Buttonwillow. Plz comment how i could improve my time
Joined: Aug 2010
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I forgot to go back and fix it. A052 was street class and up.
I think most people in Enthusiast were running Pilot Sport 4S, which make Jason's feat even more impressive. A052 are easily 2 seconds faster than Pilot Sport 4S.
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 61
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,893
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From: Fremont, CA
I highly recommend this guide written by Kevin Burke: https://kevinburkeracing.com/buttonwillow-raceway/. I believe he has set the fastest NA S2000 time at Buttonwillow with a 1:52 so he is very familiar with with the track.
Based on what I saw in your video:
1. Turn 1 is really tricky. You're bleeding off too much speed in the entry and not getting on full throttle early enough. This turn you want to apex the curbing early and track out to the curbing on exit.
2. Turn 2 you're turning in too late and taking the corner a little too sharp. You end up on and off the throttle after the apex (kills time). Ideally you want to setup the corner so that you can lay it flat from the apex and counter steer out if necessary. Some people huck the car left before entry to widen to angle. I typically just trail brake right into the curbing. Both ways work.
3. Cotton corners looks mostly good line wise. You want to go as flat on throttle over the last crest as this will set you up for a long stretch of the track. It mostly takes balls/experience to fly over the crest but the consequences aren't that bad if you go off so send it.
4. Grapevine looks fine line wise but again you should be flat throughout the entire turn. If you do this right you'll be on the left curbing on the exit.
5. Truck stop needs more throttle. Should be flat with minor lift if necessary. I think you're also turning in too early for at the apex. I try to apex that corner very late (sometimes left tire is on the dirt) so that the braking zone for bus stop is basically a straight shot.
6. Bus stop needs more entry speed, threshold braking, and aggression lol. 80+ should be possible through the apex.
7. Riverside looks quite good. Wide entry, using the banking to bleed off some speed. Could get on the throttle earlier as your exit speed is a little low.
8. Phil hill looks pretty good. You could probably brake later and carry more speed through here. You look a little nervous with the oversteer but you'll have to get used to it.
9. For sweeper I think you're braking a little too early, turning in a smidge too early, and you're not trail braking enough. Ideally you want to come in a bit wider and trail brake as deep as possible. Doing this is really hard and it is really easy to end up going off the track. I'd argue for the exit that you still turned in too late because you weren't flat from the apex. Like many other corners you need to set this one up so that you carry as much exit speed as possible as it will pay dividends down the next quarter mile or so.
10. For sunset you braked too early and turned in too early, which left you with a really awkward narrow line where you lost a lot of speed and lifted after the apex. My ideal way to handle sunset is to brake very late and use trail braking to rotate the car around. Similar to turn 6 at Laguna Seca, once you hit the dip at the apex its full throttle from there on out.
Generally speaking your driving is similar to what mine looked like 2-3 years ago. Seat time and getting extremely comfortable with how your car behaves should give you the ability to push harder and feel less uneasy about when your car will oversteer. Also, brake later, brake less, and trail brake where possible so that you're minimizing the time spent at your minimum corner speed. In a similar fashion, try to setup the corners so that you're either gradually increasing throttle or you're just completely flat from the apex to the exit. Lastly, know that setting up the exit of a corner before long sections of track is critical to shaving time.
If you don't already I highly recommend a bucket set, a 6 point harness, a HANS, and a roll bar. The bucket seat and harness are not only good for safety but they will make you feel more connected to the car and how its behaving.
Also, this should give you a good idea what a sub 2 minute lap looks like on a square setup with no aero on last gen tires:
Based on what I saw in your video:
1. Turn 1 is really tricky. You're bleeding off too much speed in the entry and not getting on full throttle early enough. This turn you want to apex the curbing early and track out to the curbing on exit.
2. Turn 2 you're turning in too late and taking the corner a little too sharp. You end up on and off the throttle after the apex (kills time). Ideally you want to setup the corner so that you can lay it flat from the apex and counter steer out if necessary. Some people huck the car left before entry to widen to angle. I typically just trail brake right into the curbing. Both ways work.
3. Cotton corners looks mostly good line wise. You want to go as flat on throttle over the last crest as this will set you up for a long stretch of the track. It mostly takes balls/experience to fly over the crest but the consequences aren't that bad if you go off so send it.
