In preparation for an upcoming HPDE at Mid-Ohio on April 23rd -- see http://www.s2kca.com/midohio/
I probably enjoy the preparation for an HPDE at a new track as much as the event itself. I’ve never driven Mid-Ohio, so I went looking for a track map. While I found a video on the track’s website -- http://www.midohio.com/sportscarcourse/track/video.asp -- I was unable to find a line diagram. So, I figured I’d start a thread to solicit line advice from those of you who’ve driven it and to share your observations with the rest of the community.
Here’s what I’ve been able to pick up from the video and the track map from the Mid-Ohio site. Some of my observations may simply be wrong, given that the video’s not full screen and the detail is a bit blurry. Your input and corrections are most welcome. Note that I’ve numbered the turns in a way that makes sense to me, but the numbers may not match the “official” numbering scheme, given that the Mid-Ohio map doesn’t not number the corners.
Turn 1 (85 degree left-hander at the end of the front straight): medium speed corner at the crest of a very mild incline. Some positive camber. Hard braking prior to the bridge. Turn-in just as you go under the bridge. Apex 2-3 feet short of the yellow curbing at track left. Roll out of the corner fully track right.
Turn 2 (40 degree right-hander entering the chicane): high speed corner at the end of a short straight. Neutral camber. Little-to-no braking. Turn-in such that you can roll into the corner without losing much speed. Apex two-thirds of the way down the red and white curbing on track right. Steer more or less to the center of the track to position the car for Turn 3.
Turn 3 (70 degree left-hander exiting the chicane): medium speed corner following immediately on Turn 2. Slight positive camber, slightly uphill. Brake hard after settling the car before turning in. Very positive turn-in. Double apex. The first apex is a few feet out from the first section of red and white curbing. The second apex is just past the mid-point of the second section of red and white curbing. Track fully out to track right and almost immediately enter Turn 4.
Turn 4 (180 degree buttonhook to the right): slow corner . Slight negative camber appears to give way to slight positive camber as you go through the corner. Slightly uphill on entry. Slightly downhill on exit. Brake hard after settling the car coming out of Turn 3. Double apex. The first apex lies in the first few feet of the first section of red and white curbing. Hold the wheel and the car will track out slightly to about mid-track and will naturally apex the second section of red and white curbing some 15-20 feet from the end. Track fully out to track left for the long two-part straight. This is an important corner as it precedes a long straight.
Turn 5 (20 degree right-hander separating the straight into two line-segments): very high speed corner taken flat out. No braking. Turn in after the cresting the slight hill in the middle of the straight. Apex roughly in the middle of corner. Track out fully to track left.
Turn 6 (95 degree right-hander at the end of the two-part straight): medium speed corner. Hard braking on entry. Turn-in such that you can apex two-thirds of the way down the red and white curbing. Steer more or less to the center of the track to enter Turn 7. Compromise this corner in order to take a prudent line into Turn 7.
Turn 7 (65 degree blind, uphill left-hander that drops off after the apex): slow and dangerous corner with very little traction on exit. Turn-in such that the outside wheels of the car follow the outside edge of the concrete patch in the middle of the asphalt. Apex well before the crest of the hill. Crest the hill roughly in the middle of the track with the wheels pointing as straight as possible. Avoid tracking too far right on exit and definitely do not lift as the track falls away. The car will get very light on the backside of the hill and lots of cars spin on this portion of the track. Gently get the car back to track left for entry into Turn 8.
Turn 8 (90 degree right-hander): medium speed flat corner with neutral camber at the bottom of the hill coming out of Turn 7. Light braking. Turn-in to keep the car on top of the concrete patch. Apex two-thirds of the way down the red and white curbing on track right. Compromise the line through this corner such that you track out only as far as mid-track to improve the entry into Turn 9.
