| The Art Of The Defensive Line |
It was a nice move, I
had to admit. The door
had not really been left
open, yet somehow
with a combination of
control and confidence,
Kurt had slipped
through it. I was not
too concerned – after
all, I had plenty of laps
had to admit. The door
had not really been left
open, yet somehow
with a combination of
control and confidence,
Kurt had slipped
through it. I was not
too concerned – after
all, I had plenty of laps
to execute a simple pass and go on to win the race. Also, it was clear
to me that my kart had just a tad more go than did his kart. I was able
to pull back up to his rear bumper and ride along in his slip stream
while I studied him for a lap or so to determine where to make my
move. We had separated a bit from the rest of the pack so there was
no hurry to execute a low-percentage pass. At this point, I noticed him
measuring the distance between us more often. I decided where to
strike (yes, it was in the final turn but the layout was somewhat
different back then), when Kurt surprised me by intentionally driving
off-line to protect the inside of the turn which forced me to back out of
the pass or hit him from behind.
I was stunned by the move and my mind reeled trying to figure out how
he had known what I had planned to do. Was it some kind of
telegraphing on my part? How did he know it would happen in that
particular corner on that particular lap?
During the next lap, I decided to drive the regular line in that corner
because I knew that following the guy in front of you, driving in his
tracks will guarantee you never get around him. I was pretty new to
racing at this point so Kurt’s maneuver was an interesting lesson to
me. As I flew through the final turn and developed a run on him, Kurt
moved to the inside for turn one before I could develop an overlap.
Again he had predicted my move. From this point on, his normally
consistent racing line morphed into something that protected the
inside of each turn making it impossible for me to get around him. He
tucked left after the last turn making certain he was always on the left
side of the straight as we approached turn one. An outside pass was
impossible there especially with the original layout. Sure, he was
lapping much slower now but getting by required a skill set I had not
yet acquired. I followed him for at least thirty laps and in the end was
only able to pull part of the way along side at the finish but not far
enough to win.
“What were you doing?” I asked him afterwards.
“I was driving a defensive line” he offered.
“Is that legal?” I wondered.
“Sure is, and also it’s very effective” he smiled.
I spent the rest of that night sleep-driving and trying to get past that
annoying line. It was like one of those problems your mind tries to
solve while you are sleep only I could not solve this one. No matter
what I tried, I was unable to get by Kurt. I awoke exhausted but
enlightened - so there is a way to keep a faster guy behind you.
How to Drive a Defensive Line
How does the defensive line work? This is a tricky question because
driving around the inside of a turn is slower than driving the traditional
line which starts at the outside wall at turn in and finishes at the
outside wall at exit. The defensive line begins at about track center
and exits about track center meaning plenty of real estate has been
sacrificed for the sake of position.
to me that my kart had just a tad more go than did his kart. I was able
to pull back up to his rear bumper and ride along in his slip stream
while I studied him for a lap or so to determine where to make my
move. We had separated a bit from the rest of the pack so there was
no hurry to execute a low-percentage pass. At this point, I noticed him
measuring the distance between us more often. I decided where to
strike (yes, it was in the final turn but the layout was somewhat
different back then), when Kurt surprised me by intentionally driving
off-line to protect the inside of the turn which forced me to back out of
the pass or hit him from behind.
I was stunned by the move and my mind reeled trying to figure out how
he had known what I had planned to do. Was it some kind of
telegraphing on my part? How did he know it would happen in that
particular corner on that particular lap?
During the next lap, I decided to drive the regular line in that corner
because I knew that following the guy in front of you, driving in his
tracks will guarantee you never get around him. I was pretty new to
racing at this point so Kurt’s maneuver was an interesting lesson to
me. As I flew through the final turn and developed a run on him, Kurt
moved to the inside for turn one before I could develop an overlap.
Again he had predicted my move. From this point on, his normally
consistent racing line morphed into something that protected the
inside of each turn making it impossible for me to get around him. He
tucked left after the last turn making certain he was always on the left
side of the straight as we approached turn one. An outside pass was
impossible there especially with the original layout. Sure, he was
lapping much slower now but getting by required a skill set I had not
yet acquired. I followed him for at least thirty laps and in the end was
only able to pull part of the way along side at the finish but not far
enough to win.
