Automotive Track Days

“A HOT LAP AROUND THE FARM”

DISCLAIMER: This description tells how an experienced driver in a well set up car takes a lap at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. Novice drivers may not be able to duplicate this safely and North Suburban Sports Car Club, Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs, Blackhawk Farms Raceway, and the author specifically disclaim any responsibility for damage or injury resulting from attempting to follow this description.

Approaching turn 1 ease to the extreme left edge of the track before your turn-in point. Stop braking, turn in, and get on the power at the pavement change. Hit a late apex near the end of the inside bump strip. Your speed across the apex should carry you smoothly to the left track edge near the concrete bumpers coming out of the turn.

If the car straightens out easily in mid-track, you can enter the turn faster and carry more speed through the corner. If you have to lift, or feel you may leave the track, you probably turned in too soon, apexed too early, or missed the apex. Stay on the gas out of turn 1, sweeping gently cross track to the right edge to set up for turn 2.

Align your car with the right edge of the track. Turn in for turn 2 at the point your instructor will show you. It’s later than you think and you have to steer to a late apex, ticking the end of the inside bumpers at the corner station, still at full throttle. If you feel you have to brake or lift at turn 2, do it before you get to the turn-in and be back on the gas at the turn-in. Work to eliminate this “chicken lift” as the day goes on. Eventually, you want to go through turn 2 flat.

Hold the car to the left coming out of turn 2, but not so much that you scrub off speed. This will set you up for some short hard braking along the left edge of the paving coming into turn 3. Turn in at the bare spot at the left edge of the track and get on the gas. Navigate the carousel, feeding as much power as you can. Stay inside if you can, but not at the expense of driving full throttle.

Ease the car to the right bumper before the kink before turn 3A. Turn in gently without lifting until after the left bumper strip. The car’s weight will shift from the left wheels to the right wheels. Level out for hard braking going into turn 3A.

Turn 3A is an extremely tight right hander. Take turn 3A as a classic turn. Brake hard and turn in from the end of the left hand bumpers. Make as straight a run as possible from your turn-in point, across the bumpers at the flag station, and to the bumpers on the left edge of the track leaving the turn. This will carry you to a track-out point on the bumpers at the right track edge, which will also be your turn-in point for turn 4.

To start, use a point about in the middle of the right hand bumper before turn 4 as your turn-in point. If you have to lift or brake, have it done before you get to the bumper. Turn in and go for a late apex at full throttle. It’s hard to hit this apex, but it is critical to your speed through upcoming turns 5 and 6.

You will drift out to the right track edge. Stay on the power and hug the right track edge to the middle of the back gate road, which is the turn-in point for turn 5. Turn in without lifting, to a late apex on the left bumpers at the corner station. Stay on the gas and let the car drift right only as much as necessary to maintain full acceleration and not scuff off speed, then ease back left to line up for turn 6 braking.

If you find yourself loose and scared at the right edge of the track coming out of turn 5, you turned in early or missed the turn 5 apex. You should be able to find a line that allows you to hold full throttle from before the turn 4 apex until you brake for turn 6.

Brake hard and early for turn 6, staying on the left edge of the track. There’s no good permanent turn-in marker. Pick a tire scrub mark or bare spot in the grass. Turn in and accelerate before a late apex on the concrete bumpers inside the turn. The car will drift left and stabilize, still under full power, on the left edge of the track. Cross the entrance road and then turn in for the silo turn, aiming for a late apex on the right bumpers inside the turn. You should drift to the left and stabilize, still at full power, hugging the left edge of the track coming out of the silo turn.

Maintain full power and gradually move to the right side of the track, aiming for the bumpers at the dog leg. Lift just before the dog leg and tick the right side of the track at the bumpers. Brake lightly just before the dog leg only if you are driving a very fast car. Move to the left track edge and brake hard after the car settles. Set up for a late apex at the end of the bumpers at the inside of the corner. Apply power, get flat on the gas as you approach the left edge on track out, staying flat until shutting down for corner

Turn 7 is very much a slow in – fast out corner. Exiting turn 7 at maximum speed is critical to maximizing straightaway speed and a good lap time.