Turn 9 (45 degree left-hander): fast uphill corner going under the pedestrian bridge with a fully blind exit. Double apex. Turn from mid-track, following the concrete patch, and apex just under the pedestrian bridge at the end of the red and white curbing at track left. Holding the wheel, this line will result in the car apexing a second time right at the crest of the hill in the middle of the red and white curbing at track left. Straighten the wheels on exit, as you head downhill into Turn 10. Lifting before the crest of the hill -- with, perhaps, light braking *well after* settling the car on exit -- is probably all that is required to set the car up for Turn 10.
Turn 10 (45 degree right-hander): medium-to-high speed corner with neutral camber at the bottom of the hill coming out of Turn 9. Roll the car into the corner, apexing a few feet out from mid-point of the red and white curbing at track right. Try not to unsettle the car in the transition as the braking zone into Turn 11 is short. Watch out for the walls coming in on both sides and be wary of this stretch of track as there’s little run-off room.
Turn 11 (90 degree right-hander): medium speed flat corner with neutral camber that drops off after the apex. Turn-in at the end of the yellow curbing at track left. Apex before the mid-point of the red and white curbing at track right. Get most of the turning done before the track falls off. Take care not to apex too early, as there’s virtually no runoff at track left.
Turn 12 (40 degree right-hander): high speed corner, uphill on exit. No braking. Turn in gently and hold the steering input to apex at the very end of the corner fully track right as you head up the hill.
Turn 13 (70 degree left-hander): medium speed corner at the crest of a hill. Turn-in such that you apex roughly in the middle of the red and white curbing on track left. Crest the hill and hold the steering input to wind up track right for the entry into Turn 14.
Turn 14 (180 degree right-hander buttonhook): low speed corner that’s downhill on entry. Follow the inside line of the corner on entry, then track out to about mid-track and follow the line of the concrete patch through the remainder of the corner. Apex two-thirds of the way through the corner to facilitate getting hard on the throttle on exit.
Turn 15 (45 degree left-hander leading onto the front straight): high speed flat corner with positive camber that sits at a dip in the track. An important corner. The key to this corner is the line coming out of Turn 14, which should be compromised to allow a gentle line through Turn 15. Apex in the middle of the red and white curbing at track left. Track fully out to the yellow curbing at track right.
CB
I probably enjoy the preparation for an HPDE at a new track as much as the event itself. I’ve never driven Mid-Ohio, so I went looking for a track map. While I found a video on the track’s website -- http://www.midohio.com/sportscarcourse/track/video.asp -- I was unable to find a line diagram. So, I figured I’d start a thread to solicit line advice from those of you who’ve driven it and to share your observations with the rest of the community.
Here’s what I’ve been able to pick up from the video and the track map from the Mid-Ohio site. Some of my observations may simply be wrong, given that the video’s not full screen and the detail is a bit blurry. Your input and corrections are most welcome. Note that I’ve numbered the turns in a way that makes sense to me, but the numbers may not match the “official” numbering scheme, given that the Mid-Ohio map doesn’t not number the corners.
Turn 1 (85 degree left-hander at the end of the front straight): medium speed corner at the crest of a very mild incline. Some positive camber. Hard braking prior to the bridge. Turn-in just as you go under the bridge. Apex 2-3 feet short of the yellow curbing at track left. Roll out of the corner fully track right.
Turn 2 (40 degree right-hander entering the chicane): high speed corner at the end of a short straight. Neutral camber. Little-to-no braking. Turn-in such that you can roll into the corner without losing much speed. Apex two-thirds of the way down the red and white curbing on track right. Steer more or less to the center of the track to position the car for Turn 3.
Turn 3 (70 degree left-hander exiting the chicane): medium speed corner following immediately on Turn 2. Slight positive camber, slightly uphill. Brake hard after settling the car before turning in. Very positive turn-in. Double apex. The first apex is a few feet out from the first section of red and white curbing. The second apex is just past the mid-point of the second section of red and white curbing. Track fully out to track right and almost immediately enter Turn 4.
