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Finding the Line to Maximize Speed
Find the best path around the track for your vehicle and driving style.
1.
Drive at a slow pace around the track until you know the layout.
2.
Begin to use the entire track width for all corners using very late
apexes. This might seem unnatural at slow, non-race speeds.
3.
Slowly work your speed up, and pull each apex back about three
feet with each lap.
4.
Eventually, you will need to use the entire width of the track on
the exit of a corner. You are now very close to the vehicle’s limits
and should start moving apexes back in smaller increments. If
you run off the outside edge of the track or must “turn in” again
after you’ve passed your apex, you’ve apexed too early.
5.
When you’ve worked up to speeds and apexes that force you to
use the entire track, then you’ve found your baseline around the
track. This line might be different across drivers, cars, conditions,
and car setups.
6.
Now, work on compromising certain corners to maximize your
speed through others (where corners are close together).
Generally, it’s best to focus on corners with the longest straights
after them, as the speed you carry through the corners will help
you on the following straightaways. Use lap times and telemetry
to determine the best compromises between corners.
DRIVERS’ NOTEBOOK
Outside-Inside-Outside Cornering
To maximize cornering speed, use the entire width of the track to make
every corner as wide as possible. This provides the largest radius
through the corner, allowing the highest speed given
available tire grip.
When approaching a corner, place your
vehicle to the outside edge of the track until
“turn in.” Then, move from the outside edge
to the inside edge at a point called “the
apex”—somewhere near the middle of the
corner. When past the apex, use the track’s
width to your advantage, moving
back toward the outside edge as you
complete the corner.
Late and Early Apexing
A “late apex” is an apex point after the
geometric center of a corner. When late
apexing, you give up some cornering speed,
so there’s more grip available to accelerate
your car earlier. In some cases, the time lost
because of the slower speed through the
corner is made up for by the time gained
through increased straightaway speed after the corner.
An “early apex” is an apex point before the geometric center of a
corner. Apexing early is less common, but it can be advantageous
when driving through an increasing-radius
corner (see page 18). You might try to
apex earlier to maximize speed through a
corner (by creating a wide line at the exit),
but at some point, the line created runs
too wide and off the outside of the track.