Setup Question: Martinsville

[iamthejarha]

I'm in the midst of career mode, still running the Craftsman Truck Series, and Martinsville has me completely stumped. No matter what kind of adjustments I make, I get beat badly out of the corner. Loose, tight, doesn't matter. If I try to maintain the kind of speed my opponents show on the exit, I spin out, end of story.

Does anyone have some experience or tips for this particular track? I can usually hold my own at most tracks (1.5-mile speedways are my specialty), but this one is owning me on a consistent basis.

[TCrouch]

Re: Setup Question: Martinsville

Martinsville is a tough one, because you can't use the traditional "raise tire PSI, add grill tape" formula to add speed for a qualifying position. You have to make sure the front of the car is as soft as possible for navigating the huge bumps on corner entry, yet stiff enough to get into the corner.

The hardest part to figure out is the actual line. My article that I'm writing this week details this somewhat, but you want to make sure you're letting off VERY early and not braking when you reach corner entry. You must literally coast through the center of the corner, and then smoothly start to apply throttle off the apex. You won't be full throttle until you're well onto the straight, and even then, it's only for a matter of a couple of seconds. The trick to running with the AI is to either pinch them down or keep them high. You run your line to stick to a "lane", and not necessarily for speed.

My qualifying is pretty horrible, typically 30th to 35th since I haven't learned a qual setup yet, but I worked my way from 36th to a 7th place finish (short 25 lap sprint race) by getting under an AI car, making sure I roll through the corner and get off smoothly.

By the way you make it sound, you may be "stabbing" the throttle too hard, trying to pick up speed. Instead of going on/off on the gas/brake, try using a greater range of motion on both entry and exit. You'll be surprised at how much more smoothly it goes, and how much speed you can carry off the corner.

[Hunkerdown]

Re: Setup Question: Martinsville

All my setups, I load veteran setup first, and work off that making slight adjustments, using the version 2 guide adjustments someone posted on this site. Woks well for me, I just raced martinsville with trucks in career mode as well, finished 2nd with a beat up truck, ha ha. follow previous posters thread about driving line and accel and brake, whatever you do coast through turn and then accel on exit. Your settings your using might help also, what levels for AI and such.

[catcatch22]

Re: Setup Question: Martinsville

I love these type of tracks, Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond. I'll post my setup. Its more a race setup then a qualify setup.

[catcatch22]

Re: Setup Question: Martinsville

Posting only the changes I made

Suspension

Front Sway bar - 1 5/8"

Front left
Bump - 4
Rebound - 9
Spring - 500 lbs/"

Front Right
Bump - 5
Rebound - 5
Spring - 750 lbs/"

Rear Left
Bump - 2
Rebound - 2
Spring - 225 lbs/"
Track Bar - 10.000"

Rear Right
Bump - 2
Rebound - 4
Spring - 425 lbs/"
Track Bar - 10.000"

Tires
Front left
Cold Press - 18.5 psi
camber - 3.0
caster - 2.0

Front right
Cold Press - 33.5 psi
camber - -2.2
caster - 4.0

Rear left
Cold Press - 19.0 psi

Rear right
Cold press - 31.0 psi

Weight
Wedge 50.2%
Front weight bias - 50%

Brake bias - 72.5%

[catcatch22]

Re: Setup Question: Martinsville

What I do in this game on this track is

1. when you hit the start finish line or middle of the back stretch (you can use the matinsville sprint cup add painted on the wall on the right as a marker) lift off the gas then coast.

2. there is another add on the wall to your right, not the one at the start finish line and the middle of the back stretch but one right before you enter the corner. This is your marker to begin to brake.

3. Keep the car at 55 - 65 thru the corner, even adding a bit of gas.

4. As you exit plet the car point to the wall and steadily add throttle.

If you don't have a car high or you are the car that is on the high side then you can get on the gas even more and exit quicker.

[iamthejarha]

Re: Setup Question: Martinsville

Okay, it sounds like the problem I'm having is two-fold. First, I know I'm going into the corner too hot; I usually don't decelerate until a fair distance past the start-finish line. I think that problem leads to the second, because braking too late leads to throttling later, which means I either get beat on the exit or throttle myself into a tailspin, which is generally what happens. I'll write down that setup and give your tips a shot. Thanks a mint.