Racer's turn by turn guide to Watkins Glen trackFrom Trackpedia
Track Map
Turn 1Dry: Braking with a 7-8 (out of 10) pedal, get the nose of the car down and settled, ready for controlled brake release. Use the brake release to rotate the car, but be careful of snapping off the brake pedal and causing too much rotation. As soon as you're done with the braking, get over to the throttle immediately to maintain the car's balance through the corner. Keep feeding throttle throught the corner, trying to get back to full throttle at or just past the apex at the center of the corner. Track out to the rumble strip and set up for The Esses.
Turn 2Dry: Keep a smooth entry from driver's left, using the corner's upward slope and positive camber to hold the car. Stay driver's right against the inside curbing until you get to the top of the hill, at which point you transfer to the left for Turn 3. Some cars will do Turn 2 flat, others will require a slight breathe of the throttle on entry. Turn 3Dry: Stay driver's left, full throttle. Track out and stay driver's right against the curbing for Turn 4. http://www.curvepictures.com/gallery/albums/summertime/normal_2dang93_R1_037_17.jpg Turn 4Dry: Stay driver's right and full throttle against the curbing from the transition from Turn 3. At mid-corner, being to free the car by tracking out to driver's left. There is an extra bit of pavement at the exit of Turn 4 as you come onto the back straight: use as much of this as possible...the more you use, the less you're binding up the car, which ultimately results in greater speed down the back straight. Turn 4 should be taken with light hands on the wheel...no forced movements...just let the car be free through the turn to carry the most speed possible. Turn 5ADry: Stay driver's left...the distance at which you begin braking will depend on the capabilities of your car. Use a 7-8 (out of 10) pedal under braking, starting the braking in a straight line to get the car settled on its nose. Then trail some of this brake into the initial right hander of the chicane. Try to get back to throttle just after the initial right hander after the inside curbing. Try to use some of the inside curbing through the corner, but be careful not to go too far inside where the curbing is too high. If you are able to get back to full throttle in the chicane, then that means you didn't carry enough speed into the corner. If you carried enough speed, you should only be able to get back to 1/4 throttle after the initial right hander. Carry a constant throttle level through the chicane after braking...you can keep the car close to the second part of the chicane, the left hander, but this part is more of a transition to get the car setup for the exit of the chicane and you do not actually turn left. Try to make the box shaped chicane into as much of an arc as possible, rounding out the corner. Keep a constant throttle throughout, and power out of the chicane full throttle and into Turn 5. After you have exited the chicane, get the car over to driver's left for the setup of Turn 5.
Turn 5Dry: Stay driver's left, full throttle from the exit of the chicane, and try to carry as much full throttle into the corner as possible. Keep full throttle while you are turning into Turn 5, and begin to slowly release the throttle when the car begins to understeer. Be careful to not come off the throttle too abruptly, as the car is heavily loaded through this corner, and any sudden releases of throttle will cause excessive rotation. Try to keep some bit of throttle constant through the corner to keep the car balanced, and apex the corner 3/4 of the way. Apex 3/4 of the way at the curbing, and begin to add throttle as you track out to the grass on driver's left. There is also a bit of extra pavement on the exit of this corner that should be used to free up the car as much as possible for your run down into Turn 6. Transition from your exit driver's left to driver's right as you approach Turn 6. Turn 6
Turn 7Turn 8
Turn 9Turn 10
Turn 11
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