Turn 4 (180 degree buttonhook to the right): slow corner . Slight negative camber appears to give way to slight positive camber as you go through the corner. Slightly uphill on entry. Slightly downhill on exit. Brake hard after settling the car coming out of Turn 3. Double apex. The first apex lies in the first few feet of the first section of red and white curbing. Hold the wheel and the car will track out slightly to about mid-track and will naturally apex the second section of red and white curbing some 15-20 feet from the end. Track fully out to track left for the long two-part straight. This is an important corner as it precedes a long straight.
Turn 5 (20 degree right-hander separating the straight into two line-segments): very high speed corner taken flat out. No braking. Turn in after the cresting the slight hill in the middle of the straight. Apex roughly in the middle of corner. Track out fully to track left.
Turn 6 (95 degree right-hander at the end of the two-part straight): medium speed corner. Hard braking on entry. Turn-in such that you can apex two-thirds of the way down the red and white curbing. Steer more or less to the center of the track to enter Turn 7. Compromise this corner in order to take a prudent line into Turn 7.
Turn 7 (65 degree blind, uphill left-hander that drops off after the apex): slow and dangerous corner with very little traction on exit. Turn-in such that the outside wheels of the car follow the outside edge of the concrete patch in the middle of the asphalt. Apex well before the crest of the hill. Crest the hill roughly in the middle of the track with the wheels pointing as straight as possible. Avoid tracking too far right on exit and definitely do not lift as the track falls away. The car will get very light on the backside of the hill and lots of cars spin on this portion of the track. Gently get the car back to track left for entry into Turn 8.
Turn 8 (90 degree right-hander): medium speed flat corner with neutral camber at the bottom of the hill coming out of Turn 7. Light braking. Turn-in to keep the car on top of the concrete patch. Apex two-thirds of the way down the red and white curbing on track right. Compromise the line through this corner such that you track out only as far as mid-track to improve the entry into Turn 9.
Turn 9 (45 degree left-hander): fast uphill corner going under the pedestrian bridge with a fully blind exit. Double apex. Turn from mid-track, following the concrete patch, and apex just under the pedestrian bridge at the end of the red and white curbing at track left. Holding the wheel, this line will result in the car apexing a second time right at the crest of the hill in the middle of the red and white curbing at track left. Straighten the wheels on exit, as you head downhill into Turn 10. Lifting before the crest of the hill -- with, perhaps, light braking *well after* settling the car on exit -- is probably all that is required to set the car up for Turn 10.
Turn 10 (45 degree right-hander): medium-to-high speed corner with neutral camber at the bottom of the hill coming out of Turn 9. Roll the car into the corner, apexing a few feet out from mid-point of the red and white curbing at track right. Try not to unsettle the car in the transition as the braking zone into Turn 11 is short. Watch out for the walls coming in on both sides and be wary of this stretch of track as there’s little run-off room.
Turn 11 (90 degree right-hander): medium speed flat corner with neutral camber that drops off after the apex. Turn-in at the end of the yellow curbing at track left. Apex before the mid-point of the red and white curbing at track right. Get most of the turning done before the track falls off. Take care not to apex too early, as there’s virtually no runoff at track left.
Turn 12 (40 degree right-hander): high speed corner, uphill on exit. No braking. Turn in gently and hold the steering input to apex at the very end of the corner fully track right as you head up the hill.
Turn 13 (70 degree left-hander): medium speed corner at the crest of a hill. Turn-in such that you apex roughly in the middle of the red and white curbing on track left. Crest the hill and hold the steering input to wind up track right for the entry into Turn 14.
Turn 14 (180 degree right-hander buttonhook): low speed corner that’s downhill on entry. Follow the inside line of the corner on entry, then track out to about mid-track and follow the line of the concrete patch through the remainder of the corner. Apex two-thirds of the way through the corner to facilitate getting hard on the throttle on exit.
Turn 15 (45 degree left-hander leading onto the front straight): high speed flat corner with positive camber that sits at a dip in the track. An important corner. The key to this corner is the line coming out of Turn 14, which should be compromised to allow a gentle line through Turn 15. Apex in the middle of the red and white curbing at track left. Track fully out to the yellow curbing at track right.
CB
