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Any chance I could persuade one of you who's familiar with the track to post a walkthrough similar to the one I did for Sykart?
I saw Tedster's video on the track info thread, but it's hard to tell things like how fast you're going, which turns are hairy, where surface changes happen, etc. on it...
The video was shot with RA-1s on. The speeds on screen are taken directly from the speedo (you can see the speedo, the tach, and my Hot Lap timer in the full-rez video); that isn't my best lap, so those aren't the top speeds I've seen. Chris Willson killed my times, and he was on SO-3s.
Some details will be specific to a stock-ish S2000 (gears, speeds).
The Kink: just a little bend to the left and back to the right; full throttle all the way. You want to snuggle up to the left hand wall. You'll be shifting from 4th to 5th (116 mph) during or just after the Kink.
Turn 1: also full throttle, 5th gear, around 125 mph. You want to turn in gently, timing it so you just miss the end of the pit wall at track right as you cross the track. Right in the apex area you crest a little hill and the pavement changes, so whatever you do, don't lift throttle during T1. There is a filled pothole near track right about where the grass starts; I try to straddle it. If your speeds at the end of the straight are higher than you feel comfortable with through T1, lift (or brake) and get back on the throttle before turning in to T1.
Turn 2: I hit the low 130's between T1 and T2; pretty heavy late braking for T2, down to the low 70 mhp area. Downshift to 3rd gear. I'm pretty close to the right edge of the track during braking. If you're comfortable with it, you can trail-brake into T2. Stay about 2/3rds track right until you pass the end of the drag strip, then start slowly moving over to the left to meet the late apex, well past the drag strip. You should be able to throttle steer through T2. Be sure to get all the way out to track right on exit; there's a little patch of added concrete pavement out there. Don't drop your right wheels off; if you do, keep the steering wheel straight! Otherwise you'll find yourself in the trees on track left (I've seen that one). You'll shift from 3rd to 4th (90 mph) right around track out. You can carry a lot of speed through Turn 2 (I still haven't figured out how much).
Turns 3a/3b: I've seen 100 mph indicated just before the braking point for 3a. Late, hard, downhill braking, downshift to 2nd gear. A popular option is to do your braking 1/3 from the left instead of all the way track left. There is an escape road if your brakes are gone or you misjudge. I find 3a and 3b slow and frustrating, but I think that's normal. I see speeds around 39 mph. I use some trail braking in 3b to get rotation. Exit speed from 3b is the key, as it leads to the second longest straight, so don't apex too early. Track out all the way to the right, and shift to 3rd.
Turn 4: really just a slightly bent straight with a hill crest; you barely need to turn the wheel through there. Shift to 4th. I see 100 mph when I exit 3b correctly. Some events will use the area from 3b to 4 as a second let-by zone.
Turns 5a/5b: the track bends to the right and goes uphill a bit at the entrance to 5a. Brake and downshift from 4th to 3rd; turn in is in the mid 60s for me; I'm pretty sure I could carry more speed, but this is a tight area of the track, so you don't want to go off here. Make sure you're at least on neutral throttle through 5a. Be sure to hit the apex of 5b; you need to feel that kerb. You'll move a couple of feet away from track right, then get all the way back over to touch the right edge.
Turn 6: from far track right after 5b, you can start easing on the throttle before turn in to T6; the track starts heading uphill. Get all the way over to just feel the kerb at the apex of 6. By now you're on full throttle, or close to it. Unwind and track all the way out to the right. I hit 90 mph on the uphill between T6 and T7, but from looking at video it wasn't paying off shifting to 4th (I never got back above 90, due to the hill). So I just hold near 90 in 3rd.
The whole 5a/5b/6 complex winds up being a really fun timing section. It's all about finding the rhythm through there.
Turn 7: this turn is a blind hill crest, but no need to lift for it. Either WOT (if you shift to 4th) or holding 90 in 3rd. Keep several feet to the right of the apex to avoid the dip there.
Turn 8: apexing 7, cresting the hill, getting over to track right, and braking for T8 can be a bit nerve-wracking. The turn in is at a seam in the pavement, and it's a bit off-camber right there. Once you're in, all is good. Very late apex here. Speeds are in the low 60s, 3rd gear. After the apex, you're still turning left to get all the way over, but unwinding the wheel and easing on the throttle. You want to carry the maximum speed you can out of T8.
Turn 9: turn in is from all the way track left; gentle, smooth turn in, aiming to just miss the 'cone-on-a-stick' at the apex of T9. I leave it in 3rd for maximum accleeration, and upshift to 4th at the track out point. I'm at WOT from track out of T8 (65 mph, 3rd gear) all the way to the braking point for T2 (130+mph, 5th gear). From track out of T9 to just before the Kink is the main let-by zone at most events.
Ted
p.s. Here a two more videos:
This one has one out of car shot of GMan through T8 & T9, a little view of the pits, what the front straight looks like with puddles, RT using all the trackout from T2 (watch the exit cone), me following RT following a Porsche through 3b, and 5a/5b/6 and me following RT through 8 & 9, plus a bunch of shots showing the use of the passing zones.