“What were you doing?” I asked him afterwards.
“I was driving a defensive line” he offered.
“Is that legal?” I wondered.
“Sure is, and also it’s very effective” he smiled.
I spent the rest of that night sleep-driving and trying to get past that
annoying line. It was like one of those problems your mind tries to
solve while you are sleep only I could not solve this one. No matter
what I tried, I was unable to get by Kurt. I awoke exhausted but
enlightened - so there is a way to keep a faster guy behind you.
How to Drive a Defensive Line
How does the defensive line work? This is a tricky question because
driving around the inside of a turn is slower than driving the traditional
line which starts at the outside wall at turn in and finishes at the
outside wall at exit. The defensive line begins at about track center
and exits about track center meaning plenty of real estate has been
sacrificed for the sake of position.
The first step in driving a good defensive line is to learn how to look
behind you using every turn as a chance to peak over your shoulder.
You should not be surprised by someone passing you if you know
they are glued to your bumper. Also, you need to check to see your
competitor’s position (hint – appearing to be in one position and then
actually winding up in another position is key to getting around the
defensive line).
You must always provide a kart width plus an inch or two for your
competitor to drive in once he has established an overlap. If you
drive the inside of the corner your competitor will overlap you just
prior to the apex. Because you turn in earlier you enjoy a slight lead
going into the turn however the sharper angle forces to you to brake
more to avoid sliding out into your competitor who is providing you no
more than a kart width or so at the apex. This means you have to
retard your entry speed to eliminate an out of control slide if he has
made it up along side of you to the point where there is an overlap.
This is the tricky part because you must determine if there is an
overlap while you are looking at the apex. This is true for defending
or passing. We have asked Allsports to black flag any passes that
are made because of contact meaning if you slide into the competitor
(assuming he leaves you room) and slow him down making your
pass, then you must let him go back by or you will be flagged. The
same is for a defensive line that slides into a competitor to prevent
him from passing. If your competitor has not established an overlap
then you are free to exit all the way out to the wall. This is generally a
bad idea however because the other kart may have taken the
traditional line through the turn resulting in greater exit speed. If this
happens and he establishes an overlap (1” is an overlap) inside of
your kart you cannot move to defend from the inside of turn one.
Look before you turn in. If you are the person on the inside of turn two
then you must brake harder to avoid T-boning the other driver.
If there is no overlap at exit of turn 7, then you can move back to the
inside to protect for turn 1. If you are unsure of his position do not go
past track center and make certain you look over your shoulder
because he might be sneaking inside of you.
Use of the defensive line should be restricted to those occasions
when it is appropriate and never during occasions when it is
inappropriate.
The Use Of The Defensive Line
Use of the defensive line should be restricted to those occasions
when it is appropriate and never during occasions when it is
inappropriate. League policy supports any racer using a defensive
line when he is battling for position; but not when that racer is holding
up a train of other racers (unless he is in first place). Separating out
when driving the defensive line is appropriate and when it is
inappropriate requires some further explanation. Before I get to the
explanation, remember that driving defensively will upset the person
trying to pass you, sometimes to surprising extremes; weigh
carefully the value in doing so before you defend. Driving the
defensive line is your right in appropriate situations, however; this is
like demanding satisfaction in the old South – you should exercise
restraint here because there are real consequences at stake.
Some real-life examples might help explain usage:
Example 1: You are leading a race, any race, either during the
summer or during the point’s season. Defend legally as explained
above at your option. If there is a giant train behind you, please be
aware that you are potentially upsetting your competitors and you
might rethink your position. Someone might bomb you resulting in a
black flag for him or perhaps a loss of several positions for you and
this risk should be in the back of your mind as you use the defensive
line. You can drop several positions in a single turn if you are
impacted at the wrong place in the turn.
