Road America

[jdr922]

I will be driving at Road America in 1 month and have never driven at this track previously. Would anyone have a video of their previous exploits and or notes which would allow me to study and familiarize myself with getting around there?
Thank you

[rgreist]

Yes. I have one and will mail it to you if your promise to return it. It's of me and Matt Franc in the memorial at the Midwest Finale last year. E-mail me your address at: revere@ucla.edu

[StevieDe]

One BIG caveat,

Keep in mind that RA has undergone extensive revisions over the winter.

One particular aspect is the curbing at the track out of most corners is MUCH more aggressive. Encouraging one to STAY on the track surface.

Also Hazmat and Revere have more seat time and car control than most mere mortals. You wouldn't catch me trying to emulate half of their antics!

Be Careful,
SD

[rgreist]

I knew about the de-bridging (technical term) of Billy Mitchell, but didn't know about the curbing changes. Until now, you had to use all of the track out curbing to go quickly, so this could change things. Thanks for the heads-up, Steve.

Steve's caveat about the video also is true, but surprisingly enough, we were both pretty smooth in this race. We worked together for most of the race to create a gap over the field and, once that was secure, duked it out between ourselves. You'll at least get a sense of the line around the race track and braking points.

[chsutherland]

I can't wait for RA. I think Hazmat's quote while in the pits waiting for pace lap for the memorail was "Heads up turn 5". Also if its your first race weekend and cousin Keith decides you "earned" a good starting spot for the memorial beware......really they placed you there to watch Revere, Hazmat and a few others blow by you! On a side note, Revere I have your F@#$ing picture you are taking it with you! Evil Homer, what's up with no F1 picks...give up all ready? You may not try Revere's antics, but i know you have a card or two up your sleeve
craig

[WatertownNewbie]

Originally Posted by StevieDe

RA has undergone extensive revisions .... One particular aspect is the curbing at the track out of most corners is MUCH more aggressive. Encouraging one to STAY on the track surface.

Did they do anything like Laguna Seca did with the concrete formations at the inside of the apex? Is the new trackout curbing a hindrance, or is absolutely to be avoided? (And is there a distinction between the painted part and the gray portion?)

[WatertownNewbie]

This coming Sunday (June 3) there will be AMA Superbike race coverage from Road America on Speed in the afternoon. At least a chance to see the track again and maybe spot some of the changes. (But there's nothing like a good van-around to make you realize that there are a lot of things you don't know about any track. )

[Rosso]

Originally Posted by StevieDe

...is the curbing at the track out of most corners is MUCH more aggressive. Encouraging one to STAY on the track surface...SD

Funny how these things work. When they repaved Laguna last year and moved their bridge, they took OUT the aggressive curbing. Supposedly the moto-GP jockeys had complained about it. The new curbing is like buttah, in comparison.

Looks like I'll be there on the 27th and maybe the 28th.

[rgreist]

The eighth law of thermodynamic: the conservation of curbing. This is one of the lesser known ones.

Craig, send your phone number to revere@ucla.edu and I'll give you a call about the picture. Sorry for being out of touch.

[Rosso]

Originally Posted by rgreist

The eighth law of thermodynamic: the conservation of curbing. This is one of the lesser known ones.

Must have missed that one. Bet it was covered one Friday afternoon. Friday afternoon was when our student chapter of the ASME Fluid Dynamics Club met at the Cardinal Inn to negotiate cheap pitcher beer and pizza deals.

[cooleyjb]

I was up there last weekend during a PCA DE and up there on track in the beginning of May when StevieDe was teaching the 3 day school.

I never had a chance to check out turns 1 and 3 but heres a quick rundown on the rest that have the changes.

Turn 5- They paved over some of the gravel trap to make it easier to get back on for some of the bigger cars that get too hot into the braking zone. However the extra rumble strips they put in past the original set are huge and extend up the hill another 50 or so feet.

Turn 6- They added to the rumble strips at track out and they are also pretty big. If you straddle them with the Barber car you'll probably drag the undertray.

Turn 7-- Same as the others, they extended the rumbles on trackout.

