SimHQ.com - Motorsports Zone - Driving rFactor: A Fast Lap at Toban Raceway Park's Short Track

Turn 9L: Get to the right side kerbing early, and keep the car's right tires on the kerbing as you get ready to enter this tight left turn. Still in 3rd gear from Turn 8, brush the brakes slightly just before you turn in. You're going to aim the car at or inside of the apex cone of this turn, because we're going to bank heavily on some abrupt drifting through this corner to maintain a proper line. The key to Turn 9 is managing the 4 wheel drift that will ensue and not lifting all the way off the throttle. As you turn in, ease off the brake and lift significantly off the throttle (but not all the way), then turn in hard for the apex cone, aiming the car's left headlight inside of the apex cone. As you reach the apex, start to ever-so-gently squeeze on the throttle on as you apex. Use increasing/modulated throttle to get the car pointed down the short chute to the next turn as the chassis resettles after clipping the apex. The challenge of this corner is the irregularity of the pavement kerbing you'll be running over. You should be running over the sharply angled apex kerb with the left tires, which due to the sharp angle of this corner will feel a lot like running over a speed bump in a parking lot. Since the car is turning as you go over the kerbing, you have to be ready to deal with the disturbed balance of the chassis and reduced grip of the tires. If you don't watch out, the unsettled chassis, combined with too much throttle and a too-turned steering wheel, is a sure fire way to play Porsche Pinball with the track walls. Be gentle and ginger with throttle and wheel, and keep the car going where you want it to while accepting the abrupt drift you'll get when the car "steps out" to the right as you clip the apex. Unlike the other corners, Turn 9 is a real "dance" of pedal, wheel and brake to get the car turning, drifting and pointed where you need it to go. In order to keep use the momentum of the car, you'll have to lead your car through this dance with all the style and grace of Gene Kelly. But it's a real blast once you get the hang of Turn 9.

9 leads into the short straight

Keep the throttle down and work quickly to the left side of the track, and you'll find that the rev limiter light on the steering column will flicker on just as you reach the braking zone for Turn 10. Leave the car in 3rd gear and start your braking as you reach the braking zone's darkened pavement.

Turn 10R: Turns 10 and 11 comprise a simple, flat chicane that forms the beginning of the final straight sprint to the finish line. The camber of Turn 10 seems to be slightly negative, so working this turn is done a bit slower than you might expect, but should be done with a bit of drift to get the car aimed as quickly as possible at the Turn 11 apex.

You'll need to brake significantly for Turn 10, and aim the car straight at the apex cone. Downshift to 2nd gear just before you start your turn in. This corner emphasizes the importance of looking down the track to the next corner and setting up the car for that turn. Start the turn-in as you see the apex kerbing unwind before you. Get the car into the turn, riding the inside kerbing with the right tires as you look to line up the Turn 10 and Turn 11 apexes. When your mind can draw an imaginary line that's tangent to both of the turns' apexes, it's time to straighten the wheel and then punch full throttle.

Hard braking corner

Turn 11L: Right now, you're starting the final straight, looking for all the speed you can get on the car. The key here is to milk the car through this turn, keeping full throttle while turning as tightly as the tires will allow. As soon as possible, work the car back to the left edge of the track and shift into 3rd gear when the rev limiter light tells you to. Now, you're looking for the inside kerbing of Turn 12 to unwind and expose the apex, but since it's a high speed corner, it'll be another test of your ability to deal with 4 wheel drift to keep the speed on the car.

Turn 12R: It's the final turn! Don't lift! You should be really moving as you enter the final turn, quickly approaching the rev limiter in 3rd gear as you start to see the apex unfold before you. The key to acing Turn 12 is to get the car turning in on time, even if it feels like you're turning in too soon. So just before you think you should turn in for Turn 12, turn in! Really this is an easy turn because like most high speed corners, this is a pure 4 wheel drift evolution. I say again — do not lift! Your goal is to shift into 4th gear at the apex of the turn, with a Rev Limiter light just starting to flicker on (it's flickering because your right side tires are vibrating over the kerbing, letting the tires slip just enough to raise the car's RPM to the limit). That's OK, just shift it into 4th and keep going! If the car isn't perfectly drifting through the apex on a course for the outside kerbing, you might have to "breathe" the throttle a tiny fraction just before the apex in order to get the car to correctly point towards the exit cones. As you pass the final cones at the turn's exit, you should be pointed arrow-straight down the left side of the track, at full throttle, and approaching the rev limit for a shift into 5th gear. Now it's just a sprint to the finish line, and on down the start-finish straight to the Turn 1 entry to try it again. You'll be very near the rev limit as you enter Turn 1, but don't shift — just let the car wind out in 5th and enter the turn as described above.

Turn 12 leads back onto the straight

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