THSCC Forums

With most systems you can overlay individual lap paths. This is another reason having a very accurate GPS is a big help...you can SEE what you did differently so you don't have to remember exactly.

But yeah, the key is to go try different things. The hard part is being good enough to know whether you screwed up something in a way unrelated to what you were trying to do to know if your data is valid or not, though. Basically, what I'm saying is these things aren't as useful until you're at least good enough to get out there and basically repeat the same mistakes over and over. You'll know when those lap times "plane out" to the point that you feel like you could run all day and all your lap times are going to be within a few tenths of each other.

Once you get to that point, using just your own data can be somewhat useful. Prior to that, IMHO, the only way data is very useful is if you have a coach/codriver/whatever who is way better than you to get you baseline data to use to compare to.


--Donnie

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My Blog

Bryan and I use a DL-1. We've taken data at our last 20+ events and not once have we actually looked at it/used it. Bryan's selling the DL-1 and while I'm not convinced that we will replace it with anything, the MaxQ might be the best way to actually utilize it between runs. The most helpful thing for me so far has been mounting video cameras all over the car, so I am seriously considering a nice Chasecam setup for 2010 with multiple cameras and a PDR. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

If you have good resolution and sampling (5-20hz), you can overlay the maps and see the difference. The problem is most systems aren't that acurate.

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Marty Howard
2011 NASA SE Factory Five Challenge Champion
Track Events Logistics Coordinator - TZC/THSCC
2007 Factory Five Challenge Car.
http://www.mh-motorsports.com

Eh? Most? The DL-1, Traqmate, and AiM are all accurate enough. The new MaxQ units look like they should be as well. Not sure about anything else.


--Donnie

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My Blog

FYI,

What Donnie said! You have to be consistent (and honest) as a driver before you can learn from run to run. This is what I did with GEEZ (at home) back in the day. I'm hoping to do this with MaxQ in the future as I "remove" about 8 years of RUST and try to deal with "getting old".

A few variables you can target once your first runs aren't just "learning the car again" runs:

Tire heat (hard to separate from course learning curve and, at some sites, course "cleanliness)
Shift versus rev limiter
Line in "choice areas" like medium speed 180's (i.e. late apex, early apex, diamond (early in, late out, brief oversteer in between), and big offsets.

Segment times and Max speed/rpm can tell you a lot. With DL-1 and the right sensors you can include wheelspin and throttle position. (i.e. why down shift if all you get is either wheelspin or part throttle until you get to the speed of the next gear anyway?). Also steering angle (am I holding the steering angle too late in the corner so that contributes to wheelspin versus a line that lets you unwind the steering sooner and get on the gas sooner/harder)

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

yes, the dedicated systems are and that's why they are worth the price many times. I alot of the phone based systems or iphone are 1-3 hz and they can be off as much as 50 ft.

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Marty Howard
2011 NASA SE Factory Five Challenge Champion
Track Events Logistics Coordinator - TZC/THSCC
2007 Factory Five Challenge Car.
http://www.mh-motorsports.com