Watkins Glen International Raceway Turn Diagrams 7-11 Turn 7 "The Toe of the Boot" |
Procedure: Turn 7, The "Toe of the Boot" A) Approach from the left, ready to brake and downshift. B) Brake firmly and downshift to 3rd. STAY TO THE LEFT, AS THIS IS ANOTHER EXTREMELY LATE APEX TURN! C) As the road begins to rise, start to turn in gradually. If you're not familiar with the turn, don't accelerate too hard yet. Once you've got it doped out, GET ON THE GAS AS SOON AS YOU CAN, YOU WILL NEED ALL THE MOMENTUM YOU CAN GET! D) As soon as you can see the apex, you should be on the throttle hard. If you're blessed with gobs of horsepower, be judicious - the car may get tail-happy. Spins are fairly common here! Make sure to unwind the wheel and use the substantial runnout area to avoid this! DON'T SCRUB OFF SPEED BECAUSE YOU WON'T GET IT BACK ! E) Track-out point. The track has been widened slightly here. Check your mirrors and allow passing! NOTE: Throttle balance is important exiting the Toe of the Boot, especially if you have lots of horsepower. There are lots of spins here, even in dry conditions! Objective: YOU MUST CONSERVE MOMENTUM HERE! No one ever complains of having too much power for this turn. You probably won't gain any speed, just try not to lose too much! Turn 8 "The Heel of the Boot" Turn 9 "The Off-Camber" |
Procedure: Turn 8, the "Heel of the Boot" A) Stay to the left, brake in a straight line, downshift to 3rd, and make sure all passing is completed. This turn is similar to turn 1 in that it is a somewhat late and decisive turn-in. If it is wet this area can be VERY TREACHEROUS. Use EXTREME CAUTION until you have assessed the conditions. B) Make sure you clip a tight apex. Accelerate, unwind, and track out smoothly and completely. C) Track-out for turn 8. Begin to transition right (D) but don't arrive at the right until you reach E. This allows a smoother turn-in and better suspension balance. Procedure: Turn 9, the "Offcamber" E) This is another tricky turn because the apex is blind, very late, and the track is off camber (falling away). Make yourself brake early and then throttle early for balance. DON'T TURN TOO SOON ! F) Yes, the apex is very late! When you find it, accelerate hard and track out carefully. G) The track seems very narrow here and the Armco's are only 18" from the pavement. THERE'S LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR... DON'T EARLY APEX AND/OR RUN WIDE! Objectives: Turn 8 is similar to turn 1, but more than 90°. Enter turn 9 carefully, look for the apex, but don't turn in too soon. The Armco jungle will loom large if you miscalculate! Turn 10 "The Fast Left" Turn 11 |
Procedure: Turn 10, "The Fast Left-hander" A) Depending on your speed, braking is an option. 4th gear should work. B) This corner is very fast, and you must get a clean, tight apex. Make sure the car is level and throttle balanced as you turn in. C) Track out gently and completely and continue a smooth arc to the left to prepare for turn 11. Procedure: Turn 11 D) Brake in a straight line and look for the apex. This is a good time to check your mirrors. You should already be aware of faster cars catching you up. E) Turn in decisively. F) Clip a tight apex, give it the throttle, and unwind steadily all the way to the track-out point (G). Note: TAKE YOUR TIME WITH TURN 10! The track-out point is very near the horizon line which makes depth perception difficult! Watch for cars pitting. They will be hugging the inside of turn 11. Pass them with caution! Objectives: Turn 10; don't overcook it too soon! This turn has been catching people out. RESPECT IT! Get as much exit speed from turn 11 as possible. Any extra speed you come out with will carry on with you the length of the straight. Supplemental Maps |
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PLEASE NOTE AGAIN ... This information is for general instructive use only, and its appearance here in no way constitutes any specific acceptance or endorsement of the information herein by the PCA, Watkins Glen International, or the Author. ANY USE OF THE PICTURES DESCRIPTIONS, AND ACCOUNTS IN THIS TEXT WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF ZONE 1 OF THE PORSCHE CLUB of AMERICA AND THE AUTHOR IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN This document is COPYRIGHTED (C) 1999-2003 by John L. Hajny |
