3 Pro Coaching Tips to Improve Your Lap Times @ One Raceway – Wakefield 300 Prep
With the Wakefield 300 coming up this weekend at One Raceway, it’s the perfect time to fine-tune your driving. We’ve spent a lot of time here lately with professional race coach Phil Alexander, and we’ve picked out three sections of the track where a smarter approach can drop your lap times and make your tyres last the distance — especially important if you’re running a front wheel drive car in an endurance race.
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1. Turn 1 – Forget the Traditional Apex
Most drivers naturally aim for the inside apex at Turn 1, but Phil’s advice is to break that habit.
Instead:
Go wide – use all the available track width on the outside.
This opens up Turn 2, letting you hit the apex cleanly and carry more speed through the exit.
That extra momentum feeds straight into Turn 3, giving you an advantage early in the lap.
It’s not just about speed — this line means less steering lock and less tyre scrub, which pays off over the course of 300km.
2. Slingshot Onto the Straight – Choose the Kind Line
The last corner called “Slingshot” is a right turn double-apex complex with a flick left that decides your run down the main straight. There’s more than one way to tackle it, but for endurance racing, the right choice can save your tyres.
Phil’s take:
Test all approaches – running high for the exit or tucking in tight to the inside kerb.
In a front wheel drive endurance car, staying tight on the second apex has proven quickest and gentlest on the tyres.
Avoid big steering angles here — if your tyres are squealing, you’re scrubbing speed and cutting tyre life short.
Driver John Connolly in the RaceAway Mazda SP25 (Front wheel drive) getting into the gutter on the second apex of the Slingshot at One Raceway
3. The Straight – Work the Tow
One Raceway’s main straight is longer than before, which means drafting can give you a real edge.
Here’s how to make it work:
Get behind a car that’s just quick enough to break the air for you without pulling away too fast.
Position yourself out of the slingshot close enough to latch onto their slipstream.
Use the extra speed to your advantage without using more fuel or wearing the tyres.
In a long race like the Wakefield 300, this is “free power” — and it all adds up.
Wrapping It Up
Heading into the Wakefield 300, keep these three things in mind:
Go wide into Turn 1 for a faster setup into Turn 2.
Take the most tyre-friendly line through the slingshot.
Use the tow down the straight whenever you can.
Small changes like these can help you improve your lap times while keeping your car in the fight right to the chequered flag.
Want a hand dialling it all in before race weekend?
We’re offering professional race coaching at One Raceway with Phil Alexander to help you get the most out of every lap.
📞 Contact Us 0472 535 354| 📧 info@raceawaytracktime.com.au
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