Example 2: Suppose you are watching the guys in front of you escape
and there is nothing you can do – either you or your kart (or both) are
having a bad day. If the guy behind you caught you pretty quickly and
can ping you more than once each lap, you may want to move aside
or drive a normal line to let him make the pass rather than invoke the
defensive line. If he is markedly faster, then his real competition is in
front of you and you are between him and the guys he might be able
to beat. This is especially true if you are in the front of a train and are
holding up more than one person. If it turns out you are faster you can
always pass him back. You need to use good judgment here realizing
that you could frustrate your competitor. If he is the same speed and
you two are all alone the decision is easier, defend at your option.
behind you using every turn as a chance to peak over your shoulder.
You should not be surprised by someone passing you if you know
they are glued to your bumper. Also, you need to check to see your
competitor’s position (hint – appearing to be in one position and then
actually winding up in another position is key to getting around the
defensive line).
You must always provide a kart width plus an inch or two for your
competitor to drive in once he has established an overlap. If you
drive the inside of the corner your competitor will overlap you just
prior to the apex. Because you turn in earlier you enjoy a slight lead
going into the turn however the sharper angle forces to you to brake
more to avoid sliding out into your competitor who is providing you no
more than a kart width or so at the apex. This means you have to
retard your entry speed to eliminate an out of control slide if he has
made it up along side of you to the point where there is an overlap.
This is the tricky part because you must determine if there is an
overlap while you are looking at the apex. This is true for defending
or passing. We have asked Allsports to black flag any passes that
are made because of contact meaning if you slide into the competitor
(assuming he leaves you room) and slow him down making your
pass, then you must let him go back by or you will be flagged. The
same is for a defensive line that slides into a competitor to prevent
him from passing. If your competitor has not established an overlap
then you are free to exit all the way out to the wall. This is generally a
bad idea however because the other kart may have taken the
traditional line through the turn resulting in greater exit speed. If this
happens and he establishes an overlap (1” is an overlap) inside of
your kart you cannot move to defend from the inside of turn one.
Look before you turn in. If you are the person on the inside of turn two
then you must brake harder to avoid T-boning the other driver.
If there is no overlap at exit of turn 7, then you can move back to the
inside to protect for turn 1. If you are unsure of his position do not go
past track center and make certain you look over your shoulder
because he might be sneaking inside of you.
Use of the defensive line should be restricted to those occasions
when it is appropriate and never during occasions when it is
inappropriate.
The Use Of The Defensive Line
Use of the defensive line should be restricted to those occasions
when it is appropriate and never during occasions when it is
inappropriate. League policy supports any racer using a defensive
line when he is battling for position; but not when that racer is holding
up a train of other racers (unless he is in first place). Separating out
when driving the defensive line is appropriate and when it is
inappropriate requires some further explanation. Before I get to the
explanation, remember that driving defensively will upset the person
trying to pass you, sometimes to surprising extremes; weigh
carefully the value in doing so before you defend. Driving the
defensive line is your right in appropriate situations, however; this is
like demanding satisfaction in the old South – you should exercise
restraint here because there are real consequences at stake.
Some real-life examples might help explain usage:
Example 1: You are leading a race, any race, either during the
summer or during the point’s season. Defend legally as explained
above at your option. If there is a giant train behind you, please be
aware that you are potentially upsetting your competitors and you
might rethink your position. Someone might bomb you resulting in a
black flag for him or perhaps a loss of several positions for you and
this risk should be in the back of your mind as you use the defensive
line. You can drop several positions in a single turn if you are
impacted at the wrong place in the turn.
Example 2: Suppose you are watching the guys in front of you escape
and there is nothing you can do – either you or your kart (or both) are
having a bad day. If the guy behind you caught you pretty quickly and
can ping you more than once each lap, you may want to move aside
or drive a normal line to let him make the pass rather than invoke the
defensive line. If he is markedly faster, then his real competition is in
front of you and you are between him and the guys he might be able
to beat. This is especially true if you are in the front of a train and are
holding up more than one person. If it turns out you are faster you can
always pass him back. You need to use good judgment here realizing
that you could frustrate your competitor. If he is the same speed and
you two are all alone the decision is easier, defend at your option.
Example 3: You are in P5 and
there are six karts on the
track. The sixth guy is exactly
the same speed as you. You
know this because when you
make a slight mistake he
catches up, when he makes a
slight mistake you sneak away.
