Derek Hanson (our illustrious cheif instructor) made a big deal this last weekend about the line through Mosport corners 8, 9, and 10. We've apparently be doing it (and teaching it) all wrong. Though I have always been comfortable with the old way (the wrong way), this lead to a eureka moment last weekend.

This new line is actually the old line as used by pretty much every pro race driver since the 60s. If you have ever watched pro racers running through 8, 9, and 10, you might have wondered what they looked to be so much different than what is taught in the schools. 

So... Instead of treating the three corners discretely, set-up for 8, set-up for 9, set-up for 10... Try thinking of them as The Esses - because on a track map, that's what they are called. Do that and Bingo! They now flow into one entity. Smoother, Faster, and Easier!

To make the transition to the new line, start by slowing down a bit. The Esses start on the back straight. Once over the hump, progressively turn the wheel into corner 8 while trail braking. Braking can eventually be left until the first set of turtles. Then get back on the gas to balance the car.

Coming around from 8, open the wheel and progressively turn in for 9. Make this a smooth transition and do not put a straight in the middle. If you are going too fast, brush the brakes just a bit but do not stop turning the wheel. Get on the gas to balance the car.

You will drift out a bit on the exit of 9 but stay on the gas and keep opening the wheel and continue a progressive turn-in for 10. You should now be well into the power and coming onto the pit straight. 

Presto! It's easier too! So instead of all the stuff to remember about where to be and which reference mark to be pointed at, focus on making the corner an S and the rest will fall nicely into place. 

Again, practice this slower until you get it. Since it's such a big change, try leaving out the shifting as well. Once you've retrained your brain you can add the shift back in. Or maybe you will be going so much faster you won't want to down-shift.

Once you've done this a few times it's like a revelation. I will never look at these corners the same again. And now what you see in ALMS finally matches what we are doing.

Mosport also has a new exciting element for me. The three corners were nice. But the Esses are a blast!

That sounds great. And it certainly is a new way (for us) to think about those turns. What did you see as a pick up in that sector by doing it this way?

Most esses I think about are fast accelerating esses or at least constant speed. This would appear to be a continuously decreasing speed sector (with blips in the middle as you hustle along and balance the car). By the end of day Friday I was carrying 5th through 8, downshifting to 4th between 8 and 9, and again to 3rd between 9 and 10. It's feels pretty busy with my gearing.

Decreasing radius esses. That's another Mosport feature. I don't know how much faster it was because I had a passenger and really old crappy tires. The cas was also not running that well. Too many variables for a fair comparison.

One thing I can say for sure though is I was not braking until well into the corner, and it was mild trail braking. I was also on the gas a lot sooner and harder for 10. I also find it much more comfortable. So all of these are good indications. I look forward to spending some more time on it. I'm sure I can go faster still.

Wow. I didn't quite get it this weekend, but your explanations are so precise that I will try to apply this line at my next Mosport visit. Thanks Peter.

Well, I am still not sure what to do. I have learnt two new ways this weekend to take corner 8 and I am pretty confusing now. Now my traqmate just arrived, I can probably do some experiments myself, or if I am lucky, get you guys as passenger to show me the FAST line!

Funny you mention this, Peter. It's pretty much the way I have always approached T8-10 in my E30. When you've got a "momentum car" (euphemism for "grossly underpowered considering its grip" ) you naurally try to glide the car into corners while slowing as little as possible. That means initiating turn-in very early, trailbraking gently, and allowing the tires to scrub some speed.

When I enter T8 properly, I hardly need to brake at all. Just a small brush of the brakes as I down-shift from 5th to 4th. I can enter T4 with minimal braking and allow the car to naturally shed speed by the time I'm ready to start turning the wheel to the left for T9.

Here's the "big secret" to Mosport: pay attention to the concrete.

The concrete strips are where the genuinely fast cars are placing their loaded tires. That's where their monster slicks and downforce are shredding the track surface, which then requires repair using expensive (but highly durable) concrete as opposed to the asphalt you see everywhere else on the track.

If you pay attention to the concrete, you will find that the way to set yourself up for most corners (T2 and T8 in particular) will probably be radically different from what seems natural at first.

It was also an interesting commentary on how you can be at a disadvantage because of how we learned the track. Since Mosport is our home track, we learned the line as novices in the Porsche and BMW Clubs. We had the 'school line' drilled into our heads year after year. So now, we naturally stick to what we were taught.

I find in interesting when we travel down south to new tracks. It's not uncommon that we can go faster than the locals at their home tracks. They often run lines that make no sense to me. Maybe this is what they learned when they were novices and they have not wavered. We of course are not burdened with those habits and naturally solve the geometry problem laid out in front of us.

It's hard to break old habits that you don't even know you have. But once in a while you do and it feels great!

 These cars seem to drift out more in T9. Thoughts?

Well they do seem to be going quite a bit faster. The M3's second lap did not wash out as much.

Oh? I guess I better not share my latest times.....

