Nolan Lamkin race data

[mdhokie]

Nolan Lamkin, one of the MotoAmerica racers, decided to post race data from the past couple of years on the internet:

Tech Tuesday: Nolan Lamkin Gives It All Away - MotoAmerica

The teams and riders in the MotoAmerica series are a highly competitive lot. They race each other hard on the track. But, in the paddock, there is a lot of benevolence where everything from spare parts to suspension settings is freely shared. The lessons in “sharing” that Supersport rider Nolan...

motoamerica.com

The data there is compatible with the RaceStudio Analysis software that comes with AIM Solo and the other AIM GPS/dash products. It was fun doing a comparison of his laps to mine at NJMP and PittRace.

Essentially if I just went a 15mph faster through every corner and on every straight, and braked a lot later, looks like our laps are very similar!

 

[Greg ZX6R]

Matt, no data is really needed. More gas, less brake!

 

[Dave561]

Nolan is a great guy and one hell of a rider.

 

[tdelegram]

Greg, great advice? In all seriousness, the real question is how does Nolan get to gas so much sooner than you? My guess is your rate of turn to get direction (how fast you lean over and pick the bike up) is significantly slower than his. Corner speed will come with seat time but focusing on your rate of turn will help you get there sooner.

 

[mdhokie]

Greg, great advice? In all seriousness, the real question is how does Nolan get to gas so much sooner than you? My guess is your rate of turn to get direction (how fast you lean over and pick the bike up) is significantly slower than his. Corner speed will come with seat time but focusing on your rate of turn will help you get there sooner.

I lined up the plots a little better by using the "insert GPS lap" feature and setting the same start/finish point for the laps in comparison. It turned out he was not in fact getting to the gas sooner. In 3 of the 9 local minima (braking corners), I was on the gas first. In 1/9 he was on the gas first, and the remaining 5 it was pretty much exactly even. However, he was braking later than me in 9 of 10 instances (MUCH later on the main straight), and spending less time overall in the corner with a sharper valley at apex speed because of this. The two biggest gaps between the graphs were 30mph main straight braking zone (I braked 25mph while he was still accelerating), and he stayed full throttle through the kinks before the main straight, whereas I was only at partial throttle and was down 30mph going into the last turn before the straight under the bridge. Other than that, it was a fairly consistent 15mph gap everywhere.

 

[bmart]

I couldn't seem to get the data to align with my sundial...and I tried everything.

 

[D-Zum]

Matt, WERA's racing Summit Point weekend of Sept. 11. Sign up and see what happens.

You don't have to run "X" time to race.....just race.

You may need to safety wire in a few extra places, but so what? My exhaust wasn't wired...Tim Wilson showed me how to do that without drilling and it was good to go in 1 minute.

The Nelson Ledges track day got rained out last year (I'm not a rain rider), so on Sunday since my R1 was there I said F*ck it and signed up. Only laps I'd had there previously were on my Ohvale 160. I had yellow painters tape in the toolbox to make a ad hoc number plate. Had me a FREAKIN' blast. Stefano Mesa was out redefining the lap record that weekend, and I didn't get in the way. Got real plates and raced the last weekend in Sept, too and knocked 6 seconds off.

 

[Otto Man]

Matt, no data is really needed. More gas, less brake!

A funny response but also has a lot of merit to it. I understand the value that data can provide, but to play devil's advocate for a bit:

A general trend I've noticed over the years is that the faster a rider gets, the more consistent they get. Lots of things go into being consistent, and not always in your control (passing rules in a certain group/control riders etc). But, more often than not, the inconsistency lies within the rider.

If you're unable to string together mutliple laps that are less than 1-2 seconds apart, there's probably a few riding fundamentals you could work on that will provide far more benefit to your riding than just studying data.

And for me personally, KNOWING what you need to fix and ACTUALLY doing it are two vastly different things! Tell myself "I'm going to brake later into T1 this lap"...and bam....same braking marker. "OK, next lap, for real I'm going to brake later!" Bam. Same effing braking marker.

 

[bmart]

You're not wrong!

A friend who golfs (I have no idea why grown men want to play fetch with themselves...) told me that golf is a game of 6", the distance between one's ears. Riding is much the same in that regard. (He asks how we can just go around the same track over and over...I have no idea why. lol)

 

[mdhokie]

I have gotten to a plateau where I'm consistent within a couple seconds, and have to work pretty hard to find an additional second over my best on any given track day. I might be biased about wanting data since I'm a computer engineer by trade, but I find it very helpful. Whether comparing to another rider of the same skill level, or to somebody like Nolan who's way faster, it can always tell me something. If I were exactly 15mph slower everywhere with same braking and acceleration points, I'd learn nothing other than Greg's (entirely true) statement: more gas! But by seeing those two places with a 30mph gap (main straight braking, and chicane before main straight), that tells me something more specific to work on. Then like Otto Man says, I can tell myself 5 times in a row to not let off the gas through the chicane and then still do it every time when my brain chickens out.