4. Grapevine looks fine line wise but again you should be flat throughout the entire turn. If you do this right you'll be on the left curbing on the exit.
5. Truck stop needs more throttle. Should be flat with minor lift if necessary. I think you're also turning in too early for at the apex. I try to apex that corner very late (sometimes left tire is on the dirt) so that the braking zone for bus stop is basically a straight shot.
6. Bus stop needs more entry speed, threshold braking, and aggression lol. 80+ should be possible through the apex.
7. Riverside looks quite good. Wide entry, using the banking to bleed off some speed. Could get on the throttle earlier as your exit speed is a little low.
8. Phil hill looks pretty good. You could probably brake later and carry more speed through here. You look a little nervous with the oversteer but you'll have to get used to it.
9. For sweeper I think you're braking a little too early, turning in a smidge too early, and you're not trail braking enough. Ideally you want to come in a bit wider and trail brake as deep as possible. Doing this is really hard and it is really easy to end up going off the track. I'd argue for the exit that you still turned in too late because you weren't flat from the apex. Like many other corners you need to set this one up so that you carry as much exit speed as possible as it will pay dividends down the next quarter mile or so.
10. For sunset you braked too early and turned in too early, which left you with a really awkward narrow line where you lost a lot of speed and lifted after the apex. My ideal way to handle sunset is to brake very late and use trail braking to rotate the car around. Similar to turn 6 at Laguna Seca, once you hit the dip at the apex its full throttle from there on out.
Generally speaking your driving is similar to what mine looked like 2-3 years ago. Seat time and getting extremely comfortable with how your car behaves should give you the ability to push harder and feel less uneasy about when your car will oversteer. Also, brake later, brake less, and trail brake where possible so that you're minimizing the time spent at your minimum corner speed. In a similar fashion, try to setup the corners so that you're either gradually increasing throttle or you're just completely flat from the apex to the exit. Lastly, know that setting up the exit of a corner before long sections of track is critical to shaving time.
If you don't already I highly recommend a bucket set, a 6 point harness, a HANS, and a roll bar. The bucket seat and harness are not only good for safety but they will make you feel more connected to the car and how its behaving.
Also, this should give you a good idea what a sub 2 minute lap looks like on a square setup with no aero on last gen tires:
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 61
Likes: 5
I highly recommend this guide written by Kevin Burke: https://kevinburkeracing.com/buttonwillow-raceway/. I believe he has set the fastest NA S2000 time at Buttonwillow with a 1:52 so he is very familiar with with the track.
Based on what I saw in your video:
1. Turn 1 is really tricky. You're bleeding off too much speed in the entry and not getting on full throttle early enough. This turn you want to apex the curbing early and track out to the curbing on exit.
2. Turn 2 you're turning in too late and taking the corner a little too sharp. You end up on and off the throttle after the apex (kills time). Ideally you want to setup the corner so that you can lay it flat from the apex and counter steer out if necessary. Some people huck the car left before entry to widen to angle. I typically just trail brake right into the curbing. Both ways work.
3. Cotton corners looks mostly good line wise. You want to go as flat on throttle over the last crest as this will set you up for a long stretch of the track. It mostly takes balls/experience to fly over the crest but the consequences aren't that bad if you go off so send it.
4. Grapevine looks fine line wise but again you should be flat throughout the entire turn. If you do this right you'll be on the left curbing on the exit.
5. Truck stop needs more throttle. Should be flat with minor lift if necessary. I think you're also turning in too early for at the apex. I try to apex that corner very late (sometimes left tire is on the dirt) so that the braking zone for bus stop is basically a straight shot.
6. Bus stop needs more entry speed, threshold braking, and aggression lol. 80+ should be possible through the apex.
7. Riverside looks quite good. Wide entry, using the banking to bleed off some speed. Could get on the throttle earlier as your exit speed is a little low.
8. Phil hill looks pretty good. You could probably brake later and carry more speed through here. You look a little nervous with the oversteer but you'll have to get used to it.
9. For sweeper I think you're braking a little too early, turning in a smidge too early, and you're not trail braking enough. Ideally you want to come in a bit wider and trail brake as deep as possible. Doing this is really hard and it is really easy to end up going off the track. I'd argue for the exit that you still turned in too late because you weren't flat from the apex. Like many other corners you need to set this one up so that you carry as much exit speed as possible as it will pay dividends down the next quarter mile or so.