This is a very interesting discussion for me, particularly as I spun coming out of 9 last week. A few questions. Do I understand that you aren't braking hard going into 8? I have been struggling to get back to the left, coming out of 9, in order to start 10 from the outside and exit 10 fast.Is this unnecessary?

The interesting part is what happens when you stop thinking of them as three discrete corners and start thinking of them as esses. As esses there are no tiny straights connecting them and so setup required for each. Approaching them this way your brain automatically handles smooth transitions between them.

Please do slow down before trying this. Then once you have the change programmed, work back up to speed.

Instead of braking after the hump, you instead progressively turn in at speed. Then as you approach the first curbing, do some medium trail braking. You don't have to brake as much and you are already 1/3 of the way through the corner. I don't get quite down to the first curbing but I am within a couple of feet. As I work on it I may get there. Not sure yet.

As you come off the 2nd curbing of 8, unwind the wheel slowly and transition smoothly turning into 9. While transitioning, brush the brake gently if you need to reduce your speed but don't make a straight.

Once turning into 9, get back on the gas to balance the car. The car will come out mid-track a bit more than you were taught. As you unwind the wheel from 9 continue the smooth transition into 10. Again, do not make a straight. It has to be a slow fluid movement of the wheel. From 9 you are already on the gas. So stay on the gas to balance the car through 10. As you unwind the wheel from 10, gently get on the gas more as you track out.

Leave out the down shift for now. Once you have mastered the new line, add it back later if you need to. Because this line is much smoother and more fluid, you may find you are carrying enough speed that the down shift is not necessary. It depends on your gearing too.

Being such a smooth and fluid motion, I find the car is much more stable through 9 than the old line. And you can be on the gas so much earlier for 10. I'm still getting used to it but I am very pleased so far. Now what I do finally resembles what I see on Speedvision.

Warning again: Slow down before making the change. It will take some time to reprogram your brain after years of doing it the other way.

The most important thing though is to think of them not as 3 corners, but as one set of esses.

A ha!

The reason the M3 tracks out so far in the first lap is he was making room in case the RS Spyder wanted to pass him on the left between 9 and 10. The RS Spyder does not, and passes him on the straight instead.

It would be nice to have the rear view mirror angle too.

Nick Majors and I both tried new lines through the Esses yesterday afternoon. Nick's didn't pan out too well, as he ended up across the turn 9 apex turtles and stopped on the grass by pit lane.

A lap or two after that, I "experimented" with my line into 8... There was a debris flag out at the crest of the back straight (and the "Pit Lane Closed" sign just before that), which I assumed was for all the dirt and gravel that Nick had left in turn 9, so mentally filing that, I then proceeded to shoot straight through the turn 8 braking zone, across the grass, and out onto the asphalt runoff area, with a lot of help from the contents of Mike Boekdrukker's oil pan (or similar slippery fluid!). Lots of skid marks were made (none of which were outside of the car, thanks to ABS and the lubricated track surface), but thankfully that asphalt in the runoff area had infinitely more grip than the track did, so I was able to keep going and more importantly, stay off the wall... now I just have to pay a hefty dry-cleaning bill for my fire-suit and seat cover. :-)

P.S.: stating the obvious, neither of these lines worked very well... but I'm really glad that someone had the presence of mind to pave that runoff area!

Peter,

Do you have data comparing that section between new and old line? I can see how it would seem faster, but without hard data, it's alsways a guess. How is your exit speed onto the front straight?

I ask because my line through 9 has alsways been similar to what you describe, but I certainly don't carry that much speed into 8 (I am on the gas through it though!). For 10, I try to set it up for the best straight launch. I'd really like to see what the data syas :)

I don't have good data with the same conditions, tires, and weight so it's hard to say. Based on fiddling with the old line it seems at least 0.5 sec faster based on staying on the throttle longer in the straight. I will hopefully get some good data at the Mosport race.

I experimented with making the esses work and OMG yes! Thanks Peter. My car is a momentum car. Along with 8,9,10 I modified my line in 1 and 4. a total of 1.5 seconds. I also found making the esses more comfortable in a full bodied stock car with 350hp

I have the chance to try it with data. I am not sure I am doing it right though. So please feel free to make comment. I have a feeling the new line should be quicker, but until I can nail it down, I cant say for sure.

First attempt, going into 8 too quick, slightly understeer after the first set of turtle.



Second attempt. I think I brake too much into 9 and 10.

I still don't think of it as an esses but I do go through there similar to what Peter described.

For turn 8, as someone said that the concrete is a good giveaway of the fast line + I think of it more like a carousel... instead of heavy braking & late apex, I start my turn in early but progressively. Carry the momentum and by mid corner should be accelerating into corner 9.

For turn 9 - as Peter said, I don't late apex it per school line (but this was not my home track so I haven't burnt the school line into my head). I thought of it more like going diagonal / earlier apex and carry the momentum without heavy braking. This trajectory lets you carry more speed into the corner, better protects the line but need to remember to not accelerate too hard coming out so I can still lines up better for a late apex turn 10 (which might be different than what Peter described ? ).