Round 1 Technical Discussion: Tsukuba

  • Thread starter EL_ZISSOU
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Pretty much, although I'm not so worried about my overall time particularly in this 1st round TBH...I just want to advance while focusing on the combos I enjoy. Achieving P1 overall @ Tsukuba will probably be my main goal for Round 1, so I will likely be coming back to it up until the deadline. I'll try to get going on Cape next week...although I'm not going to put much effort in, as I don't really care for that combo nor the tactics (nothing against the folks doing so) being used to achieve the current top times. I will probably try to get some laps in on Rome on the following week 👍 Anyway, enough about me :lol:

That's how I feel, I just want to make it to the next round, I only spent last night and was able to get into the top 100 and will probably not try anymore until next round unless I start getting bumped back.
 
Just put some good hard time in at Tsukuba. Using GTP_timeattack's ghost as a lead, finally managed to get a clean lap in after about 80 laps to run a 1:05.376 moving me up to 9th in the West.

Now to work on Rome...
 
Just put some good hard time in at Tsukuba. Using GTP_timeattack's ghost as a lead, finally managed to get a clean lap in after about 80 laps to run a 1:05.376 moving me up to 9th in the West.

Now to work on Rome...

How do you set them as a ghost to follow in Academy event?
 
Go to the rankings for that track. You can only use the top 10 guys (as far as I know) Click on their name and select "Ghost". It will load their lap as the ghost so you can follow them.
 
Here's a video of my lap...I would suggest watching it in 720 mode because of the screen reflection/brightness. I filmed this on a Droid phone.

Any incite or advice into achieving a better time is welcomed. Thank you.

 
Overall a decent, clean lap.

A few things - don't apex T1 so early. Enter the corner a meter or so from the inside curbing and work the car in to a late apex. You are drifting out too early (because you come down to the inside of the corner a little prematurely) which doesn't allow you to get on the gas as solidly coming out of the corner, and it actually adds distance. You really need a late apex/track out where you don't make it to the curbing on the left until almost the end (just a couple car lengths before the green spot). I can't read your screen, but a sector 1 time of 15.5 or below means you did it well.

You don't need 4th gear going into the 1st hairpin. Don't let the car drift out as much mid corner - it actually makes it harder to rotate, it's typically slower speeds when you do make it rotate, and it adds unnecessary distance to the corner. Use trail braking to rotate the car around the inside. Don't hit the curb, but stay closer to the curbing most of the way around. Go 0 throttle mid-corner to continue to let the car rotate, and then get in the gas to keep the car rotating and use most all of the track out space. I don't think you get the car to rotate quite enough so you can't get hard on the gas as early as you would like. The key here is to make sure the car rotates sufficiently enough to get a late (2nd) apex or else you will add distance at track out and fight to get on the power.

T5 (or whatever that turn is under the Dunlop arch) - don't be afraid to go 0 throttle a little longer. If you wait just a little longer at 0 throttle you can get more squarely back on the gas, but in your video it looks like you are fighting too much. Also, this should help point the car to the right a little more. You don't want to use 100% of the track out because then you fight the car trying to stay full throttle through the sweeping left. If you can keep the car about 1 meter from the track-out curb you won't need to lift at all through the left, and there shouldn't even be too much tire noise. It looks like you have to lift a little there, so that's probably a tenth by itself.

2nd hairpin - it's hard to tell, but I think you brake just a little too late. This is another corner that requires patience at 0 throttle, which it looks like you do correctly. However, you really want to get all the way down to the white line as the car turns. If you back this turn up about another 2-3 meters you should be able to come out faster - which is important since it's the longest straight on the track.

Last turn - again, just a little more patience at 0 throttle and the car will turn a little better for you. At first, for me anyway, it felt like I was always fighting - and a lot of the early fast times involved a bit of drifting. However, I found that very easy on the brake at first (ease off the brake very quickly to keep the car from squealing too much), along with a good period of 0 throttle allows me to get back on the gas, get down to the apex, and come out of the corner at a good speed (I cross the finish line at around 152km/hr, which is about 94mph).

I think you are overdriving just a little bit - slower/more patience may actually end up being faster. My ghost (1:05.143) would be an OK one to download because I'm not too crazy/don't slide around a lot, but the best ghost to look at is gtp_timeattack (looks like he has a 1:04.994). He is liquid smooth, infinitely patient (his previous fast lap was #88 of the session), doesn't overcook any of the turns, and takes a very good line.
 
Wow thanks for the detailed advice! As soon as I'm done cleaning up my road bike I will give it a go and see how I do.

You are right about fighting and overdriving. That's how I feel every time I go around this track. Sorry for the quality, probably should have waited till night time to reduce the brightness and glare.
 
Overall a decent, clean lap.

