Willow Springs teaching lap -- Give me some input
 

Here's my thinking. You show up at my favorite track, Willow Springs, and the first thing you do is to hear a guy like me talking about the line you should drive, and it's all pretty abstract, since chances are you haven't driven the track before. It'd be helpful, I think, to be able to come back and see a laptop running a loop of an in-car video throughout the day to give you a quick re-orientation as you start to make the leap from loosely conseptualizing going around the track to actually having it burned into your memory.

In-car video isn't perfect. It's not really the same perspective as a specific student would have in a specific car (with an instructor in the passenger seat). But it might make a good supplemental piece to it.

I don't have a race-cam, but I used my video editing software to add gear-change indications and throttle and brake inputs to the footage. I'll refine it from here (the editing software makes a pretty imprecise tool), but I'd be interested in any feedback on how to make it more useful.

Willow Springs Clip (Quicktime, 10 megs)

I like it. What would ultra-super-cool is if you could do a 'picture-in-picture' with a track-map and the car's position superimposed on 'the line' - like the line thing you were working on a few weeks ago.

I found chris streit's video of blackhawk raceway to be a very nice intro prior to my first DE.

I would imagine that someone could even package this sort of thing up and sell it... we spend big bucks on our cars and track time and taking off work. Why not an extra $20 for some race prep.

Oh, and lots of folks don't use quicktime... maybe add an alternate format.

Jack,

With all the current technology, there must be some good teaching videos. There must also be a lot of footage at every track in the country. Can you find sources in POC, PCA, Cal Club Region, SCCA, and more that have material? I would think most are public domain or available free with credit.

Best,
Grady

Looks great, Jack.

There are some VHS Videos out that show repeated incar laps from different tracks. I have one (~10 years old now) of the northeast tracks. All of the cars are Porsches so I think that it was aimed at the PCA driver.

Very cool angle Jack. As WB911 said I would also have a map, maybe not in the video but discussing it as the video is played. I would recommend discussing the line, braking points, and gas during the video rather than having the engine noise (but have it in the background for sure)

Nice work.

This might be helpful.... http://www.apexvisualizations.com/gallery.html

Very cool, indeed! I found my self looking at it over and over, section at a time, and seeing how I can improve, myself!
Since you're asking for suggestions, I think seeing what you're doing at the wheel might be nice. That pic-in-pic idea might work out in this respect, but you'd have to have another cam in the car aimed at your wheel. I think I'd find that useful, anyway. Still, an excellent tool for learning, IMHO.

Edward

I'd actually like narration on why you're doing what you're doing. An interactive track map would be nice too ;)

And while you're at it, maybe another lap taking a "lower hp" line.

We could actually do a pretty cool website/video thing for willow....

hey Jack nice work, that was exactly what I was looking for! ;-)

that was so damn cool! boy those wide tires should do make a difference dont they. WOW!

Very nice work Jack. Efforts like this is what makes club racing so much fun, everyone helping each other out.

Thank you

Thanks Jack!

I just took my first intro class at the last AROSC a few weeks back and only managed around 10 laps. As a track newbie the video really helps to visualize the correct line at speed. Would drivers in stock SC's have the same shift points or be in the same gears as you in the video? I know you have a much bigger motor and different gearing but are others with stock 915's shifting the same? Just curious.

The poor man's version of this would be to label the turn numbers in the lower right. But I think I remember doing something like this a long time ago where I added a track graphic with a red dot moving along it in the lower corner.

You're right. The PCA should offer something like this for all the utilized tracks, region by region. Right now, though, I'm only interested in this track, because it's the one I most often teach at.

That's a good idea. I could mount the camera in the car for a session, pointed at the steering wheel and pedals. I'll look into this.

There aren't a lot of shifting points at Willow. So even though my car has lower gearing than some, not a whole lot changes. Pretty much everyone downshifts a gear for turn 1, and then another for turn 3. Short shifting up the hill into turn 6 is common, too (although not universal), as is downshifting at the entrance to 9.

