Getting Ahead with So Dialed

Tracking Results

So, now you know how to create setups, enter settings, and find setups from our Getting Started Guide. Well, now it's time to get into the science part of setup tracking.

Record Track Conditions

For serious racing, recording track conditions is essential because it helps you remember what setups (or individual settings) will work on specific track conditions, so you don't have to do as much testing at every race just to get to a workable setup - you'll already have a good base, and you can tweak in the margins to truly get your car so dialed (sorry, had to.)

See how So Dialed helps: Wyatt Wilson's Road from Novice to Pro Class

To illustrate, when a top racer shows up to a new track they've never raced on, let's say it's a smooth, tight, hard-packed clay track, they will already have a good idea of what their starting "base" setup is going to be because they've raced on those conditions before. They will continue to tweak settings, often up through the main, but their base setup is probably already pretty darn good because they keep records of all their races an all the tracks they've ever raced on.

So Dialed makes this kind of record-keeping easy. Cruise over to the Track tab of your Setup to easily record all the relevant details of the track you're running on.

Record Results

Recording track conditions isn't enough by itself - you also need to record the results of using your setup on those specific track conditions.

Record your results on the Results tab of your setup.

When we say results, we aren't just talking about how you placed in the race - you need to record how your car handled - was it oversteering or understeering? How did it behave on corner entry vs corner exit? Was it having trouble with bumps? Was it rolling too much? Was the steering too twitchy?  Use the Results tab to record as much feedback as you can about the setup.

Think of it like this:

• Track tab: What is the situation?
• Settings tab: What is my guess on which settings will work?
• Results tab: How did my guess work out? On what parts of the track did the car work well or need improvement?

Having a record of how your car performed under specific track conditions will be a huge help when you encounter those conditions again in the future.

How do I keep track of all this?

To get the best results when following the Track/Test/Record pattern above, it's best to record a setup with race results for every change you make, but indeed, that's more than most people want to do.

For most racers, there are a few different record-keeping patterns we recommend, based on how often you race:

• You race at the same track every time: Focus on the Settings tab of your setup. Your track isn't changing, so you can ignore the Track tab. Create new setups if you want to save specific setups you think worked well. Using the Results tab is optional.
• You race at a few different tracks regularly v1: Create a Setup for each track you race on, so each time you move to another track, you can remember which settings worked for you last time. Fill in the Track tab on each setup, but the Results tab is still optional.
• You race at a few different tracks regularly v2 (recommended): Create a Setup for each track type, so, for instance, each time you go to an outdoor asphalt track, you can start with your outdoor asphalt settings and fine-tune from there. On the Track tab, you can fill in the track type, but leave the track name empty. The Results tab again is optional.
• You are serious about getting faster: Use the So Dialed Race Log to make it quick and easy to update your Settings, Track, and Results tabs. Read on below to see how easy this level of tracking can actually be.

This may be more tracking than you're used to, but if you're serious about getting faster and attracting sponsors, this is how the fast folks do it, so it's time to start putting some discipline into your race program!

If it seems like a lot, don't stress too much - start with our base recommendations above and start recording more and more over time as you get comfortable with it and start seeing how much it will improve your race program. Over time, you'll get into a rhythm, and and everything will feel easier.

It's Easy with the Race Log

So Dialed makes all of this tracking easier (especially detailed tracking) with our Race Log (free to try for 10 races or during our trial, then requires a Sportsman membership.)

With the Race Log, you make your setup changes on the fly, check in with a few taps after each race, and the app does the rest, storing Setup Snapshots after every race, so you can see exactly how your car was set up during any race without having to manage a huge pile of setups or come up with names for them all.

Race Log process:

1. Fill in track details (for the day)
2. Update setup (if there were changes)
3. Enter results & handling notes after race
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for each race. That's it!

The Race Log groups your races by day, so you only need to fill in the track details at the beginning of the day (but you can enter changes to it throughout the day as the track changes.)

So, to get started, go to the Race Log tab, tap Add Race, choose the setup you're using, fill in your track information, and then enter the results from your first race:

Between races, update your setup with any changes you made to your car, and then after your next race, tap Add Race again to log the race with your handling notes. It's best to do this soon after the race, while it's still fresh in your memory (but don't skip your turn marshal duties!)

As you'll see in this video, the Race Log automatically creates a summary of the changes you made between races and shows them along with the race results and performance notes, so you have a quick summary of all your races, setup changes, and their results throughout the day:

Here's a screenshot of the Race Log after a few races:

Notice a few things shown here on the Race Log:

• Best lap / average lap / calculated consistency (consistency leads to speed!)
• Summary of changes made to the setup
• Summary of performance changes between runs
• Quick access to the Setup Snapshot - a snapshot of the exact state of your setup at the time the race was recorded (which you can then copy back into your Setup List if you want to make it your new Base Setup)

As you can see, with very little effort, you can keep detailed records the same way top drivers do. Time to give it a shot! If you have any questions, please ask us, and we'll get back to you asap!