Who's familiar with Watkins Glen?

http://redlinerennsport.homestead.com/TheGLEN1.html
http://www.homestead.com/cnypca/Turns14.html

 

I have driven the Glen and have been going there since 1976; it's one of the most beautiful courses in the world! What would you like to know?

 

Sorry - I didn't read your whole post. It's a lot tighter than you might think. The drop-off at the end of the front straightaway is quite deceiving. Rocket through the esses; which are tight but can be taken very fast. The back straight is not too long now that the chicane has been added; the old straight was awesome; Exit the turn and you have a nice long straight leading up to the final two corners; (unless you are on the long course which has some amazing elevation changes); Turn 1 is great for overtaking, and flows nicely into the final turn before the front straightaway.
A very enjoyable track.
The IRL cars are running the full track next year - I'm curious to see how their times compare to the last F1 race there in 1980...............
KS
Orchard Park, NY

 

Correction, that should say Turn 10 is great for overtaking; although turn 1 isn't so bad either!

 

Matt,
The turns are not 6 degrees banked.
Turn 1 is very deceiving. It's downhill and offcamber. If you do go off the outside on the exit just feather the throttle and keep the steering wheel straight.
The esses are almost flatout. Pretty straightforward. But don't lose concentration. Pay attention.
The chicane is an exercise in late braking. If you blow it---just go straight and rejoin the track after the chicane. The chicane itself is taken pretty fast. If your on the perfect line and not attempting a pass it can be taken without a gear change down.
Then comes a long, mildly downhill righthander. Late apex and squeeze on the gas.
Downhill into the boot. Straightforward left hand turn. Depending upon gearing and how well you took the turn you either stay in third or change up for an instant.
Next turn is a slow, uphill righthander. When you think your taking a late apex---wait a little longer---and then turn in. There are two drainage pipes running under the track at the turn in. Turn in at the second. Have fath that the uphill will compress the suspension and save your butt. Work up to it. The entry is slow but the exit is very quick. High HP cars have an advantage going up the hill.
Brake for a straight foward righthander. Uphill again. Some will wind out the gear they're in, Others will grab the next higher gear for a brief instant. Remember,however, Shifting vtakes time and upsets the balance of the car. Try it both ways . Moderately late apex. Rim-ride the last third of the curbing and then nail it. Be careful on the exit. You can go nice and wide but a short distance down this straight the right side guardrail moves closer to the track.
At the end of this straight is a WIDE left hand turn. Some cars can take it flat in fourth. Lots of exit room.
Then hustle on over to the left side of the track to line up for the right hand turn leading onto the pit straight. You brake less than you think you should and take an earlier apex than seems prudent. Work up to it. On the exit----your left tires should be up on the outside curb.
Then do it all again. There, that was easy. Wasn't it ?

Feel free to e-mail me if you'd like. Good luck !

 

Yeah, but you learned a lot------didn't you?
When I took the three day Skip Barber School at Lime Rock in '81 it rained like hell one of the days. I asked the chief instructor, Bruce McGuinnes (sp?) if school was cancelled. An evil grin appeared on his face and he said...."No, it's not cancelled. If you make it through, you will learn more than a week on a dry track." He was right.
Guess that's why i've always been a mudder.
Have fun.

 

I too was faced with a race weekend at The Glen. Having not driven that track before I did a Skip Barber two-day advanced school there. Very beneficial. Barber offers several sessions at The Glen and you might be able to fit one in on short notice, very wothwhile! BTW Bruce is still head instructor. Marc Peters aka MHP is still there as well, excellent instructor.

Hammer down thru "the Bus Stop"!

 

Matt,
How did it go ?

 

I will be at the Glen this coming weekend. Here are some maps.
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Michele,
Good luck and have fun.


p.s. Watch out for Turn 1. It can bite you.

 

Thank you Tom! I appreciate you taking time and giving me advice the other day. I'll take it easy into turn one so I don't carry to much speed into it I'll see you soon! Keep the 24th open

Sorry to read that you couldn't attend your event.

