proper starting etiquette

[JLawton]

Evan, I hear the sound of a can of worms opening!! LOL


I don't do the "lay back" method........ And maybe that's why I'm a crappy starter too. In the other post I said i would do anything I can to get an advantage as long as I don't get black flagged. I think you only have a 50/50 chance of making the "lay back" method work (unless you know where the starter is going to throw the green). I don't like those odds.

[Knestis]

There was a great quip in this past weekend's coverage of the Spanish GP about Mario Andretti. Apparently he was great friends with the starter there, back when they used to wave a green flag in F1. Mario asked him when he was going to wave the green, and the starter replied, "Mario, when you go, you can be sure I'll wave the flag." Or words to that effect.

I like starts and I treat them as an opportunity to have fun. This is going back to the days when I drove the slowest car in the region and the only chance I had to run with ANYONE unless it was raining, was at the start. So I'm pretty assertive about trying to maximize any advantage I can get. I also think I'm pretty good at it but it might just be that most of the rest of us don't care. And the downside of playing that game is that sometimes one gets caught flat-footed and get dealt a net loss.

I'm also almost always back in the pack, so by nature there's more accordion influence. This means there's more to be won or lost depending on how the variables are manipulated. That's part of the fun.

And to me, it's not a matter of laying back multiple car lengths. That's a false promise. It's about relative instantaneous acceleration relative to the other cars. That can be gained in very small amounts of distance, and multiplied over the much greater distance down the length of the start straight. The trick we're trying to engineer is "going" while the other guys/gals are "not going," and have that work out in a way that's helpful, relative to when the green flies.

One other little detail: For me, it's Job One to be on the inside of Turn 1. Then the inside of Turn 2, 3, 4, and rest of the first lap. We're never truly up to speed at that point so it doesn't matter if my line isn't optimized, and the last thing I want is to get gobbled up in someone else's mistake: Those tend to go OUT rather than IN.

K

[shwah]

I play it straight. Try to form up as consistently as the car in front will allow and focus on reacting instantly to that green. No games until after that happens, there is enough worry about then - do you push the guy that was sleeping in front of you, or only leave half of your car on the racing surface as you pass him?

[raceita]

Evanwebb

To me, laying back and getting a huge run should be discouraged. But that’s hard to recognize until after the fact. And where does one draw the line between excessive or not? Were the three in front of him sleeping?

I normally start mid pack or worse, where it’s hard to see the flag. I key off of engine sounds and side to side movement if I can’t see the flag. Which means I’m already 1/3 second behind (reaction time).

I do try to have slightly more speed (1-2 mph) than the cars a couple of rows in front of me. But not so much where I’ll have to hit the brakes (brakes are bad for those behind me). If I see brake lights several rows up, I just ease up under the assumption they won’t be on the brakes long. I just hope the guy in front of me doesn’t do a big brake check from street driving habits!

After the green I put two wheels off, I stop trying to gain positions. Accept I’ve had a good start up to then, and try not to wreck anyone getting back on the pavement. (Two wheels off = high risk of spinning). If I have to put two wheels off to pass, I don’t. Too risky.

I feel if starters allow poor column alignment, it encourages disparity in speeds. If I’m in the twelfth row but I can see the starter clearly, I’m going to be concentrating on him (and trying to be faster than all those others in my peripheral vision!)

Steve
ITB MR2

[dave parker]

Evan
How about keeping up with the car in front of you on a single file restart? If you need an example I would be happy to elaborate.
cheers
dave parker

[SLUF]

Evan, I'm in your camp with this. Over the past two years I feel I have only made one "good" start in numerous races. I'm just not that good at it yet. I think I have not figured out the risk/reward ratio for being extremely agressive at the wave of the green flag. My son on the other hand has this start thing figured out. That little fart is fearless, cool, and calculating. He routinely makes four or five positions on EVERY start! I'm a better racer and he's a better starter!

[Ron Earp]

I feel I'm "average" on starts. I do try to stay glued on the bumper in front of me, but I don't play games with guessing flags and all that crap. I wood it when I see green or I've detected that everyone (not just one car) else is nailing it too. And I damn sure won't put two off in the grass to pass no matter how much faster I am than the folks in front of me. I'll use my brakes to check up, not the car in front of me, if I do need to choke up on a start.

I'm protective on the first few corners and would rather give ground than bend metal. Seems to me the risk of bending metal and getting punted off track is worth less than giving up a position. Especially if the give is to a car out of class. Sometimes that give screws me if I get say a IT7 car between me and another ITS car, but I still feel it better than getting a punt.

Etiquette is a learned behavior and some people are flat out not going to learn it. Those folks you simply remember and make mental notes when having a look at the grid sheets.

[924Guy]

I'm pretty much like SLUF... the only times I seem to time it right and get going well, the guys in front of me don't, and I have nowhere to go...