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Are you a leader or a follower?

Discussion in 'Tracking & Driver Education' started by Ducman491, Apr 1, 2011.

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  1. Ducman491

    Ducman491 Formula 3

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    #1 Ducman491, Apr 1, 2011
    On the track, do you find yourself turning faster laps with open track front of you? Or do you prefer to have a rabbit to chase down? I feel as though I do better with a rabbit even if they are half a lap in front. I'm not sure I could check out at the beginning of a race for example. Does that ability come with experience or are people either chasers or leaders. Which are you?
     
  2. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 GuyIncognito, Apr 1, 2011
    I prefer to have open track ahead of me, that eliminates a lot of variables and let's me focus on ny own driving. although sometimes it's fun to chase someone down, like when I caught and passed a 360 with my Elise :p :D
     
  3. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
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    #3 Nuvolari, Apr 1, 2011
    Great question. I would say that I relish the challenge of a chase more than to just walk away from the field.
     
  4. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    #4 GrigioGuy, Apr 1, 2011
    I know I suck at driving, so I like having the rabbit. Hopefully I'll learn something trying to follow their line.
     
  5. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

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    #5 James_Woods, Apr 1, 2011
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2011
    Me too. But you are never faster than the rabbit until you pass the rabbit.

    Crashing into the rabbit does not count - at best it is merely "as fast as".

    EDIT to say - and only if you are on the same lap as the rabbit.
     
  6. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 fatbillybob, Apr 1, 2011
    I look at it completely differently and I'd like to hear the comments of the driving coaches on Fchat like Lolaman. I think that your question is really about driver development. When you start you are a follower, then a rabbit chaser, then a leader, then you look for more competition or quit the sport. Getting better (faster) in the sport is a trap like cocaine. In my own case my most fun days were learning and chasing with minor victories in wheel to wheel racing. Now often I'm just barely at the front but lack the skills to cleanly stay at the front. So I'm thinking at this point in my development of getting a driving coach to make those breakthroughs. However, just barely being at the front is a very dangerous place to be. You are a target! I have been hit twice really hard in this position and never my fault. Others lacking the same skill as I, thinking "learning and succeeding" means taking chances or low percentage moves and due to my own lack of skill I'm not good enough to counter their stupidity. The results are bent cars. Now bent cars are part of the sport but it is a part I don't like because I got to do the work to fix them and I did not cause the wrecks. So at this crossroad in my driver development I need to either throttle back to 8/10ths and stay in the middle with plenty of reserve and chase a few rabbits for minor victory or make major improvements to my skills to leap out ahead of the pack to a new faster comfort zone.
     
  7. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #7 rob lay, Apr 1, 2011
    LOL, I know someone that can drop 3-4 seconds a lap if they are following someone! :)

    My fastest laps have all been qualifying sessions. Cool mornings, fresh tires, brakes fresh, clear track, and last thing I convince myself before I pull out of pits is that I'm willing to die during qualifying (the old days). Of course thinking you have convinced yourself it is OK to die on a hot lap is a LONG ways away from your body and mind really letting you kill yourself. In those days though to get what I thought was my best lap I had to think like that.

    In a race my fastest laps are all chasing or being chased. Otherwise you are just consistent.

    When I was on my game Qualifying would be my fastest lap, best race lap chasing or chased 3-4 tenths back, and rest of race laps another 1-3 tenths back. Most races not counting first lap or really bad traffic all laps within a few tenths of each other. I'm so not in touch like that anymore. Although this year 6 weekends is more than I've raced in 4 years, maybe I'll get it back. ;) I can always tell how good I am by how consistent my laps are, a few tenths at my peak, last year or two I have had 1 second margins.
     
  8. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #8 fatbillybob, Apr 1, 2011
    Rob,

    What can you say about the driver development of a guy who's fast lap always comes in the race and not in qualifying?
     
  9. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #9 rob lay, Apr 1, 2011
    you have to die for your lap! ;)

    no, actually I think my best driving laps have been in the race, but my fastest times always in qualifying with everything fresh and cool.

    it is pretty common among even experienced racers to have better laps in the race.

    my career is full of poles and less wins along with many P2-3's, but higher finishes in the race.

    I consider myself a good racer, I was just always a better qualifier and while my times back off a little in the race I am still competing against all you guys that improve more time in the race.
     
  10. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #10 GuyIncognito, Apr 1, 2011
    note to self: stay off the track when Rob's around

    :D
     
  11. agup48

    agup48 Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #11 agup48, Apr 2, 2011
  12. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #12 GuyIncognito, Apr 2, 2011
  13. Ducman491

    Ducman491 Formula 3

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    #13 Ducman491, Apr 2, 2011
    Fatbilly,
    I don't know if its driver development or personal driving style. It seems to me that the best are guys who can do both. I follow MotoGP closest and in the past Valentino Rossi could either run away from the field or chase people down if needed. Maybe you should sit in 2nd or 3rd until the last lap or two and make your run for the lead then.

    I don't have a trackable car but on the Duc I seem to make fewer mistakes and even push braking markers a bit deeper and get on the throttle a bit earlier when chasing. On spirited street rides though I have been known to check out on guys who are usually faster than I am. I think sometimes I don't want to hold anybody up so I just roll.

    Next Question, Do you turn right or left better?
     

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