I know that really the thing I need most is just more seat time, but with 3 small kids, the 6 days a year I get is the best I can do, and my wife is pretty generous to let me have that. Spending some time on data, watching track video on youtube before the event, and going over the track map in my head all helps me maximize the improvements I can make with the little time I have. I did YCRS, listened to all the Ken Hill podcasts, etc. so I think I've got a pretty good head knowledge of what I need to be doing; the biggest thing slowing me down right now, more than any of the technique things, is convincing my eyes/brain I'm not going to lose it if I brake a little deeper or carry a little more speed. Knowing somebody else can make a corner 20mph faster helps me be braver!

 

[Otto Man]

I would say 6 days a year is pretty average for the regular run of the mill track day rider. And yes, you're spot on, it's hard to pick up where you left off, skill wise, only being able to get out a few days a year. If there's one thing in common with every fast rider, it's that they're always on a bike. Dirt bike, super moto, whatever. We're all a little jealous (I know I am), but we make do with our own situations.

That said, best piece of advice I can offer is to not compare yourself to how other progress. As long as you can say you're going out with a plan each time, you learn, you get better (comparing yourself to you, not others) and most importantly, you have fun, then that's all that matters. 20 MPH difference in corner entry/speed is a freaking light year of a difference - don't expect to hit that your next TD!

 

[Motofun352]

I always found, when it came to skill sports, that having a "rabbit" to chase was a big help. Someone a little bit better. If the rabbit is too good it just leaves you frustrated, small steps, incremental improvement is the key. When I was in the beginner group I asked Buck for a tow...not a good choice .

 

[Greg ZX6R]

I agree with John that it can be difficult for some to pick up where they left off after an extended period of no riding, but I think it depends on the rider and maybe how long you've been doing track days/racing. I've only been able to do about 2-3 days per year for the past couple of years, but every time I go to Summit or Thunderbolt after an 8 or 9 month break of no riding, I know that it's the same 2+ mile stretch of pavement, and I've done hundreds of laps around each track over the past 12 years.

Without data, I still know where my time is lost at Summit (exiting T1 and through 6-7) and Thunderbolt (everywhere but T7-T8 and through esses/T12). And I agree with Jack about the "rabbit", who is a bit faster overall. My improvements at Summit were made chasing Tom and Big Jim, even only going there once or twice per year.

Last suggestion is the bike; are you still on the 09-14 era R1? Maybe you don't gel with the bike as well as you would something else.

 

[bmart]

I would say 6 days a year is pretty average for the regular run of the mill track day rider. And yes, you're spot on, it's hard to pick up where you left off, skill wise, only being able to get out a few days a year. If there's one thing in common with every fast rider, it's that they're always on a bike. Dirt bike, super moto, whatever. We're all a little jealous (I know I am), but we make do with our own situations.

That said, best piece of advice I can offer is to not compare yourself to how other progress. As long as you can say you're going out with a plan each time, you learn, you get better (comparing yourself to you, not others) and most importantly, you have fun, then that's all that matters. 20 MPH difference in corner entry/speed is a freaking light year of a difference - don't expect to hit that your next TD!

Six days sounds pretty average to me too.

I do my best to get out on something every week or two. i'm 90 minutes from the mountains, and 10 miles from some pretty nice local riding. I also just started dirt riding a bit (gravel/dirt roads), ao I can fill in some seat time that way.

When picking a skll to work on, ensure that you have the fundamentals going at the same time (where you look, light on bars, etc.), otherwise you'll be chasing your tail a lot.

 

[2blueyam]

On the chicane before the main straight at NJMP, it might not be a guts related thing. It might be your line.

Pitt Race at final hairpin, kink, then onto front straight: I wasn't able to hold the throttle wide open on my R1 through the kink onto the front straight. I talked to a coach about it. Turns out I was getting on the gas a little too much coming out of the hairpin pushing me wide and not having a good line into the kink. Applying less throttle coming out of the hairpin led to keeping the throttle pinned through the kink, faster speed down the straight and less tire wear (Pitt loves to chew up the right side of my tire). Win, win, win.

