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First off, PLEASE keep this thread on topic. This is a 100% track riding technique thread and we don't need off-topic bullshit in it. I'm hoping this thread will not only be helpful for me but also for others.
I keep a riding journal ( do you guys? ) like is suggested in Keith Code's books. After track days I always write/type down what I did, how it felt, what I want to work on next time, what goals I met and which I didn't, etc etc etc. So, I'll go through and say what I think about each turn and/or what I do, and ask questions or leave it open where I'm not sure. If something I say is a bad technique or method, please let me know. I will list some of my reference points as well.
I know there are probably a million opinions about lines and techniques for Loudon... but I am looking for just some general concensus on the turns of NHMS and what techniques people apply to them, sort of the 'finer points' of how to get into and out of turns in a speedy fashion. Besides the line, I am really curious about where people trailbrake and where they don't, where people get off the brakes and back on the gas, etc. If I'm way off base here I'm sorry... but I'm looking to hear what some more experienced folks do so I can have more confidence in trying different things.
I am slow and inexperienced... I really appreciate in advance anyone's input and constructive criticism.
If you don't want to read everything, maybe just pick a turn to read and give your input on it... still appreciated.
Turn 1: This is an entry speed corner. In general I roll off the throttle around the 4 board or a little bit before (I know I can brake later, need to start trying this) and 'pre-turn' towards the red box on the ground and get on the brakes hard while grabbing two downshifts. As I come off the nascar oval and arrive at the red box, I make my bar input to turn in and look through to the T2 cornerworker's station and trail off the brakes (should I trail all the way to the apex, or just long enough to get the bike turned in? I still don't have a good feel for how much braking can be done at various lean angles... and when the front tire goes, it pretty much just goes instantly, right? How do you work on this since you won't get much notice of working the front tire too much?) and then get a little positive throttle going on. Post-apex, I get on the gas a little bit more coming out, and this seems to help the bike transition to the right side.
Turn 1a: This corner is essentially just connecting the dots between 1 and 2, it's not really an entry speed or exit speed corner (right?). There is really no braking at all involved in this turn for me (for you guys too?). I try to navigate it in such a way as to set me up for turn 2 as best as possible. As I come out of turn 1, I am on the gas a little bit and there is a pavement crack runnning roughly parallel to the bike that I look for to make the transition to the right side just after crossing it. I throw my body to the other side of the bike while making a hard countersteer, the bike follows me over and I have a bit more throttle dialed in, turn 1a is a higher speed turn than 1 (yeah?). Then my head is turned sharply to the right as I look through 1a to the Lenox billboards/signs on the nascar wall. I try to stay very tight to the curbing and ride 1a out against the curbing in order to...
Turn 2: This is an exit speed corner and again I don't use brakes at all. You can view 1-1a-2 as one big chicane. I try to turn in hard and quick to get turning done pre-apex (I'm still not good at this.. I need to turn in a little later and harder for turn 2 but I don't recall having a good reference point for turn in... are there any good ones? besides the X obviously... I think there is a crack that runs across the track and I am turning in just after that). As I turn in I turn my head very sharply, probably about 60-70 degrees from the bike's line of travel, and look down the straight searching for the traffic lights that are up on the wall, I also look a bit at first for the end of the tires. There is the big pavement rectangle that I cross about a foot or two inside the corner of it at first and am getting on the gas a little bit already, then I try to put my wheels right on the pavement triangle at the apex and lift my knee up over the curbing if necessary. I often find myself a little wider and am dragging knee right on that triangle, I should probably tighten up a bit (yes?). Then, I am rolling on the throttle to power out post-apex. I am weighting the pegs to lessen the effects of the pavement transition up onto the nascar oval and am still hanging off like a monkey trying to conserve lean angle as I get on the gas more and more. The bike is standing up pretty well now and the increasing throttle is widening the exit line coming out. At the top of second gear (around 100ish if I recall) I usually am getting close to the wall, I grab an upshift and am pretty much looking straight at the chute for turn 3.
Turn 3: Coming off the straight, there is a big seam where the pavement changes off the nascar oval, and I want to roll off the throttle as I cross it but I usually roll off earlier, something I plan to stop. I get on the brakes just before the chute as well, which I also intend to stop doing. I've been braking less recently which is good... I just need to move my markers around. Anyways, at rolloff I slide my butt over and then get on the brakes and grab a downshift... at the last cone I make a hard countersteer, drop my torso, and trail off the brakes to the rumble strip (are you guys trailing into there or getting positive throttle pre-apex?). At the apex I am turning my head sharply to look up the hill at the cone at the apex of T4. Then are you guys getting on the gas right away? I find myself waiting a bit past the apex before I get on some positive throttle. I cross that pavement rectangle through the corner of it, then shortly after that corner I start rolling on the throttle. Weighting the pegs and hanging off over the bumps. Then...
Turn 4: I roll on a little harder as I hit the transition up the hill. I take a tight line to the apex of T4 sometimes nicking my knee on the curbing, but I often find myself a little wide of the apex. What do you guys do to stay tight to the apex? I think some of it is my fear of highsiding... but I look up the hill towards the flags as I'm rolling on the throttle and hanging off and forward to keep the bike happy. I grab an upshift and come over the hill roughly in the middle of the track (I have heard folks saying they are further to the right... should I be moving over there?). I look for the double cones and make a beeline straight for them.
Turn 5: Not a turn and is covered above.
