Your favorite Turn on a North American race track and why!

I've always liked the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Very unique turn, nothing else like it.

 

I would have normally said turn 9 at Riverside, but Riverside is no more. So, I'll have to go with turn 6 at Watkins Glen.

 

corkscrew at laguna seca. i don't think there's anything like it anywhere. a fast run up the hill to a blind right hander a quick set up and brake for the wicked left drop off then through and out. breathtaking.

 

There is a part on Phillip Island in Australia is pretty close to the one at Laguna Seca, but LS is in my top 5 for sure.

 

Road America is the first one that comes to mind - Canada Corner - sharp right hander requiring massive braking - it's an awesome place to watch qualifying. I like Road America because it reminds me much of Spa.

Carol

 

I think its called Madness (Michael??) at Mid Ohio. Sooner or later, everybody screws up here. But from a spectator/photog point of view, 1st turn Spa, or 1st turn Monaco

 

Totally agree!

 

Mosport turn 2...off camber downhill left where the car goes light at the crest and then hunkers down and grips at the bottom. Used to be there was a frost heave on the left side of the track that would kick a formula car slightly sideways and into a perfect attitude for the downhill slide. Do it right and you are lined up perfectly for turn 3. Fast, scary with extreme gains if done correctly and strong consequences if done wrong. I've done it both ways...

 

I don't have the experience that most of you do. However, I have been fortunate enough that most of my limited experience has been of Laguna Seca.

But, I must admit I don't understand the props for the corkscrew. To me it is fairly straight forward: Clear the hill, brake like a sonofafemaledog, slide around the apex, stick to the right and go.

Turn 9 is another story. Come on, just how lucky do you feel? The story is: touch brakes to give some grip to the front, make one turn of the wheel, and then floor it.

Turn in too early and you end up in the gravel on the track out. Moreover, you end up in the gravel going really, really fast. This is one turn where you never want to lift. The Skippy instructors were quick to point out all the tire snakes spinning off to the left -- into the wall -- backwards.

Turn in too late or hesitate on the gas, you get passed by somebody who didn't.

There is a reason that T9 is called Rainey's corner.

Of course, after T9 there is T10. If you nail T9, you're gonna get really big eyeballs at T10.

But there's more, nail T9 and T10, then you have T11 looking you in the face.

Remember: The shinny side is supposed to go up and the rubber side is supposed to stay down.

Dale

 

You beat me to it.

Though, I'd phrase it along the lines of "do it wrong and you may die".

 

I sort of like the last turn at Road Atlanta.

Speaking from a racing driver perspective, there is nothing like coming up the hill and passing under the banner with nothing more than faith of where the road goes. Then you crest the hill and as the car drops below you, you get that rollercoaster feeling in your gut. You see the sharp bend in front of you and you keep your foot on the gas despite every instinct you have telling you that you are going WAY TOO FAST to make the turn. The crash barriers approach as you come to the bottom of the hill, picking up more and more speed.

Just as you start to turn in (and at this point, if you've kept your foot in it - you have no doubt that you are about to experience a fiery death momentarily), the road flattens out. The suspension compresses with the downward movement of the car and you get the gift of grip from the heavens. Because you've just transitioned from descent to level, you have much more grip than normal, and provided you have the cojones to keep your foot down and not unsettle the rear, you juuuust make it though the turn, tracking out to within inches of the wall while your tires squeal and the car fights understeer and oversteer to barely stay on track.

No matter how many times you do it, it scares the shiat out of you every single time.

The only ones who aren't terrified are the ones who *say* they were on the gas coming down the hill, but really weren't

 

The carousel (turn 6) at infineon (sears point raceway). Blind uphill entry into a downhill left turn with a crown in the road of which you better be on the left side of when entering, very fast. I took a course there and when I finally took that turn at speed I just couldn't get enough of it, quite a thrill. At the exit you are just plastered to the right side of the seat.

 

Turn 5-6-7-8. I know they call it Madness on TV but to most of the locals I know we always called it the Esses.

 

I don't know where to start...

It's like having mistresses in every state, sometimes two...

 

I really like the exit of 8 through to the exit of 9.

 

Thanks Michael. That area is one of the best spectator areas at any track anywhere.

 

It has been called Madness forever and it is more than one turn it is a scetion of track, like the Keyhole and Thunder Valley. Attched is a photo Mid Ohio in the early 60's just after it was built.

No Thunder Valley, but Oak Tree Bend...you would have had to have B*LLS to take that turn. Probably why it only lasted a few years.
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Interesting. I've never seen Oak Tree bend. And I know, even Jim Trueman referred to the esses as madness. Just saying, today people don't know it as that. I started going in 82, and have had a season ticket since 89.

 

Get that hump wrong on a bike and you are in trouble. Ask me how I know.

 

I agree. From a drivers point of view, the cork screw at Laguna does nothing for me in terms of fun or passing. It's pretty straight forward.

 

The turn into the carpark of the Seneca Lodge was my favourite at the Glen Work over, party begins....

 

It was an even more suck it up corner before the chicane was installed at the bottom of the straight previous to this corner. You really had to be right to take that corner at 10/10ths. Good thing there is plenty of runoff there (and the pit lane entrance) for when you over cook that corner.

 

They were asking drivers at Petite last year about turn 7. Most thought it was the most extreme corner they see all year.

What happened to make them put the chicanes in before turn 7. Was someone killed there?

 

Michael, Turn 7 is the slowest corner on Road Atlanta leading onto the back straight and is located before the chicane.

The chicane, no longer used, was installed in 1991 to "spice up" the RunOffs and is located drivers left at the crest of the hill where the Porsche GT1 "blew over" (and the Can-Am car thirty-five plus years ago).

I knew folks who've died at the bottom of the Esses at Road Atlanta drivers left and after going under the bridge at Road Atlanta, pre 10A-10B.

I think 10A-10B is what you're thinking of. They are "extreme corners." That's why there are ton of natural and man-made bleachers there. So the gawkers can watch...