The difference for my car is that I'm probably getting 5th gear (on the front straight, and going into turn 8) earlier than some other cars. But on the track, it'll be pretty apparent where the appropriate place is to go to 5th (if at all).

I never get into 5th in my SC. Going into one I'm near redline in 4th, and downshift to 3rd in the turn. Then I downshift into 2nd in turn 3, back to 3rd coming out of 4 (heading down the hill), then into 4th coming out of 6th. I tend to be high in the revs the whole time though. Plus I'm not as fast as Jack...

Hey Jack about the camera setup. I saw a very interesting setup in a Porsche at fontana when the PCA ran there. The car had the typical rollcage mount but the driver had put a small mirror in front of the camera and below it. He had straight on view, view if what was behind him and view of the steering wheel. Very interesting, I would think the hardest part would be fabbing brackets to hold the mirrors steady enough to get a clear shot.

Also you run a lipstick camera for the exterior view correct? Is there a way to allow the camera to record the feed from the camera lens and the lipstick at the same time? Just thought you could use the camera in the car to record you and the lipstick on the outside as you are now. Just an idea.

That's what I do in my C2. The gearing in that car is much taller than Jack's. Istead of 3,4 and 5, it's 2,3 and 4.


Jack, you still seem to be late-apexing turn 1. I think there's half a second right there. You don't track-out to the exit of 1. You dive in really deep into 1 and square it off too much. Try turning in earlier and getting on the gas sooner while trying to run right over the last apex reflector.

I can't download or view the video. :(

Neither can I but when it comes available I would like to see the layout of the track. I have been doing serious thinking since you posted the other info about OTR in the other thread. I think I would like to try the track out in January if I can get away from work for a few days.

looks like my server died. I'll get it back up. Good excuse to drive into work late Friday night ;)

You can see maps of the track at:

http://www.willowspringsraceway.com

Jack has a handout that shows the driving line(s) around the track. Very helpful. I think it was a thread on the racing board too...

ok...server fixed. In my office at 11:48pm on a Friday night. But I get to drive home...or maybe up PCH. Decisions, decisions... ;)

Very cool. Worked flawlessly.

Jack, here are some product comments from a guys who's thousands of miles away and never seen Willow Springs in the flesh. My intention is just to look at this as a potential customer.

This is better in some ways then the video tape that I mentioned earlier, but loses out in some ways.

1) Make sure that you hit your apexes. Admittedly the camera is mounted on your off-side, but it didn't show a clear right side apex until turn four - (even taking into account the really-really-really-late apex of turn 2). Apexes as reference points are key to beginners. In addition to leaving road un-used, missing an apex in the video takes away reference points that beginners hunger for.

2) Mount the camera onto or inside your helmet. Almost nobody drives the car from outside the right rear window. Beginning drivers need to see the driver's perspective -- not the rear wing's. This will help them to pick out reference points that they can see (as opposed to those that they can't). It will also alert them to possible driver sensations that remote camera's can-not. For example -- Chris Foley recently posted some video from LRP that had some really fast laps (for a 4-cylinder 914 1.7) that showed some significant bumpiness through Big Bend. It reminded me of an old R&T article that I've kept through the years of Sam Posey going through LRP Step-by-step with pictures. He pointed out the same thing with pictures that conveyed the exact same experience.

3) Speaking of famous drivers, the tape that I have has some famous drivers (Derek Bell and others) doing a voice-over calmly describing what is happening. This can be very helpful.

4) In addition to the driver's eye view, why not edit in some highlights of reference marks. For example like the picture below. They would only need to flash on briefly to give the beginning driver an idea of where to look and for what.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1100352616.jpg

It would highlight to the driver that the reference is to the right of the tower. In my opinion the key references to show are turn-in points and apexs. You could also highlight where the driver's eyes should be when cross the apex and where to look when exiting the turn. Skip Barber's teachers teach (and I agree) that the car will go where the driver's eyes are pointed. So capturing in a video where the driver's eyes should be looking would be something new and different.

