Thread: Keeping Track of Track Times?

One of the things I noticed while at the track this year is, I had no way of knowing if my track times were improving with different driving styles. After the track I was thinking of ways to actually monitor the times getting a cell phone stand and using the stop watch app is the cheapest way to go, but wondering if there are more proper options.

There are several ways Vadim

We currently use a traqmate pro. But my brother is working on a Iphone compatible (GPS module) setup to just use a phone and overlay it on the Gopro video

Typically, for track days, unless your car is setup for it (or there is an official score/time keeper) you do not really know how you are improving time wise.

HOWEVER, typically, when I take mental notes of things (throttle position, timing, how long I was on the brakes, gear changes etc) I can get a good gauge on how I am improving

Here in Phoenix we use the following devices:

BT-1000eX

LT-Q6000

You can overlay with Google Maps, Bluetooth to any Android or iPhone racing app as well.

Simply taking a video of your runs would do it as well, although not as accurate as GPS probably but close to the accuracy of a stop watch I'd guess. If you're recording at 30fps, you should be able to get pretty close

-G

Openly timing is a big no-no during most DE events. It violates the agreement with the insurance company that underwrites the liability for the track. It's considered "racing" as opposed to "education". Which falls into a whole different category in terms of premium and safety equipment needed for them to underwrite it.

With that said, I think in-car video is the best method to judge what is working in terms of lap time improvement.

Get a person in the stands, with a stop watch, pen and paper.

It has been proven for decades, guys, come on now!!!!

Police have used this form of reinforcing the speeding tickets they give you by starting a timer when you cross a painted line and ended it when you cross a painted line and the judge accepts it, too.

Widely acceptable considering this is not for money, points, or anything else besides personal satisfaction. When I came in my last session, I knew I was going faster after I checked my tire pressures again (granted the heat was coming out later in the day) but I did feel faster and smoother towards the end and the times gathered proved it. My fastest lap of the day was 1:49:57 and I think Russel and Mark threw out 1:40:xx and 1:39:xx.

1:51:08
1:51:67
1:51:43
1:51:49

Those are my last four laps gathered by a man in the tower with a stop watch. Don't get caught up in that technological silliness for our purposes.

Hank, I totally understand why it is frowned upon to time laps at an HPDE. But at the same time, how can you quantify what you have learned at the track? I know that is a broad statement and that lap times are not the only answer to that question as there are a lot of techniques that need to be learned as well. But the lap times do tell the story of how much you can learn at an HPDE. As a racer, I really do like to know what my times are. When it comes down to it, that is what matters unless you are drifting.




Kyle, as I have said before, I REALLY appreciate your father taking the time to get some lap times for me. It really made my day to know where I stand on a new track. I know that I left plenty of time out there for various reasons. But at the end of the day I had a great time. And that is what REALLY matters! (never mind what I said above about the lap times)

Vadim, check this out; AiM Sports - The World Leader in Data Acquisition

No arguments from me. I'm just addressing why it's not a good idea to openly do it. Some organizations get a little nervous about insurance companies denyng them a liability claim becaused it was a "timed" event as opposed to an "educational" event. All it takes is the insurance company to find out people were openly timing and the claim can be denied. Unfortunately, we live in a litigious world. Cripes, I've heard of drivers sueing other drivers these days. Get lawyers and insurance companies involved and things go to shit in a hurry.

Kyle, it is not always feasible to have someone else there to time you with a stop-watch. That is a luxury sometimes not afforded.

I usually have to resort to looking for signs of improvement in my driving. The most obvious is when I notice I've carried more speed through a section resulting in the need for an up-shift earlier than before.

Actually timing the laps might be what I'd need to get more enjoyment out of my sessions. Without cars of similar pace around me I have less of an idea how I'm doing. Taking video helps for getting lap times after the day, but reviewing a video for time, even between sessions, seems a bit cumbersome and undesirable. It would be nice to know lap times during the session, but barring that it would be nice to have lap times after the session without having to view or scroll through 20 minutes of video. Often these cameras don't even have play-back.

When you've done this for a number of years, you just know when you had a good lap. You can also gauge your shift points and straightaway speeds to see how effective your previous cornering was. When I finally figured out T12/T13 (top of the hill) I was shifting sooner and carrying a lot more speed through the long sweeper and front straight.