Favorite Track For Coaching Or Training

[khp]

So, not many students or at least non-coaches has chipped into Cobie's thread, so let's try it this way.

 

Which track is your favourite track for coaching/honing you skills? - and why?

And which one do you like the best, overall - and why?

 

I've been to two tracks with CSS so far: Gelleråsen in Sweden and Silverstone South (before they changed the track).

I found Silverstone South to be quite open and of a "gas it" track rather than technical, whereas Gelleråsen is the opposite: lots of turns leading from one to the other, with much less straights.

 

Of the other tracks I've visited, I probably like Ring Knutstorp the best - lots of elevation changes and different types of turn ... and, hey, it' damn close to my home Some call it "The Nurburgring of Sweden", and I can relate to that. Speaking of the Nordschliefe, it's awesome and fearsomely dangerous. I don't consider it to be a real track, although I find it fascinating - officially it's a one-way, toll-collect, no-speed-limit highway.

 

Speak up!

 

Kai

[dmj120]

Yeah, I thought Cobie's thread was geared for coaches.

 

I've only done CSS level 1, which was at Streets of Willow. The only part I didn't like was at T3 during the first no-brake drill... until my coach, Josh, helped me work through it. It's a pretty good technical track to learn/review skills, but for a first-timer, the bumps can be a little distracting [from what you're supposed to concentrating].

 

 

I think Pahrump would be a good spot for a school, some sweeping, some tighter stuff - especially after coming down the back straight, wanna quick-flick to get on the front straight... damn. Of course, if I could get to Laguna.... well, I'd probly have ta bring several clean draws I remember walking across that thing, after a MotoGP race, and feeling a little tingle

[Jasonzilla]

I remember someone telling me that Laguna isn't optimal for schooling because it doesn't have as many turns. Can't remember who told me that. As much as I'm not a fan of Chuckwalla in California (the owner and staff that control the track are a**h****, and it's poorly run [except for the presence of Ti2TT people]), it has so many turns that it would be pretty good for the school. Exaggerations of both off camber and positive camber ( the bank is awesome), increase and decrease radius turns, elevation changes, long corners to work on where an early mid, and late apex puts you on the track, and long sweeping corners to work on, and adjust BP. You name it. I did levels 1 and 2 at the Vegas infield and thought it was pretty good for the school.

[dmj120]

 

As much as I'm not a fan of Chuckwalla in California (the owner and staff that control the track are a**h****, and it's poorly run [except for the presence of Ti2TT people]), it has so many turns that it would be pretty good for the school. Exaggerations of both off camber and positive camber ( the bank is awesome), increase and decrease radius turns, elevation changes, long corners to work on where an early mid, and late apex puts you on the track, and long sweeping corners to work on, and adjust BP. You name it. I did levels 1 and 2 at the Vegas infield and thought it was pretty good for the school.

 

Never been to either tracks, nor have I run the 'Chuckwalla guys' - but the no session trackday does have its own appeal. I googled the Motecello track http://monticellomotorclub.com/track/track-map/ which looks like a really good track for a school.

[Kevin Kane]

So, not many students or at least non-coaches has chipped into Cobie's thread, so let's try it this way.

 

Which track is your favourite track for coaching/honing you skills? - and why?

And which one do you like the best, overall - and why?

 

I've been to two tracks with CSS so far: Gelleråsen in Sweden and Silverstone South (before they changed the track).

I found Silverstone South to be quite open and of a "gas it" track rather than technical, whereas Gelleråsen is the opposite: lots of turns leading from one to the other, with much less straights.

 

Of the other tracks I've visited, I probably like Ring Knutstorp the best - lots of elevation changes and different types of turn ... and, hey, it' damn close to my home Some call it "The Nurburgring of Sweden", and I can relate to that. Speaking of the Nordschliefe, it's awesome and fearsomely dangerous. I don't consider it to be a real track, although I find it fascinating - officially it's a one-way, toll-collect, no-speed-limit highway.

 

Speak up!

 

Kai

Kai;

I have been fortunate enought to have ridden about a dozen different tracks and picking one would be hard because they are all so different. Some are fast and flowing like Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, Thunderbolt and Lightning (both at New Jersey Motorsports Park) or Mosport (Canada) or Watkins Glen where you can really fly around and have a ball (although 6 gear straights tend to make me want to check to see if my relationship with God is all that it should be) while others are quite technical; tracks like the Streets of Willow Springs, Pocono, Loudon or Shannonville (Canada) requiring a lot of work to get around quickly. Then there are tracks that have a some of both like Sears Point (Infineon), VIR, Nelson Ledges or Beaverun.

