Turn by turn guide to the Carolina Motorsports Park trackFrom TrackpediaIf you know this track then please try to start this guide. Once, someone starts then other readers should refine it to make the descriptions better. But, someone has to be first. Just click the edit button on the top of the page or the right and go.
Track Map
As of February 2008, CMP has made some significant changes to the track layout, most notably the reconfiguration of turns 12 and 13, and the addition of 16 feet of asphalt to the INSIDE of turn 14. As of this writing, they've also re-paved worn-out sections of all the high-G turns (basically all except turn 2, 9, and 10. Future plans include re-paving the entire track and possibly adding another new complex of turns (think Watkins Glen boot) Stack 13:08, 11 March 2008 (PDT) Turn 1Approach in top gear, brake at the 2 marker (novice drivers may not feel comfortable braking much after the start/finish line, depending on car), turn in just before the access road (the smaller one, not the West cutoff) and carry the brakes to the apex, 2nd gear in our car. Complex description: Turns 1-3 should be considered a complex of turns, not three individual turns. This is a classic example (thanks to Alan Wilson) of how to put together multiple turns. If you're qualifying, time trialing or lapping (i.e. not having to protect your position) then your set up for turn 1 is critical. It should be a late enough apex that you can be back on the power and set up in such a way as to not lift through turn 2, but STILL carry a late apex there. This will keep your speed and momentum up going into turn 3 without having to be rushed to make a huge adjustment from left to right to get the car settled. This will facilitate another later apex for turn 3 allowing you to maximize your exit speed, thus maximizing your straightaway speed down the short straight heading for turn 4 and the entrance to the infamous carousel. Stack Turn in roughly one car length before the access road that is after the final brake marker (not the short course cut-off). This should be a slow, smooth turn-in; if you are too quick, you will end up on top of the apex curb. You want to clip the apex, but try not to get on top of the curb. Track out in the center of the road (and center of the new pavement). -Michael Skeen Turn 2Hard acceleration out of 1, touch the curb at 2, and get set-up for Turn 3. After some more time here recently, here are a couple more observations about turn 2: Do NOT use the curbing when the track is wet. This is pretty standard info, but it's especially true here. The curbing is steep enough that it will kick the car out of sorts and will cause a spin. Stack Turn 2 will be flat in many cars, but the high horsepower stuff will require a brief breathe on the throttle to control wheelspin. Of the first three corners, this is the biggest sacrifice. Make sure that you do not track out more than halfway because it is crucial that you are completely track right before turning in for T3. -Michael Skeen Turn 3Earlier turn-in than you would think. The key here is exit speed. Give up a little bit going in to maximize exit speed, 4th gear (3rd gear in many cars). If you start to lose the car here, give up early and go both feet in. There are walls on both sides of the track a little ways after the track out and it's not uncommon to see drivers bang up cars here.Stack The Turn-in is dependent on whether you want to use the apex curb. Lower-powered cars usually don't have a problem with it, but you will have to decide if your suspension is compliant enough. If you do use it, use all of it. The turn-in is at the seam in the pavement that runs the width of the track perpendicular to travel. If you are going around the curb, you might turn 3-5 feet later. The later you turn, the sharper the arc through the corner will be, and the more you will have to slow down. Look way ahead through the corner, open the wheel to track out as early as you can, and get on the power as quickly as you can after the bumps at the apex. -Michael Skeen Turn 4Much faster than you think! Downshift from 5th to 4th (or 4th to 3rd), turn in approximately 10’ past the 1 marker and hit the left-handed side curbing carrying lots of speed. I usually recommend not downshifting into T4 in order to maximize speed through the sector. T4 is much faster than it looks and the brake zone is not very long. Turn in at the 1 marker, use the apex curbing, and track out in the center of the road, aiming at the middle of the new pavement patch in T5. -Michael Skeen Turn 5Use inside curbing, in 2nd gear, let the car carry out to the rumble strips, and initiate turn-in for 6 at the end of the outside rumble strips. I am fully accelerating as I exit 5 through 6 and 7, because we are entering the second longest straightaway down to 8. Starting from middle-left of the new pavement patch, turn-in and use part of the apex curbing. As you come off the curb, your right tires should pick up the seam in the pavement dividing the new and old pavement and the car should track out to the exit curbing. This is all one motion with the steering wheel. -Michael Skeen Turn 6I think you just have to find the right line that your car works best at with the whole focus of carrying speed. Coming out of T5, you will exit at the left side curbing, briefly straighten the wheel and turn in for 6 while you are on the power. You will again use the new pavement patch as a reference. You want your right tires on the seam when you get to the square sealer patch in the middle of six. At this point you will breathe on the throttle to rotate the car towards the apex curbing at 7 and slowly open the throttle. The goal is to do one lift and start your straight as early as possible, rather than getting on-and-off the power multiple times. -Michael Skeen Turn 7I generally had to use 4-6” of the exit rumble strip to carry maximum speed. At this point you should be opening up the throttle as long as you make it all the way down to the apex curbing--right beside it, not on top. Open the wheel as early as you can to unbind the car and track out just before the end of the curbing. Use all the road! -Michael Skeen Turn 8Most important turn on the course. It links the two longest straight-aways. Brake at the 1½ marker, do not over-brake the car, turn in approximately 10-12’ past the 1 marker, get 75% of the turn done in the first 25%, and should be a full acceleration by apex. This turn is banked and you can carry more speed than you might imagine. I am in 4th gear, again using the outside rumble strip to carry maximum exit speed. Essential to carry speed to the corner, short