Frame by Frame and in slow motion we step through an entire lap using GoPro video in the drivers seat with multi time Sykart karting Champ Tony “Heavy” H
Running a 29.6 second lap time in a 6.5HP kart @ 210lbs, a full second faster than what you need to actually qualify, we look at how to do it, and what thinking makes it happen.
In this video I take a close look at one of the faster laps of a GT2 6HP race night, where I qualified pole and almost lapped the field. I take about half an hour to go step by step through each turn using the Go Pro video from the session, and talk about what I’m thinking about through each turn.
I cover what line I’m taking, and what it looks like from the drivers seat. I go over Turn in Points, and Brake Points and how I look for these, line them up with the wheels to hit them every time with accuracy. I go over how I keep online and make adjustments if off line. I can usually correct any situation within split seconds using a trick that I explain in the video.
I talk about turn 1 at Sykart and my unique approach to handling it without any slide. I honestly believe that my approach allowed me to take this corner about .100 sec faster than anyone else in the past few seasons, and for the longest time I was the only one doing turn 1 in this way. My thinking here was confirmed when I watched the GoPro video of Kellerman (who usually holds the track record), and he was doing the same thing on his fast lap, but he didn’t do it on his standard laps of the session, so it looks like it was here that his time was being gained and lost.
I show the marks on the track that you can use to dial in turn 2 and 3, to make sure you are online every time. As long as your wheels hit these marks, you can be sure you took it as fast as you can.
I talk about my unique throttle modulation technique in turn 4, (180 degree right hander) which allows me to get extra rotation and acceleration through the turn and shortens the time spent in the turn.
I talk about my unique approach to turn 5, and traps to watch out for in the turn. I don’t take this turn like others, and a lot of people struggle with this turn because it can be very slippery. We all seem to have a different approach to this turn, and the corner has been going through changes. The main problem with turn 5 is that it used to have a lot of rubber left over from the old track, but this rubber has gone away, and the corner is getting new rubber. You can’t take it like a normal corner, at a normal angle, because you will slide, and lose time, so I explain how I have been taking it.
I share a secret to the back straight, that makes it faster. There is actually paint on the track and on the walls that give you marks to line up the sweeper so you can take it perfect every time. I’ll tell you where those marks are. I used these tricks to take the sweeper about .100 faster than everyone in the Sykart leagues. Using my turn 1 trick and sweeper trick, I was able to maintain a .200 of a second lead on the field through an entire race season.
In the sweeper I share a secret technique that lets you take the whole sweeper at full throttle without sliding, the same idea can be applied to 9hp karts too, when you qualify. I break down some of the traps in the sweeper and reveal the marks that you want to use to make sure you are online and entering and exiting properly.
In turn 7, I show a trick that lets you know you’re getting through the turn faster, you’ll see a lot of the fastest guys doing this. And I show how to adjust if you’re off a little, and how to get yourself back online, and what to look for on the exit to make sure you are on track.
In the last turn, I show the marks that you need to hit the turn at top speed and how to adjust your marks so if the karts get warmer or conditions change you can get quicker.
Here’s the Fast Lap Breakdown of a 29.6 second lap in a 6.5HP kart @ 210lbs, in the drivers seat with karting Champ Tony “Heavy”