Turn 8-- Some monster rumble strips that will can also hit the undertray of the Barber car if you straddle them.

Carousel and the Kink nothing much different. Legge's marks are still very dark and fresh looking.

Canada-- The outside curbing is 2-3 times as wide and gets very aggressive the further from the track surface and it is extended a bit further up the track than before.

13,13A-- The curbing on the right side before where the bridge used to be is extended a lot further towards Canada, nothing to harsh but it's there.

After watching just Club racers at the DE this weekend people are pushing the cars a lot harder through 13, using more of the track on exit and if they aren't paying attention can get themselves into a lot of trouble even though the wall is moved 50 feet further back and there is now a gravel trap on the outside of the exit of 13 to slow you down. One GT3 was written off last weekend because the corner appears a bit less intimidating than it used to be.

The new pavement where the tunnel went is a non issue, you're already out of the turn and pointing in the correct direction hopefully and the tranisistion is pretty smooth.

--Joe

[CobraZb]

Originally Posted by jdr922

I will be driving at Road America in 1 month and have never driven at this track previously. Would anyone have a video of their previous exploits and or notes which would allow me to study and familiarize myself with getting around there?
Thank you

Are you doing the advanced 2 day in July?

[jdr922]

Thanks all for your insight and help!
Cobra I'll be entering the race weekend. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

[CobraZb]

Originally Posted by jdr922

Thanks all for your insight and help!
Cobra I'll be entering the race weekend. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

I am doing the 2 day in july, just thought I would ask. Good luck and safe racing!

[Jim Pace]

All nice improvements to RA that encourge one to stay on the Track as Stevie D noted. Better runoff and improved options before getting stuck in the gravel...whick occasionally requires TWO WRECKERS! The track proper is the same and the car doesn't know the t13 bridge is gone. Just takes a new site picture but the hands move the same.

Great racetrack and one of my favorites for Skippy.
JP

[Slowhands]

Originally Posted by Jim Pace

... the car doesn't know the t13 bridge is gone. Just takes a new site picture but the hands move the same. JP

You've gotta love the dry, understated acceptance of the obvious that is the mark of the true professional. Reminds me of the time Michael Jordan was being interviewed after a particularly spectacular dribble-penetration pass-fake baby hook, never taking his eyes off the teammate to whom he was faking the pass despite being sideways to the basket. He was asked, "How did you make that shot without looking at the basket?" He replied matter-of-fact-ly, "No need to look. The basket doesn't move."

Zen, anyone?

[PT Cruiser]

Hi Harsha,

I think one of the trickiest things about Road America -at least for me-- is that the "slow" corners (turn 5, Canada, turn 8) are actually faster than they look. You arrive at two of these corners after VERY long straightaways and the third after a moderately long but downhill straight, and it is true that they all require very heavy threshold braking. That being said, it is easy to get carried away with the braking . . . . both overslowing, and also squaring off these corners far more than necessary. I would strongly recommend taking a few laps when you are first learning the track to worry more about getting the turn-in point and turn-in SPEED right for each of these corners BEFORE you start trying to be a hero on the brakes.

Turn 1 is also a LOT faster than it looks. You'll need to work up to it, but it really only takes a light brush of the brakes.

Turns 2 and 14 -both entrances to very long straights- are less about heavy braking, and more about flowing speed through the entire corner. For turn 14 in particular, getting your eyes up and back to the right towards the apex rather than being fixtated on the outside of the track (which you are crossing from right to left to get back to the outside after turn 13) is essential. It's easy to be just a tad late looking back right, with the result that you miss the optimal turn in, have to force the car into the apex, and lose exit speed as a result.

The kink is all about the timing of your turn-in. If you get it right, the corner is pretty easily flat. The big thing here it to recognize EARLY if you got the timing wrong, and ease off GENTLY before you get to the apex. If you are late to recognize a mistake here, and/or react too abruptly, things can get pretty ugly.