transition, and maximum exit speed. Remember do not over-drive into the corner and kill exit momentum! I've yet to see a car that will truly go past the 2 marker, but it is obviously important to compress this brake zone as much as you can in your car. There is very little trailbraking involved in this corner--get it done in a straight line. There is a small blue dot on the pavement to use as a turn-in reference about halfway between the 1 and the end of the armco. After you turn, your left side tires will be ~2-3 feet inside the seam between the new and old pavement. There is a compression before the apex that will give you lots of grip. Touch the apex, but don't use the curb. Unwind the wheel as early as possible and use all the road! -Michael Skeen Turn 9 and Turn 10T9 is nothing really. T10 can be interesting. E30 BMWs and Miatas will likely be flat; faster cars will need to lift/brush the brakes. As you approach the kink, look at the left edge of the pavement and notice the two wavy sections in the line; your turn-in is the second. This also corresponds with the end of the "pavers" in the grass, but they are sometimes grown over. Find out how your car handles the bump at the apex; some cars like avoiding it, but I use every bit of it in most cars. Be sure to track out smoothly all the way to the exit curb. Any extra steering input can cause a spin, so straighten out the car as much as possible. -Michael Skeen Turn 11Brake past the 2 marker (many cars can't go past the 3), key is late turn-in, apex at the second inside curb, there is quite a bit of grip here, be smooth but progressive throttle. I exit in 2nd gear, upshift to 3rd and back down to 2nd as I approach Turn 12. Late turn-in is common, but turning in a little earlier will allow you to carry more speed through the corner. When you turn in, you are looking to place your right side tires on the corner of the new pavement that is a few feet in from the edge of the track. Again, do not use the curbing, but get right up next to it through the center half of the corner. Your left tires will follow the new/old pavement seam off the curbing and you will track out within a car width of the grass. -Michael Skeen With the new pavement, and re-configure of the track, the straight between 11 & 12 is slightly longer, so you can now afford to carry a little more speed into the turn since you'll have time to track out and recover for the entrance to turn 12. There is now more grip available around the apex because of the new asphalt there. Turn 12Original layout: A bit tricky. Another late turn-in, I try to touch the inside curb without upsetting the car because it is a tightening radius. Get the car rotated before the apex. I use the exit rumble strips but not so much to upset the car. 2nd gear, hard acceleration to 13. New Layout: Not nearly as tricky as before, but much more important. I won't go into detail, since every car is different... but the essence is this: Late turn in, but not super late... trying to get the car turned in and pointing towards the center of the new gators. They are flat and usable, just don't hit the pylons on the inside of them. The goal would be to be back on the power thru the apex, as full as the car/tires can handle. As the car tries to drift out, you'll need to VERY slowly open the wheel to maintain traction on the front. If you open too fast, you'll move outside too quickly and have to re-adjust to not run out of track after you cross back over the old section. If you hold it, the car should naturally drift back in towards the inside of the new turn 13, and should have been able to maintain maximum throttle, and probably an upshift as you transition back onto the short chute before turn 14. Stack There is not a great visual cue for the turn-in to 12, but based on your placement later in the corner, you will be able to hone-in on the best spot after a few laps. You want to use all of the apex curbing right in the center of 12, track out within a car width of the exit curbing, and within a car width of the "old 13 crossover." If you are not tracking out this far, you turned in too late. If you run out of room at track out, you turned in too early. Patient is key with this corner. Use a little bit of trail braking and smoothly add power as you get to the apex. If you are too quick on the throttle you will have to lift later and that will shorten your straight. -Michael Skeen Turn 13Original Layout: Quicker than it looks, opening radius at the exit. I brake hard, rotate the car, and fully accelerate before reaching the apex. Use the rumble strips if necessary at the exit. New Layout: See turn 12... the new turn 13 should really be a non-turn. How you take turn 12 will determine whether or not you'll even notice turn 13. If you're too early for turn 12, or if you push out too far, then you'll need to make a distinct turn-in for turn 13 to transition back onto the old chute before turn 14. If you get turn 12 right, turn 13 will essentially be an increasing radius "parabolica" extension of turn 12. Stack Turn 14Original Layout: Critical corner! Leads to front straightaway. Very late turn-in. I brake past the 2 marker focusing on slowing the car to its lowest point just before initial turn-in so I am carrying maximum exit speed. I found myself sometimes turning in a few feet too early. This is a very late turn-in! New Layout: Yes... Turn 14 IS new. They pulled the apex curbing back 16 FEET! If someone tells you it didn't make a difference, they haven't figured the turn out. The extra 16' affects the turn in a couple ways (IMO)... 1) turn-in isn't quite so late and 2) you don't have to slow quite as much. It is STILL a 116 degree turn, and should be treated as such, but it's now a 5mph faster 116 degree turn. Main hindrance in getting the new line right, is that none of the visual cues in the braking zone or turn-in have changed, so most people still brake and turn in at the same spot... missing the apex by about... you guessed it... 16 feet! I found I could brake a little later, not slow as much, use a little more trail-braking, and be back on the gas sooner than before. And even after all that, still miss the alignment-ruining scalloped gators at track out. Stack 13:17, 11 March 2008 (PDT) At turn-in, you want to put your left tires on the corner of the new pavement patch (a few feet in from the edge of the track). Apex at the point in the apex curb. By this point, you should be picking up the throttle and straightening the wheel, put your left tires on the corner of the new pavement, and use all the track out (more than a couple inches of curb and it will get very bumpy). -Michael Skeen |
