Braking markers - what do you use?

[rallycross]

What things do other people use for braking points when practicing?

I was at Cadwell this week and I was trying to use various different types of marker for my braking points but was struggling with picking things out (things like change of surface on circuit, barrier point, and brake boards.

What do you use for braking point markers?

[jesfirth]

Everything you said plus even foliage and a thistle growing by the track!

[Steve H]

A well known story that may or may not be true but came up on a thread a few years ago -

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Tango13 said:

My personal favourite is from the late Joey Dunlop, multiple F1 (bike) world champion and all round genuine bloke.He had alledgedly been using a spectator as a braking marker when he crashed, his excuse?

"The girl in the red dress fked off!"

So probably best not to do that

[Drumroll]

Was at Cadwell several years ago when a bike crashed. His reason for crashing is someone had moved his breaking point. Turned out he had been using a blanket hung over the fence. When the couple with a young child moved they took their "windbreak" with them.

[77racing]

My braking points are chosen much simpler. When it seems to me I won't get round the corner because i'm going to quickly .........................................I brake

[bozla]

I would recommend this book for really good pointers.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Rac...

[marshal_alan]

Drumroll said:

Was at Cadwell several years ago when a bike crashed. His reason for crashing is someone had moved his breaking point. Turned out he had been using a blanket hung over the fence. When the couple with a young child moved they took their "windbreak" with them.

have heard of drivers (not naming names to protect the guilty) using a squad of marshals as a braking point on the entry to duffus at knockhill, we soon became wise to this and would move a couple of paces each way every couple of laps. we worked out that we were being used when we heard the screech of tyres and a thump into the tyrewall and the driver yelling at us you xxxxx's moved

[ols]

I find it pretty mental that any racer would use a human being or spectators belongings as a brake marker or an entry marker to a bend...surely it would be obvious to use something inanimate...without legs or the ability to move at its own free will? Surely?!

[wildman0609]

got to admit I learned pretty quickly not to use marshals or spectators as brake points, I've also used shadows, bloody annoying when it suddenly clouds over.

Around silverstone national I used to use the start of the curbs for every corner, but I think they've now changed it so the curb runs all the way from Luffield to Copse and also all the way down the back straight, so can't use those.

[DevestatinDave]

I was told a story (marshal chatter) of a car that seemed to brake later on every lap on a certain corner. Eventually the car came off and got stuck into the gravel so the driver had to get out and join the marshals behind the fence. It was there he realised that the rock he could see in his peripheral vision, that he used as a braking point, was infact a hedgehog

[spyderman8]

Drains, kerb changes, Armco end/starts, stuff like that.

[Rude-boy]

Anything that doesn't move, or that if it has moved means that the race is about to be Red Flagged anyway....

[Stevemcmaster]

Overwhelming fear....

Seriously however, anything that is not going to move, including bumps in the track or other marks that are not going to disappear....

[covboy]

As per marshal Alan A story told to me a few years ago from a Marshal who had been around a long time was about when he was flagging (can’t remember where) and one driver in particular was begining to get a bit, shall we say “ragged”. It was in the days when the flag points were no more than a couple of straw bales. It was decided in view of this driver performance that the flag point should be moved a little further down the track. It didn’t help as he appeared to become became more adventurous. The post was moved a little further away again but as expected next time round – off he went (fortunately with only machinery damage.) While chatting to the driver during the recovery, the Marshals commented on how he was getting progressively more out of control and that’s why they moved to post back - His comment “You ba****s – I was using that post as my braking point” !

[Dave Brand]

When she's marshalling my wife wears a distinctive hat. It's normal practice for incident marshals to move to different locations on the post every two sessions, which caused problems for a driver a few years ago; he'd used her as his braking marker in qualifying . . . when it came to the race she wasn't there!

[lukekarts]

It's a difficult one for me to answer, as I guess I do it more instinctively than I realise. Thinking back to the weekend, I definitely use some of the 100/200m markers as reference points, as well as some tyre/barriers, some tyre marks on the track, some kerbs... and sometimes muscle memory??

Sometimes when I get a consistent run of clear laps then it just becomes routine rather than actively looking for markers.

[woof]

There's 2 methods - use a point on the track or some people just do it visually as a distance from the corner. If that makes sense. Ie they don't use a track marker, they spot the distance as they look at the corner.

[rallycross]

woof said:

There's 2 methods - use a point on the track or some people just do it visually as a distance from the corner. If that makes sense. Ie they don't use a track marker, they spot the distance as they look at the corner.

This is why I asked the question, I have always been doing it visually (using the 'force' to judge it just right) but now I am trying to use markers to be more scientific, and hopefully quicker. It feels easier using sight rather than picking the right marker point.

[Gc285]

77racing said:

My braking points are chosen much simpler. When it seems to me I won't get round the corner because i'm going to quickly .........................................I brake

Im with you, I find approaching fast corners, I don't have time to think too much. If I do ,I go too deep. Once you know the track, I find you know when its time. I do find obvious brake points develop, ie big bridges over the track or the end of an Armco or change in tarmac. Trying to spot some tiny marker to me = loss of concentration.

[woof]

rallycross said:

woof said:

There's 2 methods - use a point on the track or some people just do it visually as a distance from the corner. If that makes sense. Ie they don't use a track marker, they spot the distance as they look at the corner.

This is why I asked the question, I have always been doing it visually (using the 'force' to judge it just right) but now I am trying to use markers to be more scientific, and hopefully quicker. It feels easier using sight rather than picking the right marker point.

Some people instinctually know where to brake without markers. Apparently there's not much difference between both methods.