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...
I’ve been asked to write a description of how to drive through a corner. Not any corner, a corner of my choice. Wow! There are so many to choose from. I could write about the corkscrew at Laguna Seca, Turn Two at Sears Point; the Festival turns at Portland, Turn...
Ah, Road America. Four miles of medium- and high-speed corners nestled in the woods of Wisconsin. The type of racetrack...
Turn 17 at Sebring, which ends the back straight—and “begins” the front straight—could actually be called the “World’s Biggest Hairpin.”...
When I was asked to write about a corner or series of corners, Road Atlanta instantly came to mind. I live close to the famed red clay-carpeted facility; in fact, the first race I ever saw—I was four, and, yes, I remember it—was at Road Atlanta. I’d like to talk...
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...
On the northern side of Bowmanville, Ontario, lies a track steeped in automobile racing heritage. Mosport International Raceway is a daunting and fast rollercoaster ride of a race track. Although the name “Mosport” comes from the conjunction of ‘‘motor’’ and ‘‘sport,’’ it’s often mispronounced ‘‘Mossport.’’ The track is 2.459-miles long (measured middle...
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...
Lime Rock Park’s Big Bend really is a big bend and represents a significant chunk of the total lap time at Lime Rock. Because of its unique shape—and length—no other corner at Northwest Connecticut’s famous circuit offers so much potential for improving lap times as does Big Bend. While it’s...
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...
While every turn has technical challenges, there are very few corners anywhere that require equal measures of skill, perfection and testicular fortitude as the “Downhill” at Lime Rock Park. A major misconception about the Downhill is that it’s, well, downhill. The fact is, while the approach is steeply downhill, the...
Turn One of Daytona’s Rolex 24 road course configuration is fast and hairy, because you’ve just spent a whole bunch...
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...
When asked to describe one of my favorite sections of racetracks in Australia, very quickly I thought of Winton Motor...
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 state of the art—for 1963—layout and paving (all the shell and coral is exposed as the tar has long since been bleached away) makes for an interesting combo of high...
If anyone is looking for another “favorite track,” I would suggest you strap your car on a trailer and take...
On paper, Lime Rock Park seems to be an easy track to learn. There are only seven corners and 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...
Somewhere, just west of nowhere, sits one of Max Balchowsky’s masterpieces. Although it has been over a decade since Reagan...
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 the more important corners at this world-famous track. As you’ll remember from “Racecar Driving 101,” good lap times are based on straightaway speeds. Straightaway speeds are based on corner exit...