Turn 6:Turn six to me is an exit speed corner, you are setting yourself up for a drive up the hill (although there is a big straight before it, so maybe it's not?) This is another place in the track where I am rolling off early and getting on the brakes early... I want to move my markers up here too. I crest the hill and shortly afterwards I roll off the gas, shift my butt over, and get on the brakes and grab a downshift... tsk tsk... but I have been braking less lately, just need to move my markers up and brake more. Continuing straight for the double cones about halfway between where the track starts to go upwards again and the double cones at the edge of the track I make a hard and quick (needs to be quicker and harder still I think) countersteer and drop my torso as I trail off the brakes (are you guys trailing into the apex here or getting on the gas right after turn in? I think in this turn you really need to get on it right after turn in to keep the bike settled when it gets to the transition up the hill...?). I am on positive throttle pre-apex and turn my head sharply to look up the hill to the cone in T7. At the apex I am rolling on the throttle and get on it a decent amount harder following where the pavement rises up after the apex. I stay hanging off and roll on the throttle more to widen the bike's line out towards the edge of the track.
Turn 7: Turn 7 basically connects the dots from 6 to 8. As I'm wide out on the track between 6 and 7, I stop rolling on and just keep positive throttle, often needing to tip in a little more (should this be happening?). I am looking through the T7 apex towards the first of the two T8 cones. I get my knee several feet off the T7 curbing. (Maybe I should get in tighter?).
Turn 8: Turn 8 to me can be considered a double-apex turn sortof, since you hit two cones and drift out in between (...?). As I come out of 7 on the gas I look through towards the treehouse and throw my body over to the other side of the bike while staying as forward as possible to keep the front settled down. As the bike is coming over I grab an unshift. I stay in very tight to the first cone of turn 8 while hanging off to the right and looking through towards the T9 cone and pushing back on the pegs to keep my body forward and weight on the front tire. My path tracks out a bit and brings me back in tight to the second cone near the dirt patch, and I try to avoid the ripples right after the second T8 cone as I stand the bike up and start tossing my body to the other side of the bike.
Turn 9: Once I started carrying some speed into it, turn 9 is probably my favorite turn on the track. Turn 9 is a double-apex entry speed turn that is blind and appears off-camber even though on the line I don't really think it is (yes?). After the second apex cone in T8 under the tree I am getting the bike straight up and down and looking forward to the T9 'apex' cone as I toss my body off to the left side of the bike and look down the hill while grabbing a downshift. From the T8 cone to a spot about 2 feet off the T9 cone I track a roughly straight line with my tires while applying light braking to unstabilize the front end. As I approach a spot about 10-15 feet before the T9 I turn my head sharply to the left and throw the bike in hard. I trail off the brakes pretty quickly as I am always nervous about making the front tire work too hard in here (how deep are you guys braking into this area?) I maintain roughly neutral throttle as the bike tracks out while scrubbing speed and pulls itself back in. As I come around 9 I am pulled into the second 'apex' of 9 right before the short wall in the grass on the left side.
Turn 10: Turn 10 is an exit speed turn. Once the second apex of nine is reached, I get on the gas a little bit to help the bike get flipped over and very quickly throw myself to the other side of the bike while countersteering hard and looking far out into the nascar oval. I get on the gas fairly hard right after turn in and try to stay tight to the airfence and the big pavement bump at the t10 apex. I weight the pegs and hang off pretty good here to deal with the bumps. Also, getting on the gas pre-apex seems to help the front tire float over the bumps a lot better. As I power out the bike tracks out toward the garages.
Turn 11: Turn 11 is still a place I want to carry more speed into... it also can be viewed as a double apex turn (yes?). There are two horizontal cracks across the track between 10 and 11. I am on the gas until the first, then at the first I am rolling off the throttle and switching my body from the right side of the bike to the left. At the second I am turning the bike in towards the first apex cone. Are you guys coming in hotter and trailbraking all the way through 11? Once I turn in I am roughly keeping neutral or slightly positive throttle which ends up tightening up the last portion of the turn. I am tight to the first cone, track out towards the second, and tighten up towards the curbing for the third. I often have to add a little lean angle after the middle cone (right side of the track)... what does this mean? I am also uncomfortable carrying a ton of lean over the little bumps on the inside line near the apex... do they bother you guys?
Turn 11a: There is a big change in the pavement color coming out of 11 and about shortly (~10ft?) after that I am lightly on the gas to help transition the bike as I throw myself over to the right. A lot of people take different lines through here but I take the very tight line on the inside of the dark pavement rectangle. I do often find myself worrying that I'll get a footpeg on the curb though so maybe I should try the line outside of that box?
Turn 12: After crossing the rectangle I give a little squirt of gas to help the bike flip over and throw myself to the left. I aim the bike right for the turtle shell in 12 because when I lean the bike over I end up just going around it instead. I am looking down the straight at the red strips on the nascar wall and getting on the gas while hanging off and forward. (oh, and for TTDs I am of course checking behind me to see if I'm holding anyone up )
I guess some of my main points are:
I want to accelerate longer into and brake later into turns 1, 3, 6, 11
I need to tip in quicker for 3 and 6, quicker and later for 2 and 10.
I want to know where are you guys trailbraking and how deep are you doing it, where do you get back on the gas, etc.
I want to know when you are getting back on the gas in a given turn, how do you smooth it out? Are you feathering the clutch? Upping your idle adjustment screw? Etc? Or is this something that isn't as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be?
Thanks.