How I improved my driving over the last couple months

[DavidB1126]

Yesterday at the track, I feel like I drove so much better than I did a couple months ago. I had improved alot. I am doing the ramps/jumps slower and smoother which is nice. A few times, I did do some whips in the air which is pretty cool. Not sure if I caught that on video. 2 months ago, I was taking the ramps to fast and high up in the air. Now, I sort of still do it. I got the doubles before the straight nailed down. Its just the doubles at the corner of the track. The track is using firehose as the lane markers so it is sort of easy to get out of the lane and go into the next one if your not paying attention or going to fast. I would think PVC pipe would be better in this situation. But the fire hose is more moveable so it is way easier to change track layouts.

This is my practice from 2 months ago:

And here was my practice from yesterday:

(until 1:50 mark)

Comment on what you think, how I improved, and how I can still improve on my driving.

With lap times, I am hitting around a solid 12 seconds - 15 seconds if I go smoothly and no flipping over or anything. For the size track and track layout, I'm thinking its pretty good. Looking at my averages, i am around 15 - 22 seconds. This is probably trying to go faster, but not smoothly.

Note: This is for 1/10 4wd buggy only, not Mini B.

Next time I drag my uncle down, I will try and nag him to let me drive his XB4 and ill let him drive my B74. Just to see setups, drivability, ect. Once I get down to the track on Thursday nights, I will see how the local's drive, and think on how I can improve.

I think I can improve by just going slow and steady, consistent laps, instead of messing up. Before the doubles at the corner of the track, I would need to slow down as they are very close to each other,

Another thing to note is that this is my 1st 4wd car and car like this, so its alot getting used to it. Especially coming from 2wd bashers.

 

[Bogda89]

Yesterday at the track, I feel like I drove so much better than I did a couple months ago. I had improved alot. I am doing the ramps/jumps slower and smoother which is nice. A few times, I did do some whips in the air which is pretty cool. Not sure if I caught that on video. 2 months ago, I was taking the ramps to fast and high up in the air. Now, I sort of still do it. I got the doubles before the straight nailed down. Its just the doubles at the corner of the track. The track is using firehose as the lane markers so it is sort of easy to get out of the lane and go into the next one if your not paying attention or going to fast. I would think PVC pipe would be better in this situation. But the fire hose is more moveable so it is way easier to change track layouts.

This is my practice from 2 months ago:

And here was my practice from yesterday:

(until 1:50 mark)

Comment on what you think, how I improved, and how I can still improve on my driving.

With lap times, I am hitting around a solid 12 seconds - 15 seconds if I go smoothly and no flipping over or anything. For the size track and track layout, I'm thinking its pretty good. Looking at my averages, i am around 15 - 22 seconds. This is probably trying to go faster, but not smoothly.

Note: This is for 1/10 4wd buggy only, not Mini B.

Next time I drag my uncle down, I will try and nag him to let me drive his XB4 and ill let him drive my B74. Just to see setups, drivability, ect. Once I get down to the track on Thursday nights, I will see how the local's drive, and think on how I can improve.

I think I can improve by just going slow and steady, consistent laps, instead of messing up. Before the doubles at the corner of the track, I would need to slow down as they are very close to each other,

Another thing to note is that this is my 1st 4wd car and car like this, so its alot getting used to it. Especially coming from 2wd bashers.

Huge difference. You are much more smoother on the throttle and no jerky steering, so it doesn't upset the car. Also much more precision

 

[DavidB1126]

Huge difference. You are much more smoother on the throttle and no jerky steering, so it doesn't upset the car. Also much more precision

Thanks! This is all with my RL RC4GS V3 radio. I might see if I can put in a futaba receiver and use my uncles 7PX and see if it makes a difference in my driving. If it does, I might switch to a higher quallity radio like futaba stuff. But as of right now for the next couple months, I am staying with my RL RC4GS V3. Also been looking at the radiolink rc8x. If I do their trade in program, I get 80 dollars off. So that RC8X for 220 bucks. Thats a steal. Great deal.

