Why is good setup the key to winning?

At the top level when drivers have similar skills, setup accuracy determines who wins.

Whether you're involved in sim racing or any other form of motorsport, getting to the ideal setup in the least number of steps without trial and error should be your goal. 

To save you from having to read and digest thick text books, RaceTrackSetup has filtered and condensed the essence from 19 years of involvement in car setup development, and developed a holistic theory of race track setup, so that you can go faster, quicker.

Watch Intro Video

Want to win in racing but no time to read? Sick of setup guides telling you to try multiple solutions?

What you'll learn - combination of "Advanced Theory & Applications" and "High Downforce Race Car"

In 6 hours of video content

  • Getting to the optimal setup of low and high downforce race cars in the least number of steps.

  • Solving individual handling issues of the high downforce race car using vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics without ruining handling balance elsewhere.

  • How to avoid trial and error in getting to the fastest setup.

  • Solving the "aero grip" versus "mechanical grip" compromise.

  • How all vehicle parameters relate to vehicle performance criteria.

  • Differences between steady state and transient handling and how they relate to both setup and driver input.

  • The logical steps in setting up a road biased sports car.

  • Tuning handling balance using tire temperature, brakes and differentials.

  • Solving typical suspension related handling problems.

  • Tuning suspension using load transfer and the friction circle.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction to Advanced Theory and Application

  • 2

    Logical steps to setting up a road biased sports car

    • Relating car setup to steady state and transient oversteer and understeer

    • Logical steps to setting up a road biased sports car
  • 3

    Changing basic handling balance with tire static loads, alignment, tire temperature

  • 4

    Changing handling balance for different corner types with brakes and differential

    • Changing handling balance using brakes and differential
  • 5

    Changing handling balance in different corner phases with suspension setup

    • Suspension tuning - trade offs, rates and ride frequencies

    • Suspension tuning for 6 different types of corner phases
  • 6

    Race car aerodynamics - a further complication for suspension setup

    • Race car aerodynamics - a further complication for suspension setup
  • 7

    How all possible vehicle parameters affect performance criteria

    • The vehicle parameters - performance criteria matrix
  • 8

    Logical steps to setting up a low down force race car

    • Setting up a low down force race car
  • 9

    Logical steps to setting up a high down force race car

    • Logical setup steps of a high downforce RWD race car
  • 10

    Solving handling issues in a targeted fashion

    • Solving braking instability

    • Solving high speed corner entry balance issue without affecting balance elsewhere

    • Solving high speed mid corner balance issue without affecting balance elsewhere

    • Solving high speed corner exit balance issue without affecting balance elsewhere

    • Solving low speed corner entry balance issue without affecting balance elsewhere

    • Solving low speed mid corner balance issue without affecting balance elsewhere

    • Solving low speed corner exit balance issue without affecting balance elsewhere

    • Solving suspension issues in direction changes, braking and loss of grip

Instructor - Senior Expert Active Suspension Systems

Shi Yan

Chartered Engineer (CEng MIMechE) and former sim racer with 18 years experience in vehicle dynamics, Senior Expert Active Suspensions at Geely. Created clean sheet active active suspension controller at Ford as research lead for semi active and active suspension control. Created 2021 Range Rover active roll bar controller at JLR. Led development of new electronic damper technology at Tenneco. Inventor in patents of frequency dependent to active dampers, variable track width suspension, road profile estimation method and control algorithms. Limit handling licensed at Ford and JLR. Experienced in mechanical, electro-hydraulic and controls engineering. Multi lingual (EN,CN,NL,DE,FR).