A few things - don't apex T1 so early. Enter the corner a meter or so from the inside curbing and work the car in to a late apex. You are drifting out too early (because you come down to the inside of the corner a little prematurely) which doesn't allow you to get on the gas as solidly coming out of the corner, and it actually adds distance. You really need a late apex/track out where you don't make it to the curbing on the left until almost the end (just a couple car lengths before the green spot). I can't read your screen, but a sector 1 time of 15.5 or below means you did it well.

You don't need 4th gear going into the 1st hairpin. Don't let the car drift out as much mid corner - it actually makes it harder to rotate, it's typically slower speeds when you do make it rotate, and it adds unnecessary distance to the corner. Use trail braking to rotate the car around the inside. Don't hit the curb, but stay closer to the curbing most of the way around. Go 0 throttle mid-corner to continue to let the car rotate, and then get in the gas to keep the car rotating and use most all of the track out space. I don't think you get the car to rotate quite enough so you can't get hard on the gas as early as you would like. The key here is to make sure the car rotates sufficiently enough to get a late (2nd) apex or else you will add distance at track out and fight to get on the power.

T5 (or whatever that turn is under the Dunlop arch) - don't be afraid to go 0 throttle a little longer. If you wait just a little longer at 0 throttle you can get more squarely back on the gas, but in your video it looks like you are fighting too much. Also, this should help point the car to the right a little more. You don't want to use 100% of the track out because then you fight the car trying to stay full throttle through the sweeping left. If you can keep the car about 1 meter from the track-out curb you won't need to lift at all through the left, and there shouldn't even be too much tire noise. It looks like you have to lift a little there, so that's probably a tenth by itself.

2nd hairpin - it's hard to tell, but I think you brake just a little too late. This is another corner that requires patience at 0 throttle, which it looks like you do correctly. However, you really want to get all the way down to the white line as the car turns. If you back this turn up about another 2-3 meters you should be able to come out faster - which is important since it's the longest straight on the track.

Last turn - again, just a little more patience at 0 throttle and the car will turn a little better for you. At first, for me anyway, it felt like I was always fighting - and a lot of the early fast times involved a bit of drifting. However, I found that very easy on the brake at first (ease off the brake very quickly to keep the car from squealing too much), along with a good period of 0 throttle allows me to get back on the gas, get down to the apex, and come out of the corner at a good speed (I cross the finish line at around 152km/hr, which is about 94mph).

I think you are overdriving just a little bit - slower/more patience may actually end up being faster. My ghost (1:05.143) would be an OK one to download because I'm not too crazy/don't slide around a lot, but the best ghost to look at is gtp_timeattack (looks like he has a 1:04.994). He is liquid smooth, infinitely patient (his previous fast lap was #88 of the session), doesn't overcook any of the turns, and takes a very good line.
Good tips there. I actually pulled up timeattack's lap recently and it helped me gain about .2 seconds to go just under 1:05.5 on the clock. At one point, I was slightly ahead of his ghost going into T5 and promptly spun it.

I'm getting better rotating the car through T1 but T8 and T9 continue to elude me.
 
No luck tonight in getting a faster time, but I did feel I was getting ~1.06.000 more consistently...if I can nail turn 1 and turn 7 that should set me up for a good time. Right now, it seems I'm inconsistent at getting the car to trail brake correctly...it's hit or miss, however, I do it pretty well on the other tracks.
 
No luck tonight in getting a faster time, but I did feel I was getting ~1.06.000 more consistently...if I can nail turn 1 and turn 7 that should set me up for a good time. Right now, it seems I'm inconsistent at getting the car to trail brake correctly...it's hit or miss, however, I do it pretty well on the other tracks.

Stick it out - it really is hit or miss. Sometimes I'll do a 50 lap session without improving my time at all. Other times you'll drive and it will just "click" and you'll do it correctly.
 
Yeah, it's going to take a lot of patience.

I can consistently get within .2 of timeattack after sector 1 then I lose .5 in sector 2 and then ~.2+ in sector 3. My two biggest hurdles appear to be the dunlop corner (turn 5) and the 2nd hairpin (turn 7)...if I can hit those two perfectly then it should set me up for a faster lap.

Sometimes I feel like I hit turn 7 perfectly and yet I still lose time on the exit.
 
Timeattack sucks, he made me spend like 1:30minutes on this track to beat his time, and even then it was by .002 lol

Nice lap man. It's funny because my lap is really really ugly, specially the last corner. All messed up. But I won't bother doing it any more until you beat my time, which won't be hard, its a scruffy lap.
 
Timeattack sucks, he made me spend like 1:30minutes on this track to beat his time, and even then it was by .002 lol

Nice lap man. It's funny because my lap is really really ugly, specially the last corner. All messed up. But I won't bother doing it any more until you beat my time, which won't be hard, its a scruffy lap.

Oh please :lol:

Stop trying to tell us how ugly the fastest lap in the U.S. is, I know you feel parts could have been prettier but that is a great lap.
 