From a video geek perspective...

If you have the ability, switch your camera over to 'progressive' mode (may be 24fps). This avoids the annoying interlace tearing (the horizontal jaggies) when you play the video on the laptop.

Depending on your editing software you may have to change that to a progressive mode as well.

Jack:
Attached is a link to an Optometrist who mixes his video laps between a camera mounted on a harness bar and a lipstick camera mounted to his passenger mirror. He brings his laptop to the track to allow beginners to see his video/driving line and aid in his instruction.

http://homepage.mac.com/on_track/hotlapvideos.htm

I found it to be very helpful when I visted Gingerman a few years ago, especially when there were no familiarity rides.

Jack,

I drove Willow Springs for the first time last week (in about 10+ different cars). I used your map (above) and it helped!

The turn 3-4 is a bit awkward until you get used to it... and I still don't have the guts to go into 8 without a tap on the brakes... I guess that will come.

I saw a brand-new 2005 'Vette go off pretty hard to the outside of #3. Ouch.

- Mike

Cool video! What kind of lap times are you turning at Willow?

Turn 1 looks great. I think you should hug the turn 2 inside line much tighter - will cut 50-100 feet out of the length of that corner and allow you to carry more speed to the exit of turn 2. Looks like your turn-in at the top of turn 4 is a little early, too. That sucker needs to be late-apexed to make the run down to turn 5 as straight as possible. Same with turn 8 - keep those right tires almost on the dirt in the inside. That'll cut 100-150 feet out of the length of that turn. Turn 9 - What the hell, Jack? Keep it in 5th and don't take your foot off, hehe.

*I do not know what the hell I'm talking about, so discard info accordingly* :D

Man, a lot of armchair racers here. I think any pics or vids are an aid. I believe I've read that F1 drivers and others "drive" the tracks on interactive games. But, as was pointed out, the advange gained in watching a video is parallel to the amount of overall track driving time.

I think a first timer is going to be a bit lost while watching the video. It would be abstract, as Jack said. There is no substitiute for a in-car instructor and following other cars/drivers who set a good example. IOW, no substitute for seat time. The video can't hurt, though.

I need to hurry up and get some memory in my computer because I've never been able to download any of Jacks vids. Even on DSL, which I thought would help. The memory is coming soon. I have seen other vids that are either in a different format or smaller files. I love watching them. The pause feature makes it work as a tool.

Jack, is there a way to play your vids on a screen at the driver's meeting and classroom at OTR? That would be outstanding.

All of this input is very helpful, guys. Thanks.

That was close to my idea for this. But I think it's like you say: the first time you sit down with a class, this sort of thing is a complete abstraction. Then they go out and do ducks-in-a-row, and ride with their instructors, and it slowly (and I do mean slowly) begins to form a complete picture in their heads. My thinking was that rather than rely on their memory of what I said in class, or what the instructor said/yelled as they were driving, it might be useful to have this sort of thing running on a TV up in the drivers' meeting room so that -- if they wanted -- they could come up and see it again as they slowly gain more familiarity with the track.

A lot of times, students hear all of the right things on a track day, but are so excited/distracted/overwhelmed that it goes in one ear and out the other. I think using something like this as a supplemental tool might help to remind them of what their instructor has said as the day goes on and their thoughts have a chance to settle down a little.

A free-standing video for someone who's never been to Willow is a great idea, but it's more ambitious than I want to get at this point. Multiple perspectives are still a possibility, and more text on screen is in the works.

Richard, I'm not sure why I was running so high through 2 that day. Usually I'm tighter. I lost my rear end a little exiting 3, so my line through 4 is a little off. Here's a clip of what I normally do there. I've tried staying in 5th through 9 a bunch of times, and it's always slower in my car.

The lap this clip was based on was a 1:30.27.