I have the Orange pads, 18" wheel & tires and hard top on. All I have to do is check my fluids, wrap the car and load it on the trailer. Then I will be on my way, I can't wait!

 

I drove the Glen for many years, but haven't been there for about 5 years so there may have been some changes. Based on my experience, I agree with Tom's assessment but would add a couple comments. These apply to the long course which includes the area known as the boot.

The preponderance of crashes that I have seen at the Glen occur at the high-speed left hander before the turn onto the front straight.

Don't blow the apex there, and leave yourself a little room at the trackout. The worst incidents I have seen happened when somone blew the corner, ran out of track on the right and tried to save it. A few years ago the track added a gravel trap which minimizes the chance of damage if you go off.

On the off-camber left hander leading to that corner, I go a little deep and rotate the car before using a slightly late apex. You can get through this one quickly but will be pretty close to the armco at trackout.

Turn one requires a very precise turn-in. You'll have to find the right spot for your car. I try to just brush the curb at trackout.

At the bottom of the hill before the esses, there is a service road that enters the track from the left. I can get the car just a tiny bit onto that spot of pavement to give me a slightly wider entry into the right hander which I late apex slightly. I'm talking a couple inches at the most. Be alert coming out of the esses. The pavement widens at the trackout but pinches back in and you have to be ready to move right to stay out of the grass.

After the chicane (or bus stop as it is called) there is a dandy right hand sweeper and downhill left hander known as the laces of the boot. I like this area with a low-horsepower car because you can really fly down the hill, then late apex the left hand sweeper at the bottom. I once had the right front tire valve stem blow out on a 944 turbo just as I entered that corner. I figured I was into the wall for sure but somehow managed to get it parked an inch or two from the steel.

The Glen is a beautiful high-speed track. BTW, if you can hook up with a good car club you will likely get excellent instruction using your own car, at a fraction of the cost of the driving schools.

Some of the Porsche clubs in the northeast allow other marques to run with them, and the private car clubs are generally open to all makes.

 

Just got back... I'm shot. Couldn't wait to post, I will post more on my experience after some much needed sleep

Hot on my tail.....


Going for the SWEET SPOT!


My baby Stud, ready for the track!

 

Morrie and Tom, thank you for your help It all made sense once I was out there
After much sleep, and cleaning up my car, more pictures and my experience can be found here. Enjoy!

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=180170#post180170

 

that was actually turn 11 in the good ole days! in a barber test day, the short course will be used so the whole boot will be missed...too bad as the boot as wolfgang has mentioned is fantastic and a challenge!! have fun as there are few tracks that are a memorable as the glen. i still think of poor cevert as i run thru the esses.

 

You're welcome, Michele. Glad you had a good time and don't worry.....next time it will be easier and you WILL get faster. Watkins Glen is a track that keeps re-playing laps in your head, even in your sleep. Talk to you soon.

 

I am a bit late to this post but if you need to see some in car take a look at my 355 Challenge in car video which can be downloaded at: http://www.flatoutracing.net/videos/355_chal.asp

Watkins Glen is a track that I feel takes a long time to get right. Unlike some other tracks there are corners that can be taken with different lines in different cars.

For example the "laces" and "toe" of the boot take a lot of experimentation.

The Glen is my favorite track in the World (or until I race the Ring or Laguna).

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

It seems that I will have to wait until 2005 to hit the Glen again I'm not going to make it......

 

Why not come back to the Glen for Halloween weekend - Sat/Sun, Oct 30-31, with TracQuest (www.tracquest.com)? We'll be CLOSING the Glen for the season. Great folks, adult attitude, very good food, and MORE TRACK TIME THAN YOU CAN HANDLE, promised.

I'll be instructing that weekend, along with a bunch of friends, and I think we can promise a ride in a F355 Challenge or two....

vty,

--Dennis

 

Watch it Dennis. Ferrari Babe is amember of theTri-State group. She doesn't need to hang around with New England trailer trash. Right Michele ?