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Articles about Practice Sessions

• Introduction
• Session Precheck
• Note Taking
• Track Conditions

• Lap Time Notes
• Tire Notes
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• In-Car Video
• Practice Agenda
• Prioritizing Track Segments

Prioritizing Segments Example

For this description we'll call the turn numbers by the priority number and not the actual sequence on the track.

1 - this is the longest high speed turn, and it leads to the track's longest straight. There is a great deal of time to be gained in maximizing the performance of this turn both in handling and proper apexing of the turn's decreasing exit radius.

2 - this is the highest speed turn on thtrack and leads to a medium length straight. Although the turn itself is short, it is sharp and has significant impact on the speed acheived on the following straight which is a prime passing zone. Optimizing exit speed here can prevent being passed in turn 8.

3 - these two turns can almost be taken as a single large radius turn, and therefore make up the second long high speed turn. They also happen to lead to the highest priority turn, and the exit speed of the turn 3b is critical to setting up the maxium speed during the first three quarters of turn 1. Acceleration is the limiting factor to the speed acheived in turn 1 prior to the decreasing radius at the close of turn 1.

4 - this sequence of high speed esses are in a strong acceleration zone for most cars, but being able to use that acceleration all the way to turn 2 is important to getting the most speed through turn 2. A clean driving line, and nimble handling through these esses will be important to setting up turn 2.

5 - this is a medium speed carousel, but maximizing it's speed allows carrying greater speed from the preceding straight (preventing a pass), and it sets up the entry speed through the esses. It's easy to apex this exit too early which dramatically cuts the entry sped into the esses, so a well practiced driving line is neded.

6 - turn 6 connects a long and medium straight. It has an increasing radius exit so can be taken faster than it looks, and its the second fastest turn on the east side of the track. Though it is connected to short straight with a slow corner, it's a prime passing zone. A passing driver on the inside can be forced to apex early and slow significantly due to the corner shape. With the right line and good handling grip, the driver being passed can use a late apex to retake the lead in the corner exit.

7 - though faster than turn 6, the adjoining straights are shorter, and it is easier to protect the line and prevent being passed than turn 6, so this turn is less important than practicing for maximum performance in 6.

8 - this is a well banked turn which allows it to be faster than its radius would indicate. It connects two fast straights, and is a prime passing spot, but the key is maximizing the speed before the turn rather than through the turn. This turn's sharpness puts the exit speed in a good acceleration zone for most cars, so even though it leads onto a longer straight it's easier to recover from than in turns 3 or 5.

9 - the last mid-speed corner left. Though its leads into an accelerating zone through turn 7, this is not a good passing area, so its not as important to maximize as turn 6, and it is more important to sustain the higher speed of 7 than 9.

10 - this interesting little hairpin is the slowest turn set, but a good line through the second half is important to the top speed acheived on the following short straight. The straight is a good place to utilize the car's acceleration for passing which can be protected all the way to the turn 3 set. So though it is slower than the group of turns in 11, it is more strategic to exit this corner set well.

11 - this group of turns requires a line that sets up the last corner for maximum speed, but if you didn't get passed on the way into this turn set, you're not likely to get passed until turn 1. The final turn of this set is a actually a small hill that gets the car very light at the exit of the final corner, so the angle of the car at the apex and throttle control will have a lot more impact to the car's handling than suspension adjustments. This is the least important corner set to adjust handling for.

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