10. For sunset you braked too early and turned in too early, which left you with a really awkward narrow line where you lost a lot of speed and lifted after the apex. My ideal way to handle sunset is to brake very late and use trail braking to rotate the car around. Similar to turn 6 at Laguna Seca, once you hit the dip at the apex its full throttle from there on out.
Generally speaking your driving is similar to what mine looked like 2-3 years ago. Seat time and getting extremely comfortable with how your car behaves should give you the ability to push harder and feel less uneasy about when your car will oversteer. Also, brake later, brake less, and trail brake where possible so that you're minimizing the time spent at your minimum corner speed. In a similar fashion, try to setup the corners so that you're either gradually increasing throttle or you're just completely flat from the apex to the exit. Lastly, know that setting up the exit of a corner before long sections of track is critical to shaving time.
If you don't already I highly recommend a bucket set, a 6 point harness, a HANS, and a roll bar. The bucket seat and harness are not only good for safety but they will make you feel more connected to the car and how its behaving.
Also, this should give you a good idea what a sub 2 minute lap looks like on a square setup with no aero on last gen tires:
https://youtu.be/Uj6miPPNkfw
Based on what I saw in your video:
1. Turn 1 is really tricky. You're bleeding off too much speed in the entry and not getting on full throttle early enough. This turn you want to apex the curbing early and track out to the curbing on exit.
2. Turn 2 you're turning in too late and taking the corner a little too sharp. You end up on and off the throttle after the apex (kills time). Ideally you want to setup the corner so that you can lay it flat from the apex and counter steer out if necessary. Some people huck the car left before entry to widen to angle. I typically just trail brake right into the curbing. Both ways work.
3. Cotton corners looks mostly good line wise. You want to go as flat on throttle over the last crest as this will set you up for a long stretch of the track. It mostly takes balls/experience to fly over the crest but the consequences aren't that bad if you go off so send it.
4. Grapevine looks fine line wise but again you should be flat throughout the entire turn. If you do this right you'll be on the left curbing on the exit.
5. Truck stop needs more throttle. Should be flat with minor lift if necessary. I think you're also turning in too early for at the apex. I try to apex that corner very late (sometimes left tire is on the dirt) so that the braking zone for bus stop is basically a straight shot.
6. Bus stop needs more entry speed, threshold braking, and aggression lol. 80+ should be possible through the apex.
7. Riverside looks quite good. Wide entry, using the banking to bleed off some speed. Could get on the throttle earlier as your exit speed is a little low.
8. Phil hill looks pretty good. You could probably brake later and carry more speed through here. You look a little nervous with the oversteer but you'll have to get used to it.
9. For sweeper I think you're braking a little too early, turning in a smidge too early, and you're not trail braking enough. Ideally you want to come in a bit wider and trail brake as deep as possible. Doing this is really hard and it is really easy to end up going off the track. I'd argue for the exit that you still turned in too late because you weren't flat from the apex. Like many other corners you need to set this one up so that you carry as much exit speed as possible as it will pay dividends down the next quarter mile or so.
10. For sunset you braked too early and turned in too early, which left you with a really awkward narrow line where you lost a lot of speed and lifted after the apex. My ideal way to handle sunset is to brake very late and use trail braking to rotate the car around. Similar to turn 6 at Laguna Seca, once you hit the dip at the apex its full throttle from there on out.
Generally speaking your driving is similar to what mine looked like 2-3 years ago. Seat time and getting extremely comfortable with how your car behaves should give you the ability to push harder and feel less uneasy about when your car will oversteer. Also, brake later, brake less, and trail brake where possible so that you're minimizing the time spent at your minimum corner speed. In a similar fashion, try to setup the corners so that you're either gradually increasing throttle or you're just completely flat from the apex to the exit. Lastly, know that setting up the exit of a corner before long sections of track is critical to shaving time.
If you don't already I highly recommend a bucket set, a 6 point harness, a HANS, and a roll bar. The bucket seat and harness are not only good for safety but they will make you feel more connected to the car and how its behaving.
Also, this should give you a good idea what a sub 2 minute lap looks like on a square setup with no aero on last gen tires:
https://youtu.be/Uj6miPPNkfw
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