Lost my mojo?

[Bomber604]

Here's my tale of woe:

I race in a very competitive single make championship

Last season I won class B, came 2nd overall & in 10 races had 7 class wins & 3 2nds

Upgraded my car over the winter (at great expense) to class A spec: more power, bigger brakes, better suspension, with the aim of starting out top 5 or 6 then working my way towards the podium.

Imagine my dismay at the 1st race weekend when I come 18th & 16th and get beaten by some class B cars.

My best finish this season has been 11th & I can't get anywhere near the front runners lap times.

The car is spot on, develops as much power as the leading cars & has the same suspension & set up as the current championship leader.

So the only conclusion I can come to is that I've forgotten how to drive!

Would anyone like to offer an opinion as to how I've gone from hero to zero between seasons?

[lovef1]

is it possible that your car has way too much power than the chassis can handle?

[MagnetON]

How much practise have you put in with your new found power/brakes/suspension? I'm sure it'll feel like a totally different car and you'll take time to find the "synergy" you had with your last set-up.

I doubt you've forgotten how to drive, I think you just need to learn how to get the best out of your upgrades.

[Peat]

Found it!

[Bomber604]

Originally Posted by lovef1

is it possible that your car has way too much power than the chassis can handle?

No, I've only gone from 130 to 170bhp & these chassis will handle 200bhp+

[Bomber604]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

How much practise have you put in with your new found power/brakes/suspension? I'm sure it'll feel like a totally different car and you'll take time to find the "synergy" you had with your last set-up.

I doubt you've forgotten how to drive, I think you just need to learn how to get the best out of your upgrades.

5 test days & 8 races so far this season & still miles off the pace

[MGDavid]

do you have any video or logging to compare before and after? If not you might need to put another driver in at a test session and see what they can do.

[Lancsbreaker]

How are your times this year compared to last year? If you are actually going slower than last year maybe somewhere in the "set-up" you've taken a wrong turn. If you are faster than last year but not as fast as others, then maybe you don't actually have as much power as them....or as effective tyres, or brakes, or whatever.....

[Bomber604]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

do you have any video or logging to compare before and after? If not you might need to put another driver in at a test session and see what they can do.

No data logging but I have had the current championship leader in car with me (We're good mates). He did identify a couple of small issues but nothing that would explain why I'm so far off the pace.

[leonidas]

Difficult to comment without seeing any footage or data but it could be the more you worry about it, the worse it gets!

That sounds like glib advice but I've know friends who have had a bad start to the season and then started to over-drive the car, braking too late, going a little bit to deep into corners etc. Also, if there is stuff going on in your head about your performance, your concentration levels in the race will also suffer. I only compete in rallies but I find that if my head's not right I might as well put the car back on the trailer. Concentration and focus is everything.

[Bomber604]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

How are your times this year compared to last year? If you are actually going slower than last year maybe somewhere in the "set-up" you've taken a wrong turn. If you are faster than last year but not as fast as others, then maybe you don't actually have as much power as them....or as effective tyres, or brakes, or whatever.....

I am quicker than last year but not quick enough, I know the car is right. Our regs are very tight, we all run the same tyres & brakes. If I'm down on power it would only be 4 or 5 horses as I've seen dyno plots from some of the front running cars and that's not enough to explain a 3 second a lap deffecit round Cadwell.

I am convinced that the fault is with me & that I've lost "The Edge" that I had last season but I just can't figure out why or how to get it back.

[Bomber604]

Originally Posted by leonidas

Difficult to comment without seeing any footage or data but it could be the more you worry about it, the worse it gets!

That sounds like glib advice but I've know friends who have had a bad start to the season and then started to over-drive the car, braking too late, going a little bit to deep into corners etc. Also, if there is stuff going on in your head about your performance, your concentration levels in the race will also suffer. I only compete in rallies but I find that if my head's not right I might as well put the car back on the trailer. Concentration and focus is everything.

You make a fair point there, Our first round was supposed to be at Oulton, my favorite circuit & I hold the class B lap record there.

Having rebuilt the car to Class A spec over the off season I was full of confidence & planned on having a great start to the season at my favorite track.

Unfortunately our lengthy winter intervened & the meeting was cancelled due to heavy snow.

It's all been down hill since then.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Peat

Found it!

I'm pretty sure it'll be down the back of the sofa. Dig it out, brush of the fluff and cat hairs and you'll be right back on it!

