Some footage from a recent Race Driver Training day I did at Blyton Park that I thought might interest readers here.
Part of the days program was working with the race drivers on Race Starts. For many drivers the number of race starts they've done is equal to the number of races the've done.
If you can master the race start you can make up 3-4 places and sometimes more, if you fluff it that means 3-4 places lost and you are then in a totally different race. If on pole it can often give you the breathing space for a few corners by which time your opponents may be fighting and a race win is then just a question of getting your head down and setting some decent laps and take the flag.
The prefect start requires quick reactions but more than this a great launch. It is generally regarded (and has actually been studied) that the perfect launch requires 11% tyre slippage, which means the wheel needs to rotate 11% faster than the road speed.
A tyre gives more grip when it is sliding slightly which is the same for braking as well as cornering, as well as acceleration.
The first video shows a RWD Mazda MX5 doing a very good start, perfect? who knows but you can see the weight transfer, the tyre slip and eventual bite, in a more powerful car this would have lasted longer. In a FWD car it's the same although you don't have the extra traction generated by the rearward weight transfer. Hence a RWD car will always get a better launch than a FWD car.
You can then see how much it helps this driver in a real life competitive start.
In the 2nd video you can see more of the practice session, a rare chance to get so close to cars being launched from the grid.
Perfect Race Start (inc Slo Mo analysis)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzKfEjxvCRg
Race Start Practice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp4RWR4ejP8
Malcolm