NOLA Newbies?

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:16 pm
So far we've got 37 entries in SRF3. About half a dozen I don't remember seeing the last couple years.
Anybody in need of video or a few notes? I can probably dig up something and share some time in person Friday.

Needs a Life!!!
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Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:02 pm
PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:58 am
Here's a halfway decent lap. Take anything you see with a grain of salt since it's 4 seconds off of the track record. Still, hopefully it will give anyone a feel for where the track goes. I'll dig up my notes soon... I need to study some myself!
https://youtu.be/8p8fmwoxqFU
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 12:13 pm
If anyone is looking for a last minute rental for NOLA Super Tour next weekend let me know:dennystripling at gmail. This car set the new track record at a track here in Dallas in January so she's quick. Assuming all goes well (CoTA aside, grrr), we are looking at a solid field (37 cars so far) and lots of track time. 4 sessions on the test day for $200 and then the potential for 5 more sessions on Sat/Sun (warm-up/Q/R and Q/R). Right now the weather looks great. Oh, and it's New Orleans. :)
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Bay 12, please.

Needs a Life!!!
Needs a Life!!!
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:02 pm
PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 1:16 am
Sorry, I realized that my notes were from when I ran a Gen2 here, so updating a couple places... I think most of it is evident from the video and watching the fast guys, but in case anybody comes back here later, here you go:

A word about brake and turn-in points: they can be subjective... one person might think of braking "at the 300" as being truly parallel with it, while another is braking when it's merely passing the point in their vision where the front wheel is. So with that chunk of salt, and realizing that conditions will change consider them just reference points to adjust from, here's how I perceive NOLA:

4->5 upshift is roughly around start/finish
T1 brake at the 4, down to upper 3rd gear and back on the throttle such that I'm upshifting back to 4th before T2
T3 braking just past the side road on the right, use the inside curbing as a reference for where to turn in.
T4 brake at the start of the curbing and turn in by the end. The exit opens wide so it's faster than it looks at first assuming you can make the apex
T5 doesn't need much braking
T6 doesn't either... this is an area where the current definition of "track limits" can make quite a difference in how fast you can go and where you can position your car. The outside curbing has changed a little over the years.
T7 and 8 are flat out if I recall correctly (and you turn in sufficiently late)
T9 requires some braking
T10-12 is about using the curbing to keep your apexes late and flow through... easier than COTA for sure
T13 the left-hand curbing is a good braking reference and you drop to 3rd
T14 is a tricky double-apex and you'll see a variety of lines and braking points that work, so try a few and be ready to use what works relative to the cars around you
T15 can be full throttle if you hit your marks ... but don't let it compromise T16 entry!
T16 is crucial to get right since it is fairly quick AND leads onto the long front straight.
I find that the left-hand entrance curbing will upset the loaded outside wheels quite a bit
Aggressively using the right-hand curbing buys you space, to the extent you don't upset the car
The track-out curbing definitely slow the car but you'll often see cars with all 4 wheels on it.
I have seen people drive completely outside that wide curbing and it puts you quite close to the very solid pit wall (and definitely in the marbles late in the weekend). This is the other area where the definition of "track limits" is crucial. IMO we should not be running outside of that curbing since it will eventually bite somebody hard.
T15 and 16 can be taken with no braking (or only gentle left-foot braking as a big, variable radius turn, going to full throttle near the apex curbing to pin down the rear and get a good run

Finally, my pet peeve at NOLA is that the tight and technical corners T13 through 16 cause people to not really get side-by-side early enough, and if you're in the back half of the field, you'll probably be coming through the last turn at race pace while the leaders are taking the green flag. Last year the accordion effect saw a pretty large crash at start/finish so hopefully we'll do a better job of getting an even start without a wave-off or a fakeout and everybody will make it through T1.

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