Your Data Driven Podcast

Part 2 with Willem Toet, the former head of aerodynamics at the Benetton, Ferrari and Sauber Formula 1 teams. Aero is one of those subjects that gets a lot of air time on TV but its often hard to relate that back to what you can do yourself. Willem Toet has some great insights and very practical tips. Make sure to listen to part 1 first and be sure to check out the links in the show notes for some really good followup videos and articles.

[01:38] How to get the maximum downforce from a wing

[05:35] What qualifications do you need to work in F1?

[11:15] The Benetton story

[14:46] How vortex's give you downforce.

[22:50] How Sauber maximised its Wind tunnel efficiency

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Links mentioned in the Willem Toet show:

- How do diffusers work?

a) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-do-motorsport-ground-effect-diffusers-work-willem-toet/

b) https://www.racetechmag.com/2017/08/willem-toet-explains-motorsport-diffusers/

- How wind tunnels work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC0E0wU6inU&t=4s

- CFD post processing explained. https://www.racetechmag.com/2019/02/willem-toet-explains-cfd-post-processing/

- Willem Toet on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/willemtoet1/

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Learn to Drive Faster and Set Up Your Track Car with Confidence @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Willem Toet, the former head of aerodynamics at the Benetton, Ferrari and Sauber Formula 1 teams, joins me for a very special two part show. Aero is one of those subjects that gets a lot of air time on TV but its often hard to relate that back to what you can do yourself. Willem Toet has some great insights and very practical tips. This is honestly an amazing chat with one of the best in the business. Be sure to check out the links in the show notes for some really good followup videos and articles. As ever, grab a pen, grab a coffee, sit back and lets listen to what Willem has to say.

[01:34] Meet areo guru Willem Toet

[06:53] How Willem got into motorsports (missing and Eng degree..)

[09:00] The epitome of a motorsports mindset

[19:17] Breaking the clock (then fixing it) at 7 years old.

[27:35] What is the most efficient way to generate downforce?

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Links mentioned in the Willem Toet show:

- How do diffusers work?

a) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-do-motorsport-ground-effect-diffusers-work-willem-toet/

b) https://www.racetechmag.com/2017/08/willem-toet-explains-motorsport-diffusers/

- How wind tunnels work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC0E0wU6inU&t=4s

- CFD post processing explained. https://www.racetechmag.com/2019/02/willem-toet-explains-cfd-post-processing/

- Willem Toet on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/willemtoet1/

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Learn to Drive Faster and Set Up Your Track Car with Confidence @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Welcome to episode 49. Today I'm delighted to welcome ace engineer Gavin Binkerton Jones. As an F2 team owner, several F1, Indy and sports car aces have passed through his care. Having raced himself on a tiny budget in the 1980s, he shares several tips and practical suggestions that you can apply to your own motorsports. There's absolute gold dust in this one. So without further ado, sit back, grab a pen, grab a coffee, and hear what Gavin has to say...

[01:50] Meet Gavin Bickerton-Jones

[08:38] The most simple method of fault detection on a racecar

[20:10] What makes a good damper curve for your car?

[31:15] Getting money from the bank to start a race team...

[46:50] Lewis Hamilton's secret technique for finding the fastest approach to any track

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Links mentioned in the Gavin Bickerton-Jones show:

- Gavin Autosport profile: https://www.autosport.com/formula2/news/how-to-be-an-ace-engineer-f2-and-damper-specialist-gavin-bickerton-jones/10443011/

- Gavin Bickerton-Jones photography site https://www.gbjphotography.co.uk/

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Learn to Drive Faster and Set Up Your Track Car with Confidence @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Join us for Episode 48 with our guest, Julian Edgar, an acclaimed automotive journalist from Australia. With an extensive repertoire of books on suspension and aerodynamics, Julian is renowned for his ability to simplify complex theories into practical, budget-friendly techniques that anyone can apply to their racecar. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of aerodynamics, exploring Julian Edgar's four proven techniques to improve your racecar's performance without breaking the bank. So without further ado, as ever, sit back, grab a pen, grab a coffee, and let's enjoy what Julian has to say.

[01:20] Meet Julian Edgar

[10:09] What is Tuft testing (and What Can It Tell Us?)

[21:23] How to make a cost effective pressure sensor

[37:50] How to conduct downforce testing

[45:10] Throttle Stop method for drag testing

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Links mentioned in the Julian Edgar show:

- Julian Edgar books at Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Julian-Edgar/e/B00C3MRYN4/

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Perfectly setup your racecar. Master data analysis. Drive faster @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Get Ahead of the Curve - Weekly motorsports wisdom you can read in 5 minutes, for free: https://yourdatadriven.ck.page/3d029366d9

Julian Thomas joins Samir Abid in this intriguing podcast episode to explore the world of motorsport data and analytics. The founder of Race Logic and VBox, Julian Thomas shares his unique motorsports journey, the value of mastering the basics, and how you can practise these in your everyday driving. This episode is brimming with Julian's insightful lessons. So as ever. Grab a pen. Grab a coffee. Sit back and enjoy what Julian has to say.

[01:20] Meet Julian Thomas: Introduction and Story of the VBOX

[14:00] How to get into racing (its not straightforward)

[18:05] Winning the Championship Using a Data Driven approach

[28:10] The Value of Racing in Lower Profile Series to Learn to Race.

