CIRCUIT DATA.
Length: 2.454 miles
Banking: Nine turn road course
Qualifying Record: 119.118mph
Average Race Speed: 98.977 mph
INTRODUCTION.
I chose to cover Watkins Glen first as it is my favourite track in Nascar. I think it must be because I've done all my racing driving on road circuits and Watkins is fast yet full of different corners.
Watkins is a very critical track where you can get of line very easily without realising it. Doing so only becomes apparent as barriers approach and backing off results in big losses in time and, when racing, positions.
Like many circuits, the fastest line at Watkins is very tight. The nature of the circuit requires you to build up a good mental map of the corners, what they look like and what follows each one. You will need to think ahead.
Corners at Watkins are varied and all of them flow into each other. As you enter one corner, you should be thinking of where you you want to be on the exit for the entrance to the next corner. A lot of speed can be lost not setting the car up for the following corner.
There are only two sensible places to try and pass, the start finish straight and exiting the chicane.
CORNER BY CORNER.
TURN 1 - END OF START FINISH STRAIGHT.
Approaching the corner at speed, you should start to brake at the crest of the hill where the concrete pit wall ends and the armco begins. Using this and the tyre marks as a visual cues, you should stay on the brakes to bring your speed right down ready to turn in.
A good visual clue for the turn in point is last tyre mark on the edge of the track before the track starts to turn. Having brought the speed down and selecting the right gear (2nd recommended), release the brakes and turn in slowly aiming to have the car between the first two tyre marks and the right edge.
Follow the right had edge of the track around until you see the tyre marks widen and meet the left hand edge of the track. This point it where you should open the throttle and move the car out to the left of the track, following the tyre marks. Try and get as close to the edge on the exit without touching the dirt. You'll need good position for the next turn .
Speed at the braking point will be 165mph+, turning in around 80mph and 100mph+ on the exit.
TURNS 2 & 3.
Turns 2&3 are critical to each other and getting the approach right to turn 4. Turn 2 takes you downhill to the right while turn 3, uphill to the left.
Approaching turn 2, you should be hitting around 120-130mph as you near the grandstands. Depending on your cars set-up you can choose to take turn 2 at 120mph or, more sensibly, 110mph allowing room for adjustments on the way to turns 3 &4.
In front of the first part of the grandstands and before the mass of tyre marks indicating the line of turn 2, is a single tyre mark. You should make sure that you've got your car sorted out for turn 2 before reaching it, applying "comfort braking" to knock of a few mph before turning in.
Turning in just after this mark, aim to keep the car on the right had edge of the turn, following the grass around up to the armco. When all of the grass has run out, you should find yourself doing about 115mph with the car facing the middle of turn 3.
Turn 3 is a turn where I upset most people. While common convention would say follow the line of the AI cars, I say not. Get your car right over to the left hand side of turn 3 and almost scrape the paint on the armco, across the apex and up the hill to turn 4. This gives you a straighter line up through turn 4 and means you hit the straight faster than the AI cars. While the AI cars pull ahead in turn 2, they end up on the right of turn 3 and have to slow and come back across for the apex of turn 4. You'll never make a pass in turns 2 &3, but get it right for turn 4 and you can pass a few as you hit the straight.
TURN 4 - THE CREST.
Turn 4 poses a interesting problem as you can't see your clipping point as your coming over a blind crest. The exit from turn 3 is critical to getting this right and you need to position yourself slightly off of the left hand edge as you come over the top.
Speed should be kept constant around this corner to ensure control and to allow you to power out onto the following straight. As you approach the top of the hill you should start to move across to the right had side of the track, crossing the middle about level with the "Ford" sign. Keep you speed constant around the bend as over doing it can cause you to hit the armco on the exit.
The corner appears to open out after the first clipping point, however hold station as it tightens slightly before the exit. Be wary of the tyre marks as well, you should follow the rightmost set on the exit as the leftmost set lead into the armco. If you start to follow the outer set, you tend to realise too late that they lead to the wall!
Once you can see your exit line, let the car drift out under power up tight to the left hand side.
TURNS 5 &6 - THE CHICANE.
My view of chicanes is that there not to slow cars down but to test a drivers skill at picking a line and executing it. If you intend getting any *really* fast lap times around Watkins, you need to cheat a little in these two corners.
