Picking up speed and shedding seconds are two goals of any racecar driver. Some speed can be gained from tweaks to the car – you certainly won’t realize your full potential on ancient shocks or old tires – but a lot of improvement can come from tuning the human behind the wheel.
Traditional coaching can be expensive, and is often left behind as amateur racers prioritize tires, brakes, and other “essentials” in their budgets. As the 2019 season quickly approaches, I’ve started working with pro driver Dion Von Moltke’s company, Racers360, which takes a different – far more affordable – approach.
Instead of hiring a coach to spend a day trackside offering input, Racers360 works virtually. Drivers can send in video and have it critiqued within 48 hours, a great way to debrief immediately after an event. Racers360 coaches are some of the best, including Pippa Mann, Josh Hurley, Peter Krause, Callan O’Keefe, and Von Moltke himself.
Given it’s the off-season, I asked Dion to analyze a hot lap from a race at VIR late last year. The video had a data overlay with basic speed and lap information, which is all he needed.
Dion quickly identified a big change to make – and it’s a change that will apply for several “big money” corners around VIR. I’m applying throttle too early, before the apexes of several turns, which is leading to understeer and ultimately, a lack of grip from the front of the car.
So great, just trail-brake, right? Well, yes, that is the answer to this problem, but hearing “just do X” can be hard to put into practice. Dion gave a very thorough explanation of the “how” of proper trail-braking, using my video to illustrate where I can work on the various elements of a proper trail-brake through corners.
Our first NASA Mid-Atlantic event is at VIR in March. I’m excited to use the Friday test day to apply Dion’s coaching and see the change it allows. From there, I’ll continue working with Dion and his team to recognize more improvements throughout the season.
Racers360 “One Lap Analysis” costs $99 per lap. The team also offers analysis of full races, data file analysis, and an extensive free content library that covers both driver skill and nuances of various racetracks.