This movie is all out of car shots from the old days when it was SIR, before the reconfigured front straight and the Kink. The T8/9/front straight shots wont help with your line in the new config, but there's a shot looking back towards T4/3b and going through 5a from 5a, going through 5b from the hill above, and exiting 7/entering 8 from the infield that should be helpful.
I track out of turn 9 having just shifted into 4th. The front straight is ... not straight. But the "kink" is more of a lane change than a turn. Two cars could do it side by side with room to spare. There's no reason to set up for it as the line on the map shows.
You want to be against the infield wall going in to turn 1 as shown. There are walls on both sides. The apex of turn 1 is the end of the other wall which you breeze by tight at 125+ mph. There is some weirdness to the pavement and some filled in potholes here that will bounce your car as you go through this turn. Exciting.
You'll set up for 2 as shown. There is a seam in the pavement that you either want to straddle, or be compeletely to the right of as you brake from 130+ to about 65 and down shift from 5th to 3rd. The car gets squirly if you have your left wheels on the seam. The line on the map is the one they teach. There's a little bit of grass run off before a tire wall on the outside. Late apex, track out.
2-3 is pretty steep down hill. Dirt wall on the left, woods on the right. You'll be over 100 for the braking zone into 3a, and 3a/b are 40ish mph in second gear. This is a serious brake burner after just having done 130->65mph for 2, and then downhill up to 100 and back down to 40 for 3. There is an escape road shown on the map if your brakes aren't up to the task. 3a is not important. Everyone drives a different line here. Just make sure you get set up for 3b. 3b is also 40ish mph on the entry. Late apex, track out, yadda yadda.
3b-5 is a nice country drive through the woods - at full throttle. Some up hill, some down, some wiggles, straighten out the wiggles as much as possible. You'll be >100mph briefly. Do most of your braking before the un-numbered little turn between 4 and 5a. That is the last time your car will be settled before turn 6. As you apex 5a the track pitches your car to the outside. Very unsettling. There is a curb on the inside here, stay off it. You can enter 5a at 60+ mph, or as fast as you dare. The instructers say 5a-b eats $1 million worth of race car each year, so be careful. The right side has a new gravel trap, the left is dirt wall. 5b is nothing special, as long as you're not too out of shape from 5a. Drive the line shown to be set up for 6.
6 is 3rd gear steep up hill part or full throttle all the way. Use the whole track. Woods on the right, dirt wall on the left.
6 transitions right into 7. 4th gear. Stay off the apex in 7 because the track dips down at the apex and it isn't the best line anyway. As you track out of 7 you enter the braking zone for 8. It's a bit uncomfortable finishing turn 7 and braking for turn 8, but not too bad.
8 is a slow 3rd gear turn. Not sure the speed here. The 8-9 transition is important as there's a lot of time here to be won/lost. There's a good amount of run off room, one of the few places on the track where a spin is relatively safe.
As you accelerate out of 8 and through 9 you have a choice. Short shift into 4th before/early in 9, or, shift 3->4 near redline in turn 9, or, hold 3rd near redline and shift on the exit. Not a fun decision, but it's generally ok to shift in the middle of turn 9. Just be smooth. The apex is the corner of two walls which you'll scrape by at about 90 mph. Fun fun!
So are we going to see you out there with us this year Steve?
Those speeds in my walk through are approximate, but based on what I've seen with RA-1s.
The video was shot with RA-1s on. The speeds on screen are taken directly from the speedo (you can see the speedo, the tach, and my Hot Lap timer in the full-rez video); that isn't my best lap, so those aren't the top speeds I've seen. Chris Willson killed my times, and he was on SO-3s.
Michael,
godd walkthrough! Looks like we mostly agreed, mostly.
Turn 1: also full throttle, 5th gear, around 125 mph. You want to turn in gently, timing it so you just miss the end of the pit wall at track right as you cross the track. Right in the apex area you crest a little hill and the pavement changes, so whatever you do, don't lift throttle during T1. There is a filled pothole near track right about where the grass starts; I try to straddle it. "If your speeds at the end of the straight are higher than you feel comfortable with through T1, lift (or brake) and get back on the throttle before turning in to T1".
That is one of the most important parts of the track, lifting in 1 can send you for a serious ride. If you want to reduce speed, do it before turn-in, and be back on the power.
originally posted by MSRS2K
Do most of your braking before the un-numbered little turn between 4 and 5a. That is the last time your car will be settled before turn 6.
That is another place to pay close attention to what is happening, if you brake a little late, you will be in the kink to the right and it will come around on you. I had a discussion with Don about this (via Black Flag)... It didn't spin, I was just seeing what would happen, like a test...yeah
I actually think I do more braking after that bend than before, but you're right, you don't want to be much into the brakes right there, with the turn and little hill crest.
Michael,
you're right, T8 is an excellent place to spin, I've seen several RX-7s spinning like tops there; nothing to hit.
04-22-2003, 09:41 PM
Look for me at the 5/20 A&J track day.
