Long Corners - Why traditional cornering techniques aren’t always fastest
This is an extract from a chapter in Racelogic’s ebook discussing Advanced Circuit Driving Techniques with professional racing drivers and instructors. To download the ebook (and receive further chapters in the future) scroll to the bottom of this page and fill in your email address.
Nigel Greensall reveals his secrets on how he tackles long corners, showing how he gained half a second on ‘Sunset Bend’ at Sebring over other drivers using the traditional racing line.
Sebring, Florida. If you’re involved in USA motorsport, you’ve either been there or you want to go. Built on an old WWII aire base, the classic circuit is often recognised for its famous, high-speed turn17, otherwise known as ‘Sunset Bend’.
|
|
It’s a long, bumpy, fast right hander that can make or break your speed down the finishing straight. Because it can fit up to three cars wide, drivers are often divided on the best way to take the corner to maximise the available space and handle the challenging surface. |
He reveals his secrets on gear selection, driving line, surface awareness, and corner exit, and why they’re essential in getting a fast lap. He also explains why cornering is not just about the entry and exit – and why what you do in the middle of a long corner can make a huge difference to your time.
The following video and data was taken at a Chin Motorsport test session, where Nigel compared his technique with two fast Sebring locals in a Mazda Miata track car.
Taking the fastest lap of each driver, each took a different approach to Turn 17, with Nigel having the lowest entry speed by some margin. However, Nigel’s time for the whole corner was still half a second faster. Read on to find out why.
Nigel Greensall:
1. Entry
“The success of the corner depends on your preparation. The three screenshots (Corner Entry, below) are taken at the point the two other drivers start braking for turn 17. As can see, my speed is much lower than the other two drivers. In fact I started to brake 50m earlier. It is very tempting to brake late here, and you will often hear talk in the Sebring paddock of just how late some drivers like to brake for Sunset Bend. However, I have found that this can compromise mid corner balance and speed, as I will demonstrate.
Corner Entry: Video screenshots taken from the best lap of each driver. Nigel Greensall above left, outlined in red. He’s braking earlier to balance the car and maintain speed around the long bend.
“At this point my minimum speed is at least 5mph more than the other drivers (shown by the speed trace graph, below),and also I am on a shorter, tighter line. This is where I gain the majority of the time in turn 17."
To read the full chapter simply place your email address in the box below and we will send you the complete ebook.