Timeattack sucks, he made me spend like 1:30minutes on this track to beat his time, and even then it was by .002 lol

Nice lap man. It's funny because my lap is really really ugly, specially the last corner. All messed up. But I won't bother doing it any more until you beat my time, which won't be hard, its a scruffy lap.

Thanks dude, and great job yourself...these back and forth battles are always enjoyable :lol:

I might start concentrating on Rome for now and let you have P1 at Tsukuba for the time being...I need to start getting some times up on the board :dopey:

I can definitely see more time at Tsukuba, I just need to work on my consistancy through turn 8 in order to give me a better chance of capatilizing on the good splits I've often seen through T1 and T2. Even on my current PB lap I managed to lose a tenth or so through turn 8, which was rather frustrating. :ouch: I will say it is definitely a very difficult and equally important corner to nail though with proper technique and timing.
 
Well I've finally improved my time after 2 days of patience and dedication. Improved my time from a 1.05.845 to a 1.05.593...still not as impressive as the top guys, but definitely much happier with this new time. I've got to thank blindside for his great advice, and Fix's ghost...your approach to T1 is more along the lines of my driving style compared to timeattack's more inside line.

Still need to work on T7 as I'm least consistent there. I can consistently stay within 4 tenths of Fix's ghost up to the end of sector 2 then turn 7 is a game of chance.

I think I'll set Tsukuba aside now and try to improve somewhere else.
 
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Thanks dude, and great job yourself...these back and forth battles are always enjoyable :lol:

I might start concentrating on Rome for now and let you have P1 at Tsukuba for the time being...I need to start getting some times up on the board :dopey:

I can definitely see more time at Tsukuba, I just need to work on my consistancy through turn 8 in order to give me a better chance of capatilizing on the good splits I've often seen through T1 and T2. Even on my current PB lap I managed to lose a tenth or so through turn 8, which was rather frustrating. :ouch: I will say it is definitely a very difficult and equally important corner to nail though with proper technique and timing.

Managed to get myself to a 1:05.2xx last night following you. The faster you go, the more it's helping me. :D
 
This track/car combo has to be the most frustrating out of the the three, I really don't get frustrated with the other tracks but with this track its really testing my patience. When I watch the laps of Time attack the lap itself looks just as basic as one of my clean laps but I am almost a full second behind at the end of the lap. I am able to get about .100 .200 behind on the first split but by the second split I am .800 or .900 and the car itself doesn't look like its going slower and I can't seem to find the loss area which is the most frustrating part. I think it might have to do with traction coming out of corners as something I am not really feeling because on some laps I am at a loss why the ghost slowly pulls away especially when the corner is nailed just like in the replay.
 
This track/car combo has to be the most frustrating out of the the three, I really don't get frustrated with the other tracks but with this track its really testing my patience. When I watch the laps of Time attack the lap itself looks just as basic as one of my clean laps but I am almost a full second behind at the end of the lap. I am able to get about .100 .200 behind on the first split but by the second split I am .800 or .900 and the car itself doesn't look like its going slower and I can't seem to find the loss area which is the most frustrating part. I think it might have to do with traction coming out of corners as something I am not really feeling because on some laps I am at a loss why the ghost slowly pulls away especially when the corner is nailed just like in the replay.

I feel your pain..happens to me all the time.
 
I lose the most time on this track on everything after Dunlop. I just can't figure out how to either, take it fast enough that I keep traction or when/how much to break heading into those final corners. Though I've gotten much better on the first and last corners.
 
I lose the most time on this track on everything after Dunlop. I just can't figure out how to either, take it fast enough that I keep traction or when/how much to break heading into those final corners. Though I've gotten much better on the first and last corners.

I am fine on the first sector and last turn but some of these other turns I feel like you almost need to hit them a little wacky to be fast, its not making sense which is whats frustrating. I hate not knowing where the time is being lost.
 
My worst turn it turn 7...I seem to always lose a lot of time from that one. Every now and then I'll hit it close to perfection and lose little to none.
 
You guys are weird, :P this is by far my favorite track of the three. Now cape ring on the other hand makes me want to throw my wheel out of the window.
 
+2 on that. I'm solid through the first 2 sectors but get worked in the 3rd and its killing my lap. It's a Christmas miracle if I can get through the high speed kink after the loop and keep it over 100+mph.

+3

I can usually just zone out and run 50+ laps at Tsukuba.
Cape Ring and especially Rome I will get physically bothered.
 
+3

I can usually just zone out and run 50+ laps at Tsukuba.
Cape Ring and especially Rome I will get physically bothered.

For some reason I am the opposite, I was quite comfy at Rome, where Tsukuba sometimes gets a swear word or two out of me. I guess since the margin is so small at Tsukuba that a great lap can be ruined with one tiny hiccup out of a corner.
 

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