Watching your footage reminds me of KK. Looks the same but with earlier braking (game has crazy grip).

Nice driving, btw. Also, I’m not hearing limiter as you get to end of back/middle straight. What was your gearing?

5:40 what would you do differently, in retrospect? (I ask because I dont know, not because I do).

It’s interesting watching you put down power out of 7. It took me a very long time to learn to be patient there and you do it well.

One other question, why don’t you go left of the rumbles in 2 exit (uphill) like in the rentals? Not allowed?

Powah finish!

(In case you are curious, here’s what AMP x30 looks like in sim, not too different)

1259

Hey I’m old enough to join them! No, I didn’t crash into anyone, just had to slow down a lot on both qualifying laps - for reference my best qualifying lap was over 2 seconds off of my best lap in the video. They didn’t do anything wrong either, it would just be nicer if the officials grouped us up by class on the grid for qualifying, rather than make it a free-for-all.

Thanks! It doesn’t sound that obvious in the video, but data showed that my RPM and speed was leveled out for about 200 ft on the main straight, and after we found we were about 2 teeth higher than most everyone else. I think just one tooth lower would’ve been fine for outright pace as the lower gears seem to really hurt your runs out of turn 2 and the double left after the main straight. But the passing opportunities there aren’t as good as the straights, so the lower gears seem to race better here.

I don’t think I’d do anything differently here. An opportunity came to follow the 340 through and I took it…unfortunately the 29 was able to just drive by me on the next straight. I might’ve been able to defend more down the straight, but it felt a little early to start doing that and I knew I could keep up and re-overtake.

The main thing that stands out regarding racecraft that I think I could’ve handled differently came around 4:15. I should’ve backed out a little bit earlier when I saw the 340 following the 93 through. Instead I tried to hold it just a little too long and had to back out late at the exit which really hurt my run going up the hill. The other things that stand out to me as areas of improvement are just consistency (was a little wide at some apexes at various points) and using more of the track on entry in the fast, blind right-hander before the last corner (had to catch slides and lift here more than I would’ve liked).

Not allowed. There was an official there all day monitoring track limits.

X30 obviously is way faster with a ton more grip, but I don’t think the line is all that different between the two. X30 you probably run a little wider in a few places to carry more speed (T4 left by the building, the esses after the double lefts, the fast blind right-hander). The group running X30 at AMP was also a lot of run to race with - everyone was very nice and I thought we all raced well together. Should make for a fun year.

1260

He is braking the correct way

1261

I wish I had your confidence. But that’s why you are the alien and I am the scrub.

Let’s arrange a race versus you and Jake at AMP on x30. Should be interesting! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: IIRC he got top quali time… but you are much sleeker, now.

1262

During a X30 race or when we did the enduro ?

1263

To clarify, it sounds to me like he is braking while still on throttle. Not all of the time, but quite a lot.

1264

Enduro I, meant. I thought he set fastest lap.

1265

To be fair, the track was at its best during that first stint I ran during the enduro. I think Tanguy had a faster lap in practice.

1266

Technically I did the best of the day :eyes: but the track was hotter afterwards. Would be interesting to drive a X30

1267

He was power braking, but I don’t think it was a technique issue. We moved his seat during the weekend since it wasn’t set properly when we got there. Moved him forwards by 30 mm and the pedals didn’t get adjusted so he didn’t have enough space for him to comfortably pull his foot all the way off the accelerator.

I didn’t even realize it until after the weekend, they kept telling him to stop hitting the gas and the brakes at the same time, but after I saw the video I noticed he did it more in the left hand turns and less turning right. When he would lean to the outside at the start of the turn he had just barely more room on the right hand turns so he wasn’t hitting the gas under braking, but turning left was keeping him from getting his right foot all the way off the pedal.

1268

looks like your getting on the gas very early in 16 which makes your rear left tire stay to the ground and not jack compromising your exit

1269

I feel like AMP would be hard on engine bottom-ends. Those long uphill pulls and the jumps…

1270

it surprisingly isn’t for me at least if u maintain speed in 2 its mostly pretty easy on the bottem.