 

If needed I could put them all in a sequence of preferences but the reality is some days I prefer to fly and some days I prefer to "practice"; it's like I posted to another thread - it's all good!

 

Rain

[Hotfoot]

Barber, for me! I like the long sweeping turns and the fast smooth flow of it, and the scenery is gorgeous. When you compare it to, say... Chuckwalla... you really start to appreciate the facility, the trees, the sculptures, the museum, the paved roads...

 

Looking forward to trying VIR.

[stuman]

I like The Streets of Willow for coaching. It has a ton of different corners and you get to practice a lot of different skills. The only think missing is a real high speed change in direction, turn one doesn't really count

 

Vegas infield is a good track for the school too. It is a small track so you get to see each corner a bunch of times in a session and get a lot of practice. It has a good variety of corners as well.

[Cobie Fair]

Good thread KHP!

 

Like to hear more of what guys think on this, so chime in.

 

The tracks that have a turn and then straight, turn and then straight are in some ways easier, they are a bit simpler (like Laguna) for the newer and medium speed riders. This can be good and very easy to see exactly what the skills are doing, a turn at a time. But also Laguna has a few things that grab guys attention, the Corkscrew, Turn 2 and Turn 11.

 

As one gets more skilled and faster, the tracks that have series of turns get very challenging.

 

CF

[99VFR]

Only having ridden 2 tracks, Streets of Willow and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, i'd have to say I would prefer Streets for training, as fun as Fontana is quite frankly anyone can crank open the throttle on a straightaway although I don't know how much fun the no brakes drill would be coming off the straight at 140+ into the chicane would be

 

Fontana is great as it's smooth and Streets is well not so smooth and oftentimes appears to be dusty (damn those bumps in turn 5!)

 

I think I would rather be fast on a slower more technical track.. Before I lost it in turn 5 I was lapping just under the 1:40 mark, quite fun.. I am going for Cobies job although I may need to shave 1-2 more seconds off my laps

 

Level 4 still to come!

[1rabbit2]

My favorite track for coaching is Eastern Creek, Sydney, I also love to ride it. The track has lots of varying turns and elevation changes. Having two places to pull off track to catch students makes it easier for time management.

 

Second place for both coaching & first place for personal riding is Hampton Downs, New Zealand. This is a new track with heaps of grip and some great corners, turn one is a blind decending right hander at the end of the main straight, turn two and three are a right/left combination with the turn point for three just before the crest of a rise with an off camber exit. Four is a tight right and five a decreasing radius down hill left hander, six is the longest sweeping right I have entountered bringing you back onto the main straight. The straight rises up towards pit exit with a slight right hand kink at the top of the rise. To top it off there is a kicker at the top of the rise just to make things interesting. This makes up the national curcuit with the international circuit to be completed in around 18 months. A lap is around a minute & a bit so by days end your legs are talking to you. If anybody is keen for a trip to the South Pacific make sure you check out the New Zealand School website and come pay us a visit.

[jasonbw]

To top it off there is a kicker at the top of the rise just to make things interesting.

 

Ash, interesting isn't the word mate... when on a certain line your main straightaways 'kicker' gets both front and rear airborne while still leaned over when travelling flat in 5th with a solid concrete wall a few feet to the outside... lap after lap after lap!

 

I'd suggest something stronger than 'interesting'!!! I can't wait till September buddy, seeya there!

 

P.s. Should pop this post into the coaches thread here

[Cobie Fair]

Only having ridden 2 tracks, Streets of Willow and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, i'd have to say I would prefer Streets for training, as fun as Fontana is quite frankly anyone can crank open the throttle on a straightaway although I don't know how much fun the no brakes drill would be coming off the straight at 140+ into the chicane would be

 

Fontana is great as it's smooth and Streets is well not so smooth and oftentimes appears to be dusty (damn those bumps in turn 5!)

 

I think I would rather be fast on a slower more technical track.. Before I lost it in turn 5 I was lapping just under the 1:40 mark, quite fun.. I am going for Cobies job although I may need to shave 1-2 more seconds off my laps

 

Level 4 still to come!

 

Doing a 1:40 on that VFR, not bad!