The key to finding the proper way around a track is to analyze it before you ever take a fast lap. The first step in that is to pick out the straights -- since they're where you get your lap speed -- and then identify the corners.
Identifying the corners is not quite as straightforward as it sounds. Remember our definition of what a straight really is, and you'll see that not everywhere the track makes a bend is actually a corner.
For example, at VIR, the kink in the dip between Courage and the Spiral is not a corner -- you just take it in almost a straight line at full throttle. Likewise the kink between the Fishhook and South Bend tends to become part of the former rather than a corner in its own right.
The next step is to classify the corners into one of the three types.
Since Type I corners are the most important, we pick those first. This is easy -- they're the ones at the beginning of every straight.
Next most important are the Type II corners. There's one at the end of every straight, unless it's already been picked out as a Type I. Type I over-rides Type II.
Finally, if we have any corners left over (some tracks don't), they must be Type III.
So, using the VIR South Course as an example:
This gives us a starting point to pick the best line around the track.
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