Racing Techniques
How Telemetry Analysis Makes You Faster
Stop relying on 'feeling' fast. Learn how valid data (speed traces, G-sum, throttle position) reveals exactly where you're losing time.
Introduction
“I felt fast that lap.” The stopwatch says the lap was slower. Why?
Human sensors are calibrated for survival, not lap time. Force feedback lies to you. Data never lies.
Basic Telemetry: Speed Trace
This is the most powerful tool. It’s a graph of speed vs. distance. What to look for:
- Minimum Speed: Are you over-slowing the apex? (V-shape vs U-shape profile).
- Turn-in Point: Does the speed drop off a cliff (good) or coast down slowly (lazy entry)?
- Exit Speed: Where does the throttle trace pick up?
Advanced: Friction Circle (G-Sum)
Are you asking the tire for more than the available grip, or leaving usable grip untouched? The G-Sum channel tells you combined braking and turning force. If you brake at 1.0G, turn in, and the G-force drops to 0.5G… you left grip on the table.
Case Study: Turn 2 at Laguna
Most drivers coast for 200 feet before Turn 2. Looking at the data, we see:
- Driver A: Coasts (0.2G decel) from 400ft marker to 200ft marker.
- Pro: Full throttle until 250ft marker, then instant threshold brake.
Review outcome: the comparison isolates one braking zone where a cleaner release can be tested on the next run. Any lap-time effect must be measured in that driver, car, and session context.
Summary
You don’t need a MoTeC engineer to find speed. You just need to know what to look for. Send me your data file (Garmin, AIM, VBOX) and I’ll record a video review for you.