Whilst experimenting with lines through these corners, I recommend that you use a braking zone between the first marker board and tyre mark. Try taking the corners in 2nd gear to give power yet some control.
As you brake, move the car across to the right had side and aim to be semi-rolling as you clip the corner of the first corner. Your goal here is to be in control with the car tight to the left hand side of the short straight section between the bends.
All being well and if you haven't spun, you should now aim for a straight line across the corner of turn 6 under full power and back onto the tarmac.
Get it really right and you can expect to arrive at turn 7 so quickly you need to jam on the brakes! I've exited at over 110mph before!
TURN 7
Not much to say about turn 7 really. It's pretty much a constant radius corner. Enter at about 88-92mph, balance the throttle and stick close to the right hand side on the way around.
On the way round you'll see a mass of tyre marks that start the lead out onto the left hand side. When you hit these marks, gently floor it and let the car run out to the left. Taking this corner well, you should hit the left hand side with 115mph+ on the clock.
TURN 8
Turn 8 had me puzzled for a while. I was either sliding off of the track on the exit or going around in a violent 4 wheel drift, both of which were costing time.
Turn 8 looks, on the approach like a 90 degree corner and I had been setting the car up as such. However, in actual fact its only about 70 degrees and rather than coming across the apex, you should drive through it.
The corner is best taken in 2nd gear and braking is recommended when the first marker board is level with the middle bar on the windscreen.
In the picture, the red line indicates the line I was taking were the sharp turn was scrubbing speed and causing the drift. The blue line indicates the reccomended line, just clipping the apex on the way round. Using the red line the maximum cornering speed was about 83mph. With the blue line 101mph is a good speed.
TURN 9 - PITLANE ENTRY
Turn 9 is a doddle. Being in 2nd gear from turn 8, there is no point changing up on the straight so floor it up to first set of tyre marks which is your braking point. Set the car up and turn in, following the tyre marks around the corner. Try to get as tight to the wall as possible.
Once your at the apex, unwind the steering and power out. Get it right and you can expect to go under the bridge at 95mph.
Be wary of AI cars which drift wide that can be exiting as slowly as 40mph and cars pitting which cut across in fron of you.
RACING TECHNIQUE.
Several point should be observed when racing at Watkins.
- The Chicane
The chicane (turns 5&6) is alway chopped a bit by the AI cars. Unless you can get a clear run, don't expect to fly across the chicane as fast as you do in testing. Be prepared to take a more sedate route. You can still blow them on the exit.- Bad Driving
A common mistake made by racers is running into the car in front. Remember, a car braking from a certain speed needs a certain amount of distance to slow. If you are following an AI car on the straight he will probably be doing the same speed and therefore the distance between you won't change. Now, if he brakes, the speed at which the distance from you to him closes increases.
If you are following a car into turn 5 and he is a fair distance in front, braking at your normal braking point will probably close you right up to him. However, if he is closer to you, braking at your normal braking point will probably have you up his arse.
If you are close to a car in front, brake when he reaches your braking point, not when you do. That way the distance between you stays constant and collision is less likely.
CAR SETUP
Set-ups for Watkins Glen should be fairly neutral. You don't want to be drifting into walls or spinning around in corners. A hint over oversteer is probably desirable but too much will cook the rubber and lose you speed in the corners.
Shocks should give you good handling in bends and, as most of the important ones are right handed, a slightly softer left hand side might be an idea. Tyre pressures want to be around 50psi all round to give the compromise between rolling resistance and grip.
Getting the tyre temps even all round can be a dog but don't compromise on handling for the sake of a few degrees here or there. You'll probably find that it's difficult to get the Right Front tyre hot and keep the Left Rear cool.
There are a couple of high speed straights and 4th should be set so that you are just about "red-lining" before you brake. 3rd gear should be set up as to provide balance in corners and prevent over rapid acceleration. Turns 2, 3 & 4 should be 3rd with the engine about 7000rpm, just inside the power band. 2nd should be set-up for pulling the car through bends and to provide power. 1st isn't really used and should be used to get you going.
JED'S SETUP
Driving Style: Smooth with slight adjustments to throttle to balance car. Roll in, power out.
Fastest Time: 119.458mph, 85F No Wind.
Average Time (5 laps): 114.934mph
Comments: Needs slightly more speed in corners and a little less sudden-ness on turn-in.Download the set-up
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