We talked previously about using rhythm as a reference point. Another useful reference point you can use is your engine note. Engines of course sound different at every different RPM, and you can get a very accurate picture of your revs just by listening to your engine note.

Using your engine note as a reference point is really just an extension of using rhythm as a reference point. By that I mean you are once again feeling your way to your next input. The benefit of using your engine note is that this gives you an additional reference point past your “hard” (on the track) reference point.

Take the Lefthander at Lime Rock again. The “hard” reference point will still be my track out from Big Bend, and I will use my rhythm to feel my way to my braking point for the Lefthander. But, in addition to just “feeling” when it is time to brake, my engine note can give me another “floating” reference point. If all goes as it should, the engine note and “feel” points should correspond exactly, and that will be when to hit the brakes.

Consistency is Key
As with using rhythm as a reference point, your engine note is only as good as you are consistent! If you mess up the previous corner, you will be slower on that straight and consequently will not be as fast at the end of that straight. This means your revs will be a bit lower, and your engine note different. If you wait until you hear the “correct” engine note, you will be way too far into your braking zone and then you are in a world of trouble. So, if you mess up the previous corner at all, either 1) make your next input at a lower engine note/rev, or 2) forego the engine note completely and go by feel or some other reference point.

Placement on the Track
Note too that just like using rhythm as a reference point, your engine note does NOT give you any indication that you are at the correct spot on the track laterally speaking. In other words, if you are supposed to be on the left side of the track, but are instead on the right side of the track, an engine note reference point will not be able to tell you this. With a normal, “hard” track-based reference point, you will of course be able to see if you are right next to the reference point or several feet away.

This is where feel and general familiarity with the Line and the particular track all come into play. Again, rhythm and engine notes are more like clues than solid reference points. Treat them accordingly.

Engine Failures
Going back to consistency, the use of an engine note as a reference point of course involves consistency across the board. That means that your CAR has to be consistent too! While it is unlikely that anything catastrophic will happen on the track that you won’t notice, things happen, usually when you least expect it.

A good example would be if you lose a catalytic converter. This actually happened to me at Watkins Glen a couple of years ago while I was on track. The cat literally disintegrated and clogged up my exhaust, cutting power DRASTICALLY. I went from ~108mph at the end of the back straight to 80mph. That is a HUGE power loss. Everything else seemed fine, I just had less power. So if I didn’t notice and were to use the engine note as a reference point after the cat failed, well, I would probably be well on my way to Rochester before hitting the brakes…