 

[Lumikko]

This is all with my RL RC4GS V3 radio. I might see if I can put in a futaba receiver and use my uncles 7PX and see if it makes a difference in my driving.

It won’t. Your focus and efforts will be more beneficial to your driving elsewhere. The physical fit of the radio to your hands may require a bit of getting used to, but that’s about it.

 

[tntpoof]

Jumping from radio to radio will not make you any better. Get used to your radio. do what you can to help yourself get a better grip on radio from pipe isolator foam. tennis racket grip tape exponential will help jurky throttle and steering. Nothing but more track time will help you become a better driver..

 

[ahr43]

Agree with Bogda89 on his assessment of your driving improvement. Focus on smooth and speed will come.

Regarding radio upgrade> As long as you are driving at the local level, the present V3 is adequate. Upgrade to an 8x using trade in is a good option to consider pricewise. Once your skill and experience elevate you to a regional or national level, that's when upgrade to pro-level radio will benefit.

Focus on track time and race time with what you have now. Hang in there. Good luck. Cheers. 'AC'

 

[bill_delong]

Something common I see in both videos is that you're blowing the corners (a lot)... best advice I was ever given was to go "slow in and fast out" of every corner. I would focus on consistency first and then speed will follow, so basically you want a very tight line to where the wheels are almost touching the pipe at every apex, and yes this will force you to drive slower and then you can work on the "point and shoot" method where you continue the slow turn at the apex until the car is perfectly aligned for the next apex and then shoot the throttle to the next apex, hit the brakes before corner entry, then accelerate slowly through the corner where you eventually hit full throttle at the moment the following apex is lined up.

What I am seeing in the videos is that you are braking past the apex which is the definition of "blowing the corner" and then have to make a series of over corrections to get the car lined back up which is extremely costly, so driving slower is faster with this in mind

Trust me when I say that it's easy to give this advice, and I am far from perfect, I know it when I blow a corner, it's just something that we all need to work on

The faster drivers are the one's who blow fewer corners in a race!

 

[F.R.S. Ninja_007]

I heard that trucks are more fun/easier to drive than buggies. I would get the Tekno ET410.2 if I had a track nearby.

 

[DavidB1126]

I heard that trucks are more fun/easier to drive than buggies. I would get the Tekno ET410.2 if I had a track nearby.

i had been looking at the ET410.2 and the SCT410 SL(or the .3 if i can find it)

 

[bill_delong]

I heard that trucks are more fun/easier to drive than buggies. I would get the Tekno ET410.2 if I had a track nearby.

"FUN" is relative, I used to race the mini truggy class for many years where my first was a HoBao Hyper10TT which was significantly faster than the 4WD SCT class, keep in mind both classes are "1/10 Truck" classes. I found that mini truggy was easier to "fly" and not prone to parachuting issues on large outdoor tracks, however SCT was less likely to require marshaling after a wreck. Mini truggy would prove to be less expensive because the bodies on the SCT's would tend to get torn up pretty quick and were expensive to replace.

My second mini truggy was the TEKNO ET410 and it was light years better than the HoBao, though I did experience a myriad of durability issues which TEKNO addressed many of them but I still had bulkheads break after they were improved.

I would then move on to the PR Racing 401R-T and that platform would prove to be more competitive and significantly more durable, it was far less expensive to maintain :
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3316477-PR-Racing-SB401-T-(1-10-Mini-Truggy)

Ever since the 1/10 program died off in my area, I was forced to sell it and have migrated to the 1/8 eTruggy class as its replacement:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3855991-BUILD-REVIEW-HB-Racing-E8T-evo3


All that said, for me 1/10 4WD Buggy has been more FUN for me to race, they are far more nimble and easier to drive

 

[Hammer Down]

Look’n good, keep practicing bud!