Watkins Glen Data Crunching

So typically when I get back from a track session, I'll go back and look at my data to analyze.  I'm going to start to try to post some of my findings here to help as sort of a basic data "coaching" process.  This is the basic of the basics.  Just looking at speed and how that translates to time.  Of course, Im available for hire too :P

So here goes:

Here is the first screen grab.  I usually prefer my AIM data, but Traqmate presents a more colorful layout for us to look at.  In this plot to your right, the main difference coming out of T2 is a shift difference.  But as you can see from the red line, it translates to about a 1-2MPH difference in a good portion of the track (roughly 1000').  That equates to a 0.1 second time difference alone.  Might not be much, but from the whole track, those tenths add up fast!!!

The next glaring and obvious difference in the plot is the entry for the Bus Stop (in the turquoise color section at roughly the 6500' mark).  In the red plot, I brake a good 200' before the blue plot.  This results in a bus stop entry speed difference of 7MPH translating to a bus stop exit difference of roughly the same (6MPH).  Now again, this distance traveled is "only" about 1000' but that difference in entry and speed results in a whopping 0.75 seconds of time difference.  Are you keeping track?  We're at 0.85 seconds of improvement already.

To the far right of the plot, we have the carouse or the "outer loop" as they call it.  By looking at the plot, you only really see a hairline difference between the plots.  3MPH to be exact, but youre travelling a fairly long distance.  This results in 0.2 seconds!  Still keeping up w/ your math skills?  Now we are at a little over 1 second gap!

The next plot here is the T9-T11 complex.  As seen by the red line, braking just 100 feet earlier and a 4MPH difference in minimum corner speed here, we get a whopping 0.5 seconds.  HUGE.  Now were at 1.5 seconds!

Again, the exit of T9 appears to be just a hairline difference in speed of only a couple MPH, but that's another couple of tenths!  (1.7 sec delta now).

As we enter T10 and T11, there is a 2MPH entry difference.  Mid-corner speed difference is 4MPH in T10 (a very high speed area and worth lots of time).  The T11 entry speed also differs by 4MPH and this segment yields another 0.5 seconds of time (2.2 sec delta now).

I will say though, out of all the corners, obviously T1 is critical. I could not find a good lap by lap comparison to highlight this as there were various inconsistencies (traffic, shifts, etc) to show a good back straight time difference.  One portion I will highlight is T1 braking and T1 exit as this is equally important.  As seen in the plot to the right, we brake 100' earlier in th red plot and there is roughly 4MPH speed difference.  The blue plot is obviously preferred as you can see by the parabolic shape that gradually enters the corner that trailbraking is being applied in entry.  That speed is carried into the corner and you can get a speed which is similar on exit, but you've now travelled that distance 4MPH faster.  Time?  0.5 secs.  (2.7 sec delta now).

If I could plot out a good back straight comparo, you'd likely see a 1-1.5 second difference if you exit T1 4-5MPH faster.  That's it for this episode of WongData Crunch.  Hope it was helpful.  My best laps logged was a 2:02.55 in GTS3 trim.  HP dyno'd was a healthy 282.  Impound weight after the race was 3116#s which is right at the limit pretty much.