Few laps of Watkins Glen

[Doc V.]

Originally Posted by paradocs98

Apparently they also brought the Armco closer to the track at the entrance of the Bus Stop. My instructor noted this--he typically runs over the entire curbing on entry, but flinched a bit when he saw how close those baby blue rails are now...

Look ahead, not at the armco, and the blue bushes will figuratively disappear.

Turn 5A, the entry to the Bus Stop, is a type 2 corner: entry speed is primary. Consequently, brake-turn and trail-brake the car into 5A. 5B, the exit of the Bus Stop, is a type 3 corner: entry speed and the line are compromised in order to maximize exit speed. Use aggressive throttle to exit 5B on the way to 5C, the outer loop.

[arter]

Originally Posted by DB

Fun video - I signed up to go to Watkins Glen with BMW CCA Genesee Valley on September 22 and 23. So far I've only done 1 event (NJMP) and I'll have done one more (again at NJMP) before this one, so I'll be in the novice group. Can't wait! Will I see any of you there? I will definitely watch this video a lot before 9/22.

I will be there ( GVC is my home club).
Will be running in A or A solo.......

[sawzall]

a bunch of us are actually headed down tomorrow to run Monday and Tuesday. Apparently the track was closed all last week as parts of the track were repaved. Looking forward to seeing the changes!

[arter]

For a somewhat faster video around Watkins Glen ( 1:31) here is a narrated Indy car video around the Full Course ( downshift from 190 mph a little and a tap of the brakes when you go through the bus stop..)

[DB]

Originally Posted by arter

I will be there ( GVC is my home club).
Will be running in A or A solo.......

Great. I will look for you there.

[paradocs98]

Originally Posted by arter

For a somewhat faster video around Watkins Glen ( 1:31) here is a narrated Indy car video around the Full Course ( downshift from 190 mph a little and a tap of the brakes when you go through the bus stop..)

Come on, now. You didn't mention that it was Danica! She weighs something like 70 lbs less than I do--that's why she can get around the Glen almost a minute faster than I can.

Amazing to hear her say how they're flat on the gas through many of the turns.

Ahhh...Danica. Thanks, Tom. Made my day.

[arter]

That's the biggest reason why advanced drivers are faster than novices around the track, they don't have the weight of the instructor slowing their cars down

[Drifty//]

Are you doing the upshifts or letting the car decide?

I'm interested in the revs. Wondering if that's what the car thinks is optimal.

[Drifty//]

Originally Posted by arter

For a somewhat faster video around Watkins Glen ( 1:31) here is a narrated Indy car video around the Full Course ( downshift from 190 mph a little and a tap of the brakes when you go through the bus stop..)

Whenever I see vids from the Glen, I always come back to that. Based on several of her comments, I think aerodynamic downforce must be a major factor in their driving. As if they didn't already have enough to think about.

[paradocs98]

Originally Posted by Drifty//

Are you doing the upshifts or letting the car decide?

I'm interested in the revs. Wondering if that's what the car thinks is optimal.

I'm in manual mode always, even for street driving. I'm too much of a control freak to let the car shift itself. (So why not a standard manual transmission? I knew this car would see a significant amount of track time. While I can heel-toe, I'm not good enough at it at this point to trust myself to consistently bang off a couple of rifle-shot downshifts coming from 130+mph down to 60mph under threshold braking while approaching turn 1 on a typical road course.)

Anyway, the calibration of the RaceKeeper's interface with my car's ECU via the OBD II port appears to be slightly off. The car's tach indicates that I upshift anywhere from 7500 to about 8200 rpm. The RaceKeeper records these engine speeds as a few hundred rpm less. It's also apparent on the throttle calibration--when I'm flat to the floor, the RaceKeeper records that I'm at 75% throttle. I've spoken to the company about it. It's a known issue that they're evaluating. A hardwire connection straight to the car's ECU would probably be more accurate. At least the car's speed is accurate, because it's coming from the system's roof-mounted GPS antenna.

[M3-Mike]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

Could be a lot tighter on c1 with a lot more speed as you use the curb on exit without upsetting the car at all which allows more speed into C2 which should only be short lift with maybe a little dab of the brakes to help the car turn in with a little less sliding.Once you are going uphill you should be flat until the braking area for the bus stop.I grab 5th gear exiting the last S over the bridge and touch the limiter in 5th at about the 500 brake marker,so I hold the limiter till the 300 marker where I brake.
I have found that I can use 4th gear through the bus stop and make a pile of time up on other people by placing the car completely over the 1st turtle and braking lightly to the 2nd turtle which you use a lot of also,where you start turning the car to the left and balance the car with the throttle till the last turtle where you are already on full throttle into a tighter line in 5 where I use a lift & a little brake to get the car turning to keep a tight line going downhill to the apex.From there to 6 I am at full throttle where I use a tighter line than you do.Going wider there seems to be slower than using the inside on entry.
Corner 7 I keep the car mostly inside the concrete where there is a lot more grip and you can brake quite late there with no problems with getting a great exit.C8 is just a standard apex corner and I touch the limiter in 3rd on the run to C9 which is tighter line to keep you inside the sealer as much as possible.Corner 10 is a 4th gear corner with mild braking and tracking right out to the curbing and swinging out to the left and 3rd for corner 11 to have another fun lap.I love this track

Good tips! I started using 3rd gear on my M3 DCT a lot more this time at WGI and it really does make a difference with higher exit speeds, especially in corner 11.