Lime Rock’s “Lefthander” and Turn Four represent difficult challenges at one of the most demanding racetracks in North America. Mastering...
While the world famous Cork Screw gets all the attention at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, if you account for the...
The historic Le Mans 24-Hour racing circuit, made up of country roads with constructed racetrack sections, has always been a “horsepower track.” “Give me an extra 40 horsepower on the field, and I’ll show you some superior driving skills…” At Le Mans, having a car with lots of straight-line speed...
Considering the resumes of the people who have raced here, I am both humbled and honored to be writing about...
Mid-Ohio is a very rhythmic, undulating and momentum rewarding circuit that requires countless laps to understand the subtleties of the...
Turn 17 at Sebring, which ends the back straight—and “begins” the front straight—could actually be called the “World’s Biggest Hairpin.” Certainly one of the most difficult. Turn 17 (also known as Sunset, because as night falls on the 12-Hour race, drivers are looking right into the setting sun heading into...
When I was asked to write about a corner or series of corners, Road Atlanta instantly came to mind. I...
Close by the heart of Northern California’s wine country, and with tons of elevation changes to thrill and challenge a...
Brands Hatch, on the southern outskirts of London, is a classic Grand Prix circuit in the mold of Spa-Francorchamps, Watkins Glen and Mosport. Which is to say, it’s a true driver’s track. Turn one at Brands is without question one of the great corners in motorsports. This right-hander’s full name...
On the northern side of Bowmanville, Ontario, lies a track steeped in automobile racing heritage. Mosport International Raceway is a daunting...
Thunderhill Raceway Park was built thanks to the efforts of the San Francisco Region of the SCCA. Realizing that two...
Okay, it’s my turn in the barrel. Asked to “do a corner” for VR, I took a look at the previous Hot Laps. Let’s see, there was the Lefthander at Lime Rock…Road America’s Turn 1… Laguna’s 11… the Bus Stop at the Glen… Mid-Ohio, VIR—even Le Mans, for pity sakes!...
Lime Rock Park’s Big Bend really is a big bend and represents a significant chunk of the total lap time...
Turn One at Sebring is one of the fastest corners in North America. It also has the distinction of being...
With the European Grand Prix season upon us, few circuits command as much respect as the notorious Nürburgring. While the new Nürburgring circuit sits on the site of the original start-finish area and was built in 1982, the old Nordschleife still exists and was built between the two World Wars as...
While every turn has technical challenges, there are very few corners anywhere that require equal measures of skill, perfection and...
When we think of Southern California’s Willow Springs Raceway, what often first comes to mind is a fast corner such...
Although not as famous as its corner mates—the Corkscrew and the Andretti Hairpin—Turn 9 at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca is one of the most exciting corners in the country. Its combination of on-camber, off-camber, decreasing radius, elevation change and limited visibility make it one of the most technical corners I...
Built in 1969, Road Atlanta epitomizes the saying, “They don’t make ’em like they used to.” While modern-day track designers...
One of the “old school” low-grip/high-fun tracks, Moroso Motorsports Park, is a car control circuit, rewarding smoothness and sensitivity. The...
Summit Point’s main circuit was repaved last fall, which enhances an already wonderful track. The Chute through the Carousel is arguably the most challenging—and misunderstood—segment of Bill Scott’s original (there are now three) racetrack. At Skip Barber, one of our primary goals is to use data from our computer cars...
My first trip to Roebling Road (nee, Savannah-Effingham Raceway) was in the early 1960s to watch my Dad, Charlie, run...
Justly famous for corners such as the Corkscrew and Andretti (a.k.a. Turn 2), plain-named Turn Six is actually one of...
From May 27 to July 3, Lime Rock Park underwent a major transformation. Not only was the original 7-turn configuration completely re-paved, re-curbed and re-guardrailed, but Skip Barber went a step further. He designed and had built two new (optional) corner complexes, at The Uphill and West Bend. Mainly in...
Homestead–Miami Speedway is a fun and fast track. It’s definitely one of the best oval/road course combos out there. In...
Considering the résumés of the people who have raced here, I am both humbled and honored to be writing about...
Turn 7 at the newly opened New Jersey Motorsports Park Lightning course is as pivotal as it is exciting. It is entered flat in top gear from under the paddock access overpass, and to get it wrong is an absolute defeat to even the best of laps. One of the...
Of all the race tracks that I have driven and raced on in North America, Road America is up there...
Racer or wannabe, everyone knows Watkins Glen’s full course is one of the world’s truly elite tracks. Besides its storied...
I’ve always liked Blackhawk Farms Raceway, a track not everybody knows about. It’s in Illinois, right on the border with Wisconsin, just outside a town called South Beloit. Blackhawk is not a high-speed track in the manner of Road America, but it’s very technical, with complex corners that really make...