Hey guys, I'm doing a bit of karting in a couple of weeks so I thought I'd check out the track beforehand (not that I'm overly competitive or anything )
I also thought it'd be useful to get some expert advice from the LFS forums
What line do you guys reckon would be the best line around the last corner onto the start finish straight? I'm thinking maybe quite a wide entry with late apex or is it gonna need a double apex? Picture of track attached.

I've never been karting so i'm not sure how the kart would be able to take these turns and at what kind of speed but this is the first sort of line i'd be thinking about taking.

The best thing to do is just have a nice drive around there and pick up the corners, then just work out the best flowing line for you that you feel your being the smoothest.

Well I actually race karts, I'd say from looking at it late entry, pull in to touch 2nd apex. hard to tell how fast from the picture,

My first instinct would be to go wide on the entry and take a late apex, for two reasons:
1. General rule of thumb for corners before long straights is to go for a wide entry and late apex.
2. There is a jink just before the starting grid and a late apex will allow you to straight-line it and not have to jink to the left approaching T1.

Try both double-apex approach and the late-apex during practice/qualifying and compare the times.

Beware of anybody ducking to your inside at the final two or three turns if you are go wide on the entry.

Judging by the rubber marks, it seems most people tend to go shallow and run wide at the exit. A bit strange, but you'll find out why once you drive the track. Much will depend on the power of your kart. I suppose in less-powerful classes you could take the thing flat-out, and that might be why the rubber marks go shallow at turn-in and wide at exit.

Attached is where I'd start off but all depends on the power of your kart. If your renting then chances are you wont really have to slow down a huge amount.

Just be creative and think about the lines you are taking. See what feels good and always remember about the corner after, if you're going to compromise yourself in the next corner etc. See what kerbs you can get away with using.

Not too sure about the last corner on yours i personally wouldn't clip the second apex and go a bit wider for a straighter run out of the corner.

depends on how viscious those kerbs are, i'd be looking at how grippy that green stuff is on the exit. From the photo it dont look like grass.

The line rubbered in on the top right suggests mosts of the running on this track is in low powered karts, when a track is rubbered in like that sometimes you have to take a less optimal line simply because the baffoons on the wrong line have given loads of grip where you wouldnt expect it.

Is there any gradient? How viscious are the kerbs? What's the weather like? How much grip is the surface giving up?

It doesnt look like there's much in the way of a natural overtaking spot and the distance between corners makes it look like there's no real challenges from the circuit so no deftly creative lines are needed.

When it comes to the last corner just take whatever line gives you the highest engine note past a certain point just after the corner. Experiment and listen. That applies to any corner on any track that leads into a straight of reasonable length: Listen to your revs, or if you have an Alfano or equivellent check the revs that way, do so at a visual landmark like the end of a rumble strip, after the kart has settled from the corner exit.

Your ears are an important tool when racing.

well, as people have already said, it looks very much from the existing rubber that the Karts are low power. Looks very much like most people are double apexing it. Treating the last two corners as one wide turn with maximum corner speed.

Thanks for the suggestions, I realise we can't see the camber and the curbs and they could have a significant effect.

Quote from samjh :

Judging by the rubber marks, it seems most people tend to go shallow and run wide at the exit. A bit strange, but you'll find out why once you drive the track. Much will depend on the power of your kart. I suppose in less-powerful classes you could take the thing flat-out, and that might be why the rubber marks go shallow at turn-in and wide at exit.

I noticed the rubbered in lines too which run really wide on the exit, I don't think that's the line I would have naturally chosen

Quote from Becky Rose :

When it comes to the last corner just take whatever line gives you the highest engine note past a certain point just after the corner. Experiment and listen. That applies to any corner on any track that leads into a straight of reasonable length: Listen to your revs, or if you have an Alfano or equivellent check the revs that way, do so at a visual landmark like the end of a rumble strip, after the kart has settled from the corner exit.

Your ears are an important tool when racing.

Thanks for the tip. It sounds obvious now you've said it but I've never done that before. I'll definitely bear that one in mind.

So initially I'll probably stick with the rubbered in line and once the tyres are nice and warm I'll see if a later apex is going to give me better speed down the start/finish straight

Well im real life racer aswell and did 8 years of karting on the highest level,

The lines from jack are pretty good i just think the dont look prefect on som places cuss of paint

But brake late keep good speed threw the corner and hit the apex in the middle of the corner.

Steer as less as possible to maintain speed and just drive very smooth