|
|
|
A Sweet Lap Under the Big Sky |
|
|
|
|
Leaving the pits you accelerate smoothly down a
quarter mile straight. Note that
there is a utility pole on the left.
Stay in the middle of the track, or slightly left. Just before you reach the braking zone
at the end of the straight you will make a slight correction to the right
so that you come into the braking zone in a straight line with the distance
cones very close on your right. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you pass the power pole you can see the
distance cones on the right (blue arrow) and the slight bend in the
track. Plan a turn so that you
arrive in the right lane close to the cones all in one gradual turn. Use the cones, here and elsewhere on the
course (four, spaced 100 feet apart) to develop your braking strategy. You'll be in third or fourth gear. Brake early and smoothly until you
become familiar with the course, at which time you may want to brake later
and later. The last distance cone
is also the turn in cone. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here you are at the turn in cone for the First
S. Your braking and downshifting
should be done (some will elect to downshift between this point and the
apex (blue arrow). You should
already be looking toward the apex and planning one smooth turn that will
bring you to the apex with your car very close and parallel to the white
line on the left. The most common
mistake is turning in too early which will cause you to intersect the left
white line too early, necessitating a right-left correction. However, miss too far to the right and
you will be faced with too much speed for the tighter right turn which
follows. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you arrive at the left apex, you should
already be looking to the right, and it is here that you begin a single
smooth turn to the right that brings you parallel to the right apex cone
with no steering corrections. Too
early a turn in will require a fairly drastic correction that could cause a
spin. As you begin the turn begin
squeezing on throttle. You should
reach full throttle about halfway through the turn, well before the apex
cone (arrow). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you have executed your apex properly your car
should already be pointed down the next straight with your throttle on
full. You'll unwind the wheel so
that you come close to the left hand apex (blue arrow), then allow your
speed to carry you in a gentle left arc to the right side of the track. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
This picture is taken as you approach the last
apex. Let your car move to the
right side of the track in a smooth planned arc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
After a short straight you'll be approaching the
Second S in third gear. The Second
S is very similar to the First S.
Use the braking cones on the right to plan your braking, then be
looking to the left as you approach the last cone, and start a smooth
single left turn designed for you to arrive next to the left apex cone
(blue arrow) with your car traveling parallel to the edge of the pavement. You may choose to do your downshift as
you approach the apex. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Approaching the turn in point (left arrow) midway through the Second S your car
should be brushing the white line and be pointed directly down the
track. You should already be
looking to the right to pick up the right apex (right arrow). One smooth turn should take you to the
right apex, adding throttle as you approach it. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
At the right apex you should be pretty well
aligned with the left exit cone (blue arrow). Pass that cone very closely and let your car track out to
the right edge beyond, followed by a smooth looping turn back to the left
side of the track which will position you for Turn 5. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turn 5 is 135 degrees, virtually a hairpin. You
drive straight at the turn in (blue) cone, finishing your braking just
short of it. Pause a moment to let
your suspension settle, then wind the wheel onto a line which will
GRADUALLY bring you by the very late apex cone (red) at the ONLY point at
which you will be on the inside diameter of the pavement. You should be at full throttle about
halfway to the red cone. Don't
give up on this apex!!! Pull the
nose of your car around until you're right next to the cone. For every foot you are wide there is
bad payback beyond. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At the Turn 5 apex you should be at full
throttle. Let your car track out to
the left as you unwind the steering wheel. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
At the end of a short straight you're about to
enter The Duck Pond. Spot the
first apex (blue arrow) and make a smooth right turn that will take you to
the right edge of the pavement as you get to the apex. |
|
|
|
Why “The Duck Pond”? Back in the days when Montana had predictable rainfall, a
large puddle used to form on the left and a pair of mallards adopted it as
home for a short time. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you pass the turn in cone, wind the wheel to
the left so that you brush the left apex (red) of the middle turn, and as
you pass it wind the wheel to the right and brush the exit apex
(yellow). Let your car track out
to the left as your speed builds.
You've just completed a little right-left-right dance. Miss any of the apexes and you'll be
forced to tighten the next turn, forcing you to slow down and unsettle the
car. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Passing the exit apex, let your car track out to
the left by unwinding the wheel.
With experience, you'll learn to get on a line that requires no
wheel movement until you reach the Kink, nearly a quarter mile down course. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
A little further on you'll pass a “fence” of
cones intended to protect you from a sharp four inch drop. Concentrate on pointing the car through
a right-left kink without steering input (point your car at the blue arrow). This is great fun as you flash by first
the right edge of the pavement, then the left. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you pass through the kink-that-isn't let the
car drift to the right edge of the pavement and start looking for the turn
in cone (blue arrow) for The Kink, still several hundred yards ahead on the
right. Learn to get to the
right-edge position early as you want to have the car fully settled for The
Kink. It comes fast, and it takes
some anticipation, so minimize your distractions by getting set early. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you approach the turn-in cone for The Kink
(blue) you MUST be looking ahead and to the left. Just as you see the pavement in The Kink revealed you have
to start your VERY subtle left turn.
You're moving quite fast at this point and should make only very
small turning inputs. By the time
your car has turned enough you should be line up with the “slot” between the
two apexes (red/yellow). A
perfectly executed Kink is done with a single smooth turn-in at the blue
arrow, then smoothly aligning with the straight after the yellow apex. |
|
|
|
|
As you pass through The Kink, close to the exit
apex, let your car track out to the left until you're close to the left
side of the track. Start watching
for the braking cones at the end of the straight. |
|
|
|
|
The end of the back straight approaches. This is the fastest point on the
course. CONCENTRATE on the braking
cones rapidly approaching on the left. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you get to the braking zone, be aware of the
cones on the right. With the new
pavement you can actually make a gradual course correction to the right and
do most of your braking as you pass the first apex (red arrow) and approach
the second (yellow arrow). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After you finish braking and downshifting, let
the car settle for just a moment, stay to the left, and turn just enough to
point you at the turn-in cone (green arrow) for The Carousel. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
At the turn-in cone (green) for The Carousel,
wind your wheel to the right and put your car on a GRADUAL path that will
touch the right edge of the pavement only as you get to the very late apex
cone (red). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you pass the apex (red arrow) you should be at full throttle. Let the car track out to the left by
unwinding the wheel. DON'T GIVE UP
ON THIS APEX. MAKE IT HAPPEN! |
|
The farther you are from the apex, the greater
the chance that you'll end up in the grass or have to slow down. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Drive along the left side of the pavement and
start looking ahead for the main
straight entry turn. If you're
going to the pits, get in the right lane, signal, and exit at the blue
arrow. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
At the turn-in point (blue arrow), apex around
the barrier cones (red arrow) that protect the pits and let your car swing
WIDE out onto the large asphalt pad.
Watch the line in the next three pictures. |
|
|
|
|
|
Notes