Now you have blown a turn and
he is within striking distance.
there are six karts on the
track. The sixth guy is exactly
the same speed as you. You
know this because when you
make a slight mistake he
catches up, when he makes a
slight mistake you sneak away.
Now you have blown a turn and
he is within striking distance.
There is nobody behind him, and there is nobody in front of you; it’s a
one on one battle. Feel free to give the guy a great view of the back
of your kart.
Example 4: You are in P3 and during the recon lap you notice the kart
has wonderful power but not surprisingly, it has no rear tires but the
guy behind you has the kart you love and you know it’s very fast. You
nearly spin during the recon lap and you realize you have your hands
full with handling issues. During the second lap it becomes obvious
P1 and P2 are leaving you and P4 is right behind you letting you know
he is faster in a gentle way of course. You think to yourself “if I drive
defensively here, we will doom ourselves to 3rd and 4th as our best
possible outcome”. What is your objective? You want to get to the
leaders. You need some way to slow them down so you drive your
normal line for another lap and your competitor remains stuck to
your rear bumper. On this next lap (if not earlier) you stick out your
left hand as you prepare for the final turn on the track. As he goes
by, you jump on his bumper and let him catch you up to the leaders.
Why do this? When he gets there he will try to pass them and this
will slow them all down. You plan your move and when they are all
looking at each other and get tangled up clanking together, you keep
your foot in it and blow by. The possible downside is that you could
get fourth but you are trading this for possibly getting 1st through
3rd. Sometimes the guy gets by and chases off to the leaders
without you. When this happens you need to figure out how to adapt
to the kart rather than asking it to adapt to you. But I digress,
adjusting to the kart will be a future subject…
There you have four examples of the defensive line to consider.. In
some cases it is appropriate, others it is inappropriate. Surely we
will have people use it when they should not, or people not use it
when they probably should have. This is to be expected. Let’s try to
figure this out together as each of us considers the impact of this
very effective technique on the driver behind them. Remember, you
have the right to use it but doing so could also cost you the race if
you bump the other driver defending or if you let the leaders get away
while you defend.
Next, we talk about how to get around the defensive line. It’s not fair
to equip the defense without talking to offense. Keep it fast and
clean!
one on one battle. Feel free to give the guy a great view of the back
of your kart.
Example 4: You are in P3 and during the recon lap you notice the kart
has wonderful power but not surprisingly, it has no rear tires but the
guy behind you has the kart you love and you know it’s very fast. You
nearly spin during the recon lap and you realize you have your hands
full with handling issues. During the second lap it becomes obvious
P1 and P2 are leaving you and P4 is right behind you letting you know
he is faster in a gentle way of course. You think to yourself “if I drive
defensively here, we will doom ourselves to 3rd and 4th as our best
possible outcome”. What is your objective? You want to get to the
leaders. You need some way to slow them down so you drive your
normal line for another lap and your competitor remains stuck to
your rear bumper. On this next lap (if not earlier) you stick out your
left hand as you prepare for the final turn on the track. As he goes
by, you jump on his bumper and let him catch you up to the leaders.
Why do this? When he gets there he will try to pass them and this
will slow them all down. You plan your move and when they are all
looking at each other and get tangled up clanking together, you keep
your foot in it and blow by. The possible downside is that you could
get fourth but you are trading this for possibly getting 1st through
3rd. Sometimes the guy gets by and chases off to the leaders
without you. When this happens you need to figure out how to adapt
to the kart rather than asking it to adapt to you. But I digress,
adjusting to the kart will be a future subject…
There you have four examples of the defensive line to consider.. In
some cases it is appropriate, others it is inappropriate. Surely we
will have people use it when they should not, or people not use it
when they probably should have. This is to be expected. Let’s try to
figure this out together as each of us considers the impact of this
very effective technique on the driver behind them. Remember, you
have the right to use it but doing so could also cost you the race if
you bump the other driver defending or if you let the leaders get away
while you defend.
Next, we talk about how to get around the defensive line. It’s not fair
to equip the defense without talking to offense. Keep it fast and
clean!