quattro Digest, Vol 10, Issue 50- Re: Track lines on various cars: WAS Delrin or Poly bushings?

[l.leung at juno.com]

>From what I learned (at driving schools), lines differ most
when powering out (post apex) and are usually quite similar
(NOT saying identical) under braking and turning in. Doesn't
matter much when time trialing or Auto-X (which BTW, follows
the rules and same lines as open road running, the difference
is the speed and where you have to transition, if you open up
an Auto-X course, the line would look like a road course, and
vis-versa), but in wheel to wheel, having AWD means you have
a selection of lines on exit, which is what Rohrl, Stuck and
Haywood used to their advantage. The RWD cars could certainly
try those lines, but could not put down their power as well on
the alternate lines, thus losing exit speed, and thusly getting
passed. Still doesn't significantly alter the turn entrance
though. And the basics taught at any decent driving school will
still make most any driver faster. When you start talking car
to car differences, you'd better be pretty fast to begin with 
to take advantage of an instructors "familiarity" with one type,
model of car over another. i.e. if you can follow the instructor's
line, inch by inch (or mm, by mm outside the US), then you'll need a
make specific instructor. 'Til then, just go out to school and drive.


LL - NY 
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Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 19:19:27 -0700
From: "John Larson" <j.d.larson at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: Track lines on various cars: WAS Delrin or Poly bushings?
To: <illuminaudi at comcast.net>, <quattro at audifans.com>
Message-ID: <019c01c48592$f47cb730$6500a8c0 at hppav>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

My good friend Dennis Aase used to talk about "line" and the Trans Am and
IMSA Audis.  He drove his Gurney Toyota (yeah, right, a FWD Celica looking
thing with RWD and a Hewland transaxle!) with style, speed, and a good
measure of success. However, no matter what line was advantageous for the
rest of the field, Rohrl, Stuck, and Heywood simply used the "line" where
nobody else was.  Sort of like broken field running.  I'm of the opinion
that "the correct line" for a particular car and driving style is the one
that works best.  Must be unnerving to be perfectly on your "line" and see
that big ol' sedan go motoring right on by
...............................................  John