Summit Main - Coaching tips

darth nater

Staff member
Control Rider
N2
Anyone is welcome to post, but after riding Summit Main yesterday and providing feedback I realized there are several key pieces of info I give people to improve there. These are items specific to riding at main, not general riding tips. N2 has more experience riding motorcycles on Summit Main than almost any other club, so I thought we could start a thread to provide what specific items of improvement have helped the most.

The one I kept talking to riders about yesterday is Turn 7. This corner in my opinion (I could be wrong) is the most important corner on this whole track. If taken properly, it can set you up to carry more speed all the way to Turn 1 which is 1/2 the track. The advice I give on this corner is to be patient and not turn in or apex early. You want to be right to the apex and come out on the right of the track to straighten out T8. This allows you to drive through T8 and carry that extra speed all the way to T1. If you turn in or apex too early, you will push wide to the left and T8 becomes more of a corner than just a little kink. T6/T7 is one of the slowest parts of this track, stay slow for an extra second or two if that is what it takes to get the drive out of T7 and through T8 all the way to T1.

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What other areas of the track do others find significant to improving lap times? I know I struggle with T1/T2 and T5, so interested personally to know what others have found to work through those areas.
 

2blueyam

Member
Concentrate on carrying speed through 4 and don’t worry about turn 5 exit speed too much. Get a good line and set up well for turn 6 which leads to good speed and the right line for the late apex turn 7.

The above can differ a bit for low HP bikes.

T1/T2 - trail brake until I can get to the curb at apex. No late apex needed because the corner opens on exit anyway. On the SV smooth roll on until wide open and keep it tight right thru 2. R1 with new tire - roll on and let it push me out a bit. Sets up pass on the straight and into 3. Worn tire - roll on less and keep it tighter.
 

mdhokie

Member
I used the Race Analysis software that comes with the AIM Solo lap timer to compare my faster and slower laps. The fastest laps were the ones where I had a good line out of turn 3. This was the case for my three best laps vs any of the laps 2 seconds slower. I made up over a second in each of those cases between turn 3 and 4 when I was able to get on the gas sooner.

@2blueyam -- exactly my experience on turn 4. I was typing this up just as you posted. In relation to other riders in the intermediate group (my group), I gained a lot of ground and passed a lot of people right after turn 4. I could carry a lot of speed through that corner and allow it to drift left, and still very easily slow down late for turn 5. I came across a lot of people that slowed down a lot for the corner, then tried to get to get over to the right very early. Since turn 5 is slow, the entry position didn't seem to matter that much and I could trail-brake in pretty easily even from left of the middle of the track.

I think Darth's focus on turn 7 is probably more important on the smaller bikes than bigger ones; on my R1, even if I don't get a strong drive out of turn 7 I still pick up enough speed through 8 that I have to brake for turn 9; I get another burst of acceleration then have to shed about 40mph for turn 10 also, so my main straightaway speed is pretty much only depending on turn 10.
 

mdhokie

Member
Here's my Race Studio comparison graph between my best this weekend (1:26.290, in orange) vs my best when I was at the track last year (1:28.101, in blue). Turn 3 last year, you can see I had a bad exit from turn 3 and had to wait to get on the gas. Huge area between the curves when I nailed the exit this year, even though other parts of the lap were worse.
summit_2020_vs_2019.png
 

darth nater

Staff member
Control Rider
N2
I think Darth's focus on turn 7 is probably more important on the smaller bikes than bigger ones; on my R1, even if I don't get a strong drive out of turn 7 I still pick up enough speed through 8 that I have to brake for turn 9; I get another burst of acceleration then have to shed about 40mph for turn 10 also, so my main straightaway speed is pretty much only depending on turn 10.

I have an R6...so that may be correct although watching the real fast guys on 1000s they late apex T7 also, so I have to believe it is best line regardless. Maybe just not as consequential on bigger bikes.


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mdhokie

Member
I have an R6...so that may be correct although watching the real fast guys on 1000s they late apex T7 also, so I have to believe it is best line regardless. Maybe just not as consequential on bigger bikes.

Yeah that's what I meant. That's the best line, but on a bigger bike if you miss it you can recover more speed between corners, and the impact doesn't last all the way to the straightaway. The corners that make the biggest difference are before the biggest (mostly-)straights with the highest speed: T2, T3, T9, T10.
 

dhaines

Member
I agree with what was said about 7...I’ve followed faster people through there so I could work on that line and it makes a huge difference when done correctly
 

darth nater

Staff member
Control Rider
N2
That was my intention. Another track would have a different thread.


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