Fongu

Oh so excited. Going to drive a REAL world class track with racing heritage! Mailing in my check and application tomorrow. I'm crashing the Upstate party

Com'n future track junkies, make the trek with me. May 2-3.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=262151
http://www.scda1.com/schedule/

Triple-H

Nice job Steve!

This will not only be my first time to teach with SCDA, but on Saturday I found out The Glen has gone through some big changes just outside of the track surface. The rumors are: all gravel traps removed and replaced with rough pavement, some trees removed to improve sight lines, some gullys filled in, some hills moved back, some Armco moved away from the track amd more. Wow, thanks to the IRL it sounds like we are getting a slightly safer track...

Fongu

No gravel, filled gullies and Armco moved back is good. Not planning on testing the improved runoff though!

Might even have to find a driving game with the track, to learn it before going there.

Triple-H

Here is an amazingly complete web site
http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/WatkinsGlen.html


Do yourself a favor and remember the corner names, this is a track where only a few people speak in numbers.
1- The Ninety
2,3,4- The Esses
No Number- The Inner Loop or The Bus Stop
5- Big Bend
6- The Chute
7- The Toe
8- The Heal
9- The Off-camber
10- Actually called 10
11- Actually called 11

wing

Playing a driving game would be a HUGE help, I agree. I don't know any game that has that track though... hmmmmm.

I know I could head out to germany and fair pretty well on the Nurburgring since I know every corner A few 1000 laps will do that.

Triple-H

Well here, it goes like this

Drive as fast as you can straight at the concrete wall, dive on the brakes and make a hard right (1). Go as fast as you can, foot to floor and hold on for dear life as you zigzag up the hill (2,3,4). Still mashing the gas to the floor wait till the last second, dive on the brakes and drive into the bus stop, swing the car left and hope you make it out. Start to feed on more gas and grab your stomach as the road drops out under you and you are trying to drive to an apex you can't see (5). Oh, there is the apex, foot still to the floor rocket down hill, dive on the brakes and turn left (6), get back on the gas and continue to rocket down hill. Dive onto the brakes and force the car into a right hand hairpin that starts to go uphill (7). Foot to floor going uphill, get out your favorite magazine and read for a while. Yawn. At the top of the hill still on the gas fly down the short straight, stand on the brakes and swing to the right (8). Back on the gas fly up another hill, stand on the brakes and turn left, holding the wheel in one position. Where the hell is the apex? Holy crap the corner drops away (9). Back on the gas as you once again see the track. Stay on the gas, pucker your ass, stay on the gas, oh hell we are all going to die, no brakes, turn left and fly through 10. Wow, the car held, cool. Dive on the brakes, turn right (11), whip out to the corner of the bridge and mash the gas to go down the straight. Cool, that was fun, all ready to go again...

wing

Hahaha, not really the same, if you haven't played any of the ultra-realistic games you might not understand. The games are soooo good now, you really learn the track lines, elevation changes and breaking points. It really can make a big difference. I wonder if Forza will have that track.

Triple-H

Oh believe me I know, some of the new games are just unreal! Good luck finding one.

Fongu

Doug, this is where autocross is going to pay off. Having to learn a course every race day trains you to think before hand. I suspect that a NASCAR game would have the Glen.

It's the elevation changes that are going to make me tenative. Shannonville, where I have the most experience is dead flat and barely requires 4th gear. There will be plenty of time to ease up to speed. We'll see how I feel and drive the second day.

Triple-H

Just keep in mind this is a very demanding track and every corner has a long list of subtleties associated with it. You will learn a lot in two days, but it takes a lot longer than that to really get it down. As an instructor it is not at all unusual to work with a student and only concentrate on 2 or 3 corners all weekend. Even when someone shows up with a lot of advanced driving experience it still takes time.

Elevation changes- wait till you clear the Bus Stop for the first time and head down to The Toe. Shannonville will never be the same.