As for the carrousel, one thing to keep in mind as the front of the car starts to wash out part way through the turn is to pay attention to the amount of steering lock you have dialed in. If you first attempt to dial in more steering in an attempt to counter the understeer, you'll need to either dial it back out, or lift off more slowly than you would otherwise, if you decide a throttle adjustment is also necessary to keep the car on the road. Otherwise, when the weight transfers to the front, and the front tires byte, you will get more turning than you bargined for, and a nasty high speed spin could result. I had a few "moments" here before I realized that I had to calibrate the speed of any throttle adjustment I made here to the amount of steering lock dialed in.

Have fun. RA should be wicked crazy with the hamster device!!

[jdr922]

One last question...anyone have any hotel recommendations?
Thanks much guys as always

[cdh]

Originally Posted by jdr922

One last question...anyone have any hotel recommendations?
Thanks much guys as always

Here's a thread from a year ago. I stayed at the Baymont in Plymouth a couple weeks ago, nice hotel, minutes from track.

[cooleyjb]

Siebkens-- rustic is one way to put it. not in the best state of repair but it is reasonably priced compared to other elkhart locations

Osthoff-- very nice but you pay a bit more for it.

Outside of elkhart cities to look at
Plymouth, WI. Sheboygan, WI and Fond du Lac in that order for distance.

The size of the race that weekend will also determine how far away you will stay.

I think the track site has a list of hotels too.

[jdr922]

Thank you Doug

[chsutherland]

Baymont is nice, and if you can afford it the American in Kohler is the best. A instructor who shall remain nameless, told me that siebkens was best for the "stumbling factor"

[donv]

i can vouch for the baymont but they finally got the joke and raised prices on race weekends.

if you are staying by yourself, no family etc. it is hard to beat the baymont, new, convenient, internet and clean. I will be there later this month.

the last RA weekend i will be with family so i booked the oustoff (sp) they had some very good prices that time of year. a suite that sleeps 7 is actually cheaper than 2 baymont rooms which is what i would need.

hertz rental cars are also cheap out of mke for that time of year, thursday thru monday i got a corolla for a total price of about $98. I booked two so family can do their thing and i will still have my own car.

don

[cooleyjb]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...61884879&hl=en

For those interested here is a video from this year of the short course and you can see the changes to the track.

[Slowhands]

Great, great weekend at Elkhart Lake. Those of you who opted not to come missed some awesome bare-knuckle Hamster combat. The draft was amazing. I got in the middle of a couple of 3-car trains that gobbled up hapless solo drivers on the Morraine straight like a hurricane. You could see the car twitch as each car passed and the victim's hands twitched, "Oh, s--t, not another one--can I get in----whoah, oh s--t!" Made for some "interesting" tactics at turn-in. The Dark Side is unexpectedly strong.

The Kink took its cut -- I counted 6 in Midwest Champ alone.

The weather was perfect all week, and it was great hanging out with the Midwest Westside crew-- you rock, dudes! I made my obligatory pilgrimage to the Siebkin's shrine with Kasey for the second stage of my initiation into the Cult of Jager (I had successfully avoided drinking that swill for 40 years, but it finally caught up to me) (Kasey and I crossed the line in an absolute dead heat in R2 fighting for P4, identical times to all 3 decimal places!--only problem was I was missing my nose nipple thanks to all the wind buffet in the brake zone of 5, so they stuck me with a penalty for littering....and creating a nuisance. Regional rules SUCK!!!!)(Another hilarious thing about that finish was that I had no idea it was the last lap, so as Kasey pops out of my draft for the run up to the line, I am waving my arm in the "stay in line and work together" sign. When I saw the checker I just burst out laughing right there in the cockpit! I can be such a doofus sometimes!)

My finishing positions weren't great but I booked some decent times and got taught a ton of racecraft--got schooled all over the track (dagnabbit, I thought I closed that door! MF!!!!!). So much fun. Can't wait for September!

[Kasey]

Love the new avatar Harsha. RA was a blast! We never did get confirmation from Skippy about how they would have handled a dead heat. Maybe equal points for both? Hamster racing at its best. Can't wait to get back there in the fall.

My first two Masters wins courtesy of some rare bad luck for John Greist. I'll take the hardware but hate to see it as a result of other's misfortune. I want to race for it, not inherit it.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at MT.