 

[tdelegram]

I agree with John that it can be difficult for some to pick up where they left off after an extended period of no riding, but I think it depends on the rider and maybe how long you've been doing track days/racing. I've only been able to do about 2-3 days per year for the past couple of years, but every time I go to Summit or Thunderbolt after an 8 or 9 month break of no riding, I know that it's the same 2+ mile stretch of pavement, and I've done hundreds of laps around each track over the past 12 years.

Without data, I still know where my time is lost at Summit (exiting T1 and through 6-7) and Thunderbolt (everywhere but T7-T8 and through esses/T12). And I agree with Jack about the "rabbit", who is a bit faster overall. My improvements at Summit were made chasing Tom and Big Jim, even only going there once or twice per year.

Last suggestion is the bike; are you still on the 09-14 era R1? Maybe you don't gel with the bike as well as you would something else.

You need to start chasing fast people Greg. Agree on the bike, inhave never ridden the prior gen r1 but heard it’s not an easy bike to ride in comparison to the 15 plus, getting on my 18 from my rc8 helped me drop a lot of time. Lastly, seat time is important, this is a sport just like any other, repetition is important.

 

[bmart]

A great example of thinking and planning for a few turns (moves) ahead.

 

[adotjdot]

Hey Matt, I was also very impressed to see Nolan sharing his data. His desire to help others improve is what makes this sport so great! Data comparison like this can be a fantastic tool...but...you need to know how to use it and what pieces of the data matter. Your timing is pretty good, Ken Hill recently posted a great video on how to use data to understand where to begin making improvements in your riding. Take a look at it here:

He compares a few different example of data from riders he has worked with to a "reference" lap. As he describes in the video, the key to using it as a tool to go faster is to understand what parts of the data matter and what it is telling you to improve on. This is also part 1 of what will be a series of videos so keep an eye out for follow ups from him. He will also be doing a comparison between 400/600/1000 data collections which should be eye opening.

Looking at your data graph above compared to Nolan's, yes he is going faster (read:higher mph) everywhere. Essentially he is just getting TO the slowest point of the corner, and getting AWAY from that slowest point more efficiently than we are. But keep in mind, his mid corner speed is just an outcome of a good entry into that corner. His goal is NOT mid corner speed..it's direction. He needs to get the bike pointed so he can get it accelerating out of the corner. He does this not by getting TO the throttle earlier than we are, but by getting to Wide Open Throttle earlier. He is more patient mid corner, let's the bike slow to a point deeper into the corner, then is able to stand it up and accelerate harder on exit. There is a bit more to it and it is always dependent on the type of corner..but the idea is the same...put the bike in a position to accelerate!

Watch Ken's video then come back to your data comparison and look at it again.

Hit me back if you have any follow up questions. Great post!

 

[fclark00]

I know this is an old thread but I'd thought I'd share how i've been using data in case this is helpful to anyone. I've had 4 major surgeries so can't really ride anymore but I help my son and data is a part of it. I setup custom channels that show me where he's on the gas, the brakes, coasting and carrying lean angle and how much and lay his slow and fast laps over each other so he knows where he's making mistakes or needs to improve. I use the GPS map to track his lines and we can see fast line by laying all his laps over each other and checking his sector times. I look at the split times and his deviation in each sector per lap on the track and I know if its a tenth or more than he doesn't have consistent markers so we work on that. Using GPS I check the g's he's pulling in braking and acceleration and I can see the lateral G's so I know where he is not on the gas hard enough or braking hard enough or has the highest chance of losing grip and crashing and we can adjust. Its been really helpful for me because he's young and he can see it visually on the computer screen since no one is on track with him to coach. All of that though is just part of it and I'm not an engineer so I have no idea if I'm using the data right but it seems to help but its just contributes in a minor way to his riding. The biggest thing is that we never stopped riding. We try to ride 50 -60 races per year on ohvales and if there isn't a race we're at a trackday. We ride motorcross in the winter and we went to Florida for a month to train since they have remote school and just tried to ride as much as possible. Then on top of that we work with a Motoamerica rider to kind of tie it all together. At this point though he's so experienced that half the time he knows what the data is going to say before I show it to him. We've started training now on a 400 now so hopefully it all translates. I'm not expecting him to go pro but as long as he keeps having fun and putting in the effort to get better I'll try to help him out and he can club race. The best part is its a hobby where he has where he still wants to spend time with me and my younger son rides with us as well so it's great to spend all that time with them.

 

[NolanLamkin52]

Hey guys! I just saw this thread and I think it's so cool you were able to use my data to help with your riding! I laughed out loud to the "15mph everywhere" comment hahaha