[morninggents]

Perhaps it would have been better to do the major improvements in stages with testing after each stage to get used to, then develop, each improvement. Perhaps there is only one of the three elements of the changes that is causing the problem but because you are trying to get to grips with all three is clouding one particular issue.

[gt917]

May i offer some other.

is it possible for you to "beg, borrow or steal" a competitive class b car again and see if you are still on the pace with that.

Also, think really positive all the time. If you keep thinking you have lost your Mojo it will grind you down even more.

I do think Morninggents has made a very valid and often occuring mistake in doing too much in one go in modifications.

[NJH]

I would reccommend a cheap logger like the Aim Solo. I used to help a guy a few years back who was a comfortable mid runner. I noted from g force data that he seemed to be very inconsistent on the brakes. A mate said the same thing and noted he was braking all over the place. Chatting to him he didn't have a marker to look for for his braking point and hadn't even thought about it. This never showed up in his lap times as he posted very consistent lap times. The thing is not that your'e suffering from the same issue but I bet if one had a good look at your'e data there will be a clue in there and its likely some small inconsistency or something off that is throwing your'e confidence and making it worse such that 1 second turns into 3.

This happened to me at Silverstone back in May. I knew I was all over the place as I have done hundreds of laps with a simulated version of my own car in rFactor. I just couldn't get in a flow that would string together consistent laps and incrementally chop the times down and boy did I know it. In short I never got going.

A few weeks later I noted something odd in the setup going over my car top to bottom/front to back and discussed again with guys I know and the outfit who work on my car. Turned out a communication error meant I was running too high rear damper rebound, like a different car now, wonderful to drive and its so easy to make an odd mistake here or there like that.

[stockhatcher]

i'd put a significant amount of money on your engine being nowhere near the front runners power levels.

1) who built it? and was that the same person that built the front runners car?
2) where did you rolling road it - and was that the same place?

Looking at your times from donny this year, you did find 2 secs in the race from qually, but you remained 4 secs off the fastest lap.

Your lap times are broadly comparable to the front runners pace in 2010. So I suspect the game has moved on again since then. Also don't discount a significant amount of cheating from the front runners.

As a rule of thumb 1.7 secs should be the difference between a well driven good car and a well driven amazing car.

[Silver 3]

A few ideas--- you do need to re-check all the tech info is in the right place. Data is king in race cars--everything from lies to facts!!
From a driving perspective-- sometimes guys in lower classes are 110% convinced that it is only HP (or tech) that is beating them on the track.In making changes you conditioned your head into believing that--in effect-- the desired result would be achieved via the changes.You have not considered the higher degree of difficulty( commitment) required to go faster-- your head needs to get around that and adjusted.
Now-- from a practical point of view-- stalk the top guys in class.In practice/qualifying make sure you are next car out- or wait for them on track( I recommend not being obvious in what you are up to !!) .Take every opportunity to follow them and be mixed up with the quick cars. That will give you a read out of where the ground is being lost.If your car is equal--simply being with them will suck you up closer in lap times. Think about what can reasonably be achieved( at this stage)-- feel good about that little gain-- and proceed to next target point!!
Something very specific-- in practice--try and drive around in a gear higher( taller) everywhere and make the car flow. It is common error to be driving around with a gazillion revs and being effectively 30 k to slow in the middle of a corner.
I have plenty more!!-- but am interested to see if anything said in thread helps you !!

[Notso Swift]

Originally Posted by Silver 3

Now-- from a practical point of view-- stalk the top guys in class.In practice/qualifying make sure you are next car out- or wait for them on track( I recommend not being obvious in what you are up to !!) .Take every opportunity to follow them and be mixed up with the quick cars. That will give you a read out of where the ground is being lost.If your car is equal--simply being with them will suck you up closer in lap times. Think about what can reasonably be achieved( at this stage)-- feel good about that little gain-- and proceed to next target point!!

This

[Silver 3]

Originally Posted by Bomber604

Here's my tale of woe:


Would anyone like to offer an opinion as to how I've gone from hero to zero between seasons?

Got any updates? Always curious to hear!!

[Bomber604]

Thanks for all the opinions & advice. Now that the season is behind me I'm planning on a major rebuild..... Of my attitude towards racing!

I got myself into a bad place & wasn't enjoying racing at all.

Having since raced in a multi marque series for a bit of a change, I found that as there was no pressure to prove anything I enjoyed myself & put in a very respectable performance.

I reckon that variety is the way forward so I'll be racing in a few different series next season.

[gt917]

Well done Bomber for your honest and open thoughts and thanks.