One cannot assume that mere mortals even approach 100% "usage" as you define it
here. That would mean the absolutely perfect line, perfect brake point and
application, perfect steering input, perfect drift, perfect wheelspin, etc. We
have a guy in Dixie Region who has become famous for running other peoples'
cars at various events. He's usually faster than those people, instantly. Not
after getting used to the car, but RIGHT NOW, as soon as he sits in it. Once a
person runs times within a few hundredths or thousandths, he's got all he's
gonna get out of the car, unless he changes something he's doing, i.e. gets
better. So my answer to your question is that those guys are closer to 100%
"usage" than most of us ever will be. I figure I'm about 85% on a good day.
Walter Fooshee
Dixie Region Probe GT
>>> Darren Madams <darren@madams.com> 09/22 1:06 PM >>>
Ok, this has been bugging me for a while, and I'd like everyone
else's thoughts... can you tell work is boring today?
How can anyone (by anyone I mean Mark Daddio, John Thomas, etc.)
be so far ahead of the rest of their class?
Theoretically (mathematically), a certain car should only be
capable of a certain time on a certain course. To pick a random
variable for this let's use the Geez term "usage" and say that
theoretically at usage=100% you turn a 60 second time. In order
to achieve anything faster than that something special must be
happening...
Now, obviously it is possible to get more than 100% usage out of
a car. Not only from peaks in each of the axises but also from
making the car do things outside the limits such as rotating the
car to travel around a turn without losing as much momentum.
But honestly, how much can that be worth?? Surely not 1 second
per day in basically a spec car against other drivers likely
doing the same things. If it were Daddio vs. a computer I could
accept 1 second no problem (take that, Deep Blue) but we're
talking about some of the best drivers in the country.
So, theory number two, and I'm sure a component of #1 anyway but
for arguments sake let's seperate them... those top drivers are
coming closer to the 100% usage (or greater) sooner and more of
the time. Because they are more consistently faster from the
get go they can spend more time figuring out the little parts.
Anyone got any thoughts? Are us mortals just doomed to follow
the leaders? :)
--Darren
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