[45:00] Innovating with Position calculations (rather than traditional distance)

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Links mentioned in the Julian Thomas show:

- RaceLogic: https://vboxmotorsport.co.uk/index.php/en/

- Fun Cup https://funcup.co.uk/

- Historic racing https://www.goodwood.com/motorsport/motor-circuit/history/

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Perfectly setup your racecar. Master data analysis. Drive faster @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Get Ahead of the Curve - Weekly motorsports wisdom you can read in 5 minutes, for free --> https://yourdatadriven.ck.page/3d029366d9

Today we have a fantastic guests lined up for you - racing driver and coach Nick Padmore. From the high uptime world of racing to the intricacies of car dynamics, we're going to delve deep into a range of topics that will hopefully give you a range of new perspectives to apply to your motor sport. So much to take away from this conversation, not only about the racing, but also how to manage the practicalities of life, including with your family, in a racing environment. So as ever. Grab a pen. Grab a coffee. Sit back and enjoy what Nick has to say.

[01:40] Meet Nick Padmore: Introduction and Career Highlights

[13:40] Mastering the Craft: The Art of Racing and The Role of Data

[18:55] Facing Challenges: The Goodwood Story and Overcoming Crashes

[38:18] Balancing Act: Integrating Family Life into Racing

[41:02] Preparing for Race Day: Physical Fitness and Mental Focus

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Links mentioned in the show:

- About Nick Padmore, coaching and racing cars: https://www.nickpadmoreracing.com/

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Perfectly setup your racecar. Master data analysis. Drive faster @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Get Ahead of the Curve - Weekly motorsports wisdom you can read in 5 minutes, for free --> https://yourdatadriven.ck.page/3d029366d9

Today I'm delighted to welcome John Shoffner to the show. Husband of a previous guest, the amazing Janine Shoffner, John is another incredible person. A successful GT racer and entrepreneur, John Shoffner is also a pilot .. oh ... and he's about to go to the International Space Station. Yes that's right, John is going to become a real life astronaut. This is a fascinating discussion, I apologises now for making only fleeting references to motorsports!, although we do discuss how Johns motorsports experiences have helped him in his astronaut preparations. John has a great story and share lots behind the scenes insights I'm sure you'll find interesting. Maybe ditch the pad today, and simply grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy listening to what John has to say.

[7:40] How to get into racing 

[15:12] Meeting, and being trained by, Sabine Schmitz

[21:15] How to crash!

[27:12] How do you become an astronaut?

[34:34] What is it like to be astronaut today (verses in the 60's?)

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Links mentioned in the show:

- John Shoffner's race team website http://j2-racing.com/

- Learn about Axiom and becoming an astronaut https://www.axiomspace.com/

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Perfectly setup your racecar. Master data analysis. Drive faster @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Get Ahead of the Curve - Weekly motorsports wisdom you can read in 5 minutes, for free --> https://yourdatadriven.ck.page/3d029366d9

Today I'm delighted to welcome John Santiago to the show. Dr John has a long history in motorsports as a participant and instructor. John Santiago is also a philosopher and has managed to blend his passion for teaching and motorsports into an amazing project called the Community Garage. 

We discuss how they are using motorsports to make learning more engaging and fun for young people. We also discuss how you can become a better learner. Learning to learn if you like! This is a good one so as ever, grab a pen, grab a coffee, sit back and let's hear what John Santiago has to say.

[2:52] What is the community garage?

[10:42] How accountability in motorsports helps you develop as a driver (and person)

[22:22] What "civilians" think of motorsports (and how they miss the point) 

[37:17] What is the best way to introduce new drivers to high-performance track driving?

[41:36] The importance of getting the basics right (and what they are)

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Links mentioned in the show:

- John Santiago's education project - https://www.thecommunitygarage.org/

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Perfectly setup your racecar. Master data analysis. Drive faster @ https://www.yourdatadriven.com

Get Ahead of the Curve - Weekly motorsports wisdom you can read in 5 minutes, for free --> https://yourdatadriven.ck.page/3d029366d9

Janine Shoffner is quite an incredible lady. An ex-professional sports skydiver and free-fall photographer, Janine Shoffner now completes on the World Endurance GT stage, including doing completing a whole 4 hour race alone at the Nordscheife. We discuss how a chance track day outing lead to her being training by the late-great Sabine Schmitz and sparking a life long passion for racing. Janine Shoffner shares tips you can try on fitness and mental preparation as well as many other fun stories along the way.

[6:24] Learning to sky dive with the SAS

[14:42] How to spend 2 years finding the perfect car (and discovering track days)

[17:57] How did you get started in Motorsports (and drinking with Sabine Schmitz)

[25:40] Transitioning from track days to racing (spec Mazda Miata's)

[30:59] Becoming a master of your own mind

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Links mentioned in the show:

- Janine Shoffner race team website http://j2-racing.com/

- Technology mentioned in the show https://nucalm.com/, https://www.whoop.com/en-gb/, https://life.bemergroup.com/

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Perfectly setup your racecar. Master data analysis. Drive faster @ www.yourdatadriven.com

Get Ahead of the Curve - Weekly motorsports wisdom you can read in 5 minutes, for free --> https://yourdatadriven.ck.page/3d029366d9

Andre Lafond is a future star Indycar driver currently racing Formula Ford here in the UK. In this show we discuss what it takes to make that decision to go all in on a career driving racing cars. We talk about the role of coaching and how to give the most useful driver feedback to your engineers and crew. Andre Lafond also gives us some surprising tips about how he uses mountain biking to help with his mental, as well as physical, preparation.

[4:00] What does it take to commit to becoming a professional racing driver? 

[14:50] How different are karts and racecars? 

[23:01] How can you learn from watching other drivers?

[31:52] Tips for working with engineers or your support crew

[38:33] What is the different between a coach and an instructor?

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Links mentioned in the show:

- Follow Andre Lafond's progress here - https://andrelafondracing.com/

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Perfectly setup your racecar. Master data analysis. Drive faster @ www.yourdatadriven.com

Get Ahead of the Curve - Weekly motorsports wisdom you can read in 5 minutes, for free --> https://yourdatadriven.ck.page/3d029366d9