jguerdat

There is still only one best line for the car. You can try to keep speed up with a wider line but that costs you distance. Does the extra speed more than compensate for the extra distance? In many/most cases, the answer is no or, at least, not really.

Yes, going too slow in a gear is detrimental to acceleration. However, as Pat Salerno (a National champion and Evolution School instructor) says, the "lack of torque" argument about the S2K is a myth. We may not have the torque number of, say, a C4 'Vette but we have 1) lighter weight and 2) better gearing. That doesn't mean we're going to pull on a C4 but it means that we can keep up and hopefully corner faster.

I will certainly use 1st in a pin turn or other slow speed turn but I've also been beaten by drivers who have left it in 2nd. Acceleration is only one aspect of going fast - car position is generally more important...

vroom

Until a driver is at the level of the guys who'll be placing really high this week in Kansas, I think a lot of newer drivers are best served really learning the line and how to drive it.

Carve a perfect line through a soloII turn and it's amazing how the need for the downshift disappears. On the local level, unless your competition (in the S2000) is a higher echelon national driver, you can typically win staying in 2nd. Braking and going into 1st frequently leads to the driver slowing the car too much and giving up the advantage gained at exit (which is then needed more because you bled too much speed). Also, you've made the braking zone more complex so you may focus too much on it and not run the perfect line.

The top guys shift alot (just check out the video from last years nats), but they have the line and amount of braking down so well, they aren't hurting themselves.

Pat (and none of the other instructors I've encountered) doesn

apex2k

Mike is correct, I should have been more clear. PilotSi, a downshift in your 02 from above 6,000 rpms in second will cause an over-rev in first. My understanding is based on The Reverend's gear calculator.
http://reverendsgarage.net/index.php?conte..._calculator.php


gear....mph@6000rpm.....mph@9,200 limiter
1...............28.9...................44.3
2...............44.2...................67.8
3...............66.1...................93.6
4...............77.9.................119.4
5...............93.1.................142.8
6.............111.5.................171

A 6k downshift from 2nd at 44 mph will land you at fuel cutoff of 9,200 rpms at 44 mph in first (a useless and potentially damaging point to downshift at). The overlap increases with every gear, as does the safety margin. For example, 4th to 3rd at 78mph is well below the 93mph cutoff in 3rd. In my mind it all revolves around the 6,000 rpms mark simply because that is where the power starts. Drop below it and it may be time to consider downshifting depending on the circumstances. I would hope someone will correct me if I am missing something.

[QUOTE=jguerdat,Sep 14 2005, 07:02 AM]There is still only one best line for the car.