How To Learn A Track Fast - Coaching Series Part 1

Have you ever wondering why some drivers can get out on a track they have never seen before and within a few laps they are on pace with the fastest drivers? Well these are some of the not-so-secret ways you can get on pace quickly when getting out on track.

Some events you may go to will have full test days before the event while others may throw you right into qualifying first time on track. Either scenario, getting up to speed quickly and comfortably will allow you to set a solid foundation you can work to build on for the rest of the event. So lets get started.

Pre-Event “Homework”

Before every event at a new venue your goal should be to create a track map. The goal here is to understand and develop a plan going in for what is important, what are your references, and to learn some little tricks that other drivers may be using. As you progress throughout the event you can modify and adapt your track map to new things you are learning from actually being on track.

How to Build a Track Map

Everyone has their own way of displaying information visually in a way that you are able to remember it. Personally I print out a copy of a blank track map, either just using google or great tools such as Ross Bentley’s Track Maps resource, then begin going corner by corner adding detail. I also like to write out in more detail on a separate piece of paper what I am showing on the track map and how I am going to attempt to get through the corner. I even sometimes will print out google maps images of certain corners to visually point out reference points that I can memorize.

To learn the track I use every bit of resource I can find on it and consider it going turn by turn on my track map. I find videos on Youtube in the most similar car I can (easier for some classes of racing than others for sure) and work off that for potential shift points, brake points, turn in points, apexes, ect. Now the goal here is to find someone you know is at least somewhat fast and use their videos as picking up on someone else’s bad habits doesn’t help anything. Another resource that is fantastic is sites like Racers360.com and their free and paid track guide content along with the potential to use Simracing to learn a track if it is available.

Get creative and use as much content as you can. I have found myself with 15 tabs open on my browser before while trying to learn the track. This may get confusing which is why another good resource is always to consult a coach to help guide you through the process of making them. That is why I started offering virtual coaching before an event to help with this, both on its own and part of my in-person coaching (more info in the coaching tab above).

Your First Laps On Track

So you’ve made your track guide and watched endless hours of the same video trying to memorize what to do and now you are at the track. So as you roll out on your first lap of practice, qualifying, or your first HPDE session of the day your first goal is to establish your reference points and check the corner stations. You probably have some ideas of what can be used for references based on your homework, but maybe they decided they wanted to move that tire barrier or some unfortunate sole blasted through the grass and took out a sign, you never know so checking them at low speed on the first lap is important.

Now you are going to start your first flying lap and before you want to determine how brave you want to be going into turn 1 on the first session of the weekend, back your braking point up 2 or more braking markers and see where it puts you (disclamer: if it is raining then obviously you will need to go MUCH slower first time out to figure out the grip level). The track or car in the video may have much more or less grip than you will on the first lap with the tires cold so even if you think you determined where you are going to be braking take it slow and work up to it. If you find yourself over-slowing then gradually keep going a little deeper until you can’t quite meet the apex with your turn-in point and adjust from there.

As you go around you will keep finding things that you didn’t expect from when you were developing your track map but that is ok. Real life will always look a bit different no matter how many laps on iRacing you do or how many videos you watch. Likely you will still find similar landmarks just will take a few laps to get used to them. Great example of this is coming over the hill for turn 12 at Road Atlanta for the first time. If you’ve ever done it you know exactly how much you weren’t expecting it to be that steep.

Now What?

You’ve not done a session on track and you have picked up time and set what is hopefully a decent benchmark for yourself to work off of. Now its time to modify your track map a bit and establish a plan for the next session. Where you actually doing what you had set out to do? Or maybe the new track was more intimidating than you thought and you found yourself not sticking to the plan? Both are ok but identifying them early on will help you continue to progress and build confidence. If you can work with a coach and let them help to see what you need to do next. This is what many coaches including what I do with drivers to help them progress in a linear but safe fashion.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more content in the future. Keep up to date by following on Instagram @nathansaxonracing and on Facebook Nathan Saxon Racing.