LONG-TIME READERS OF PROVINZ are likely aware of Dave Osborne’s recommendation for a track walk. Many top-tier racers walk the track, even on repeat visits, so if they can benefit from it why can’t we?. Why is this so important?
Those who have done one will know that the track reveals many secrets when approached at a snail’s pace. It is also an excellent opportunity to learn from those who know the track better than you, swap stories and bond with fellow drivers. It can be a very social as well as a learning experience.
I have had the opportunity to do several track walks, including one at last year’s July DE and one a few weeks later at Club Race – which was open to all racers, Advanced Solo Lapping participants and volunteers on Friday to give the racers a view of the track before qualifying runs and races. My observations will be a combination of my experiences on these two walks.
First off, the term Track Walk can be a misnomer. In some cases, the Mosport Grand Prix track is just shy of a 4-kilometre circuit with lots of hills and that long back straight, so some will choose to drive cars, golf carts or even ride bicycles or scooters between assembly points for discussion. Often, a truck or cart will accompany the walkers with a selection of chilled beverages, which adds to the festive nature of the event.
At one of the summer DEs last year, we assembled on the track under the bridge just before Corner 1 with our guide and DE Chief Instructor Peter Carroll, who also brought his dog along for the walk. The first lesson after a poop and scoop is to not leave anything behind on the track, as this would pose a hazard to the cars the next day – sort of like the rules of camping in the woods. Peter advised that doing the track walk whenever possible is a good idea, as the track is constantly changing. Sections get repaved, sections get torn up by heavier and faster race cars, and the amount of rubber on the tarmac changes – all affecting grip.
We were fortunate on one of the walks to just avoid some rain, but to have some moisture on the track, which led to discussions about wet vs. dry lines, and the chance to try to test the surface of different areas of the track with our feet to physical check levels of grip. More easily done at 0 kph!
As we started down through Corner 1, Peter commented that this is a downhill corner, which tends to unload the car. Peter talked about entering the corner, gradually winding in steering until the apex. There was discussion about the apex and where it should be. The drain or the dip on the right? Where to start applying power? Coming out, unwind steering, track out and slide towards the right of the track before Corner 2. In the wet? Run around the outside. Peter noted that once the corner is done, the track starts heading uphill, giving improved grip for the application of power.
Our next stop was just before the bridge where work for Corner 2 begins. We noted the track is still uphill – good for braking and for turning. However, just past the bridge the track drops off, which is not a good place for braking.
We talked about the need to work with the car, taking advantage of the tilt and camber of the track to make actions, and waiting for the car to settle after an action before our next action. A calm car is a happy car which can react to our inputs without fighting you. So, a good plan of attack here is brake and turn before the crest of the hill, where grip drops off. On to the area between the apexes. Here we had some interesting discussions – double apex, single arc, clip the first apex, settle and then crank in steering and throttle? It became apparent with discussions between drivers that different cars react differently here.
Looking back at the bridge we realized just how much of a drop it is from the entrance to the second apex of Corner 2. The good news here is that elevation changes have again become our friend, running up to Corner 3, giving us lots of grip powering out of the second apex.
Corner 3, we were told, was much like Corner 1. The approach is uphill – enter reasonably deep, slowly crank in the steering to the apex, then let it out as power is applied and the car tracked out. We had a good discussion here about grip in wet vs dry. Some of the racers had tried to straddle the wet and dry line, thinking let the outside tires do all the work with the inside tires just along for the ride.
The discussion revealed that some drivers straddling the line had experienced issues with the car sliding or breaking loose, with those inside wheels doing more work than they realized! Our pros advised using the outside of the track, basically in the wet anywhere where the dry line is not. Running around the outside in the wet requires a late virtual apex on the outside of the track and turning into the right side of the track to cross the dry line and get back on the power. Complicating the issues on Corner 3 is the track starts dropping off past the apex. This explains some of the behaviour I had noted in my car here, particularly with steering feedback and tire squeal, especially if my tires were overinflated.
Peter called Corner 4 a turn which is not a turn, regaling us with a tale of a spin in his race car, managing to get down the track without running off or hitting anyone. It is similar to Corner 2 in that it is a blind left-hand turn. It is also where most drivers will have their highest cornering speed, which was at first puzzling – but with further thought made sense. Peter pointed out track camber is our friend here – with the track cresting and then dropping, the camber adds some extra grip going through the corner. Too far right is not a good plan!
The bottom of Corner 4 up through Corner 5 has to be walked to appreciate the elevation changes. In the car, too much is happening too fast to really appreciate it, and the car tends to level off our perceptions of elevation changes. Braking here can be quite late, given how steep the entrance to Corner 5 is, giving a surprising amount of downforce and grip. This corner can befuddle the best drivers, and several lines were discussed. Hit the first apex? Aim for the fence post? The general consensus was to get up to the outside of the track between Apex A and B, then turn in sharply to Apex B. Apex A in this case is almost a throwaway, as long as the setup for B is good, as this will give the most speed out of the corner. Previous walks have noted the water that can be on the outside of the track around Corner 5C, and the wetness that can be found on the inside of Corner 6, especially in the shade of the trees.
Most of us on the walk were in agreement that the back straight, including Corners 6 and 7 (which aren’t really corners, are they) is a place to put the foot down, take a breath, relax and tend to the right of the track to make the run a little shorter. A good place to calm the nerves and regroup before Corner 8. Peter’s advice for Corner 8 was to be on the left side of the track, at least in the dry, and to brake where you feel comfortable. The track drops away past the bridge, which makes it a non-ideal place for smooth braking. Best to wait until the car comes down and settles, with grip being reestablished before getting on the brakes hard. This helps keep the back end from getting squirrely.
Did you know Corner 8 is an uphill turn? So many of us are focused on the drop past the bridge we forget to notice that. Uphill means the power can be put down better, and indeed, is required to keep the speed up through Corner 8.
Past Corner 8, the track drops again into Corner 9, requiring some braking at the crest of the hill before turning into Corner 9. This is not a good place to carry too much speed, as a slide can be hard to catch without running off on the left. Elevation change becomes our friend again at Corner 10, clip the apex and get the power on, and we are back to the start.
After the track walk, one starts to realize the amount of elevation changes, where the camber of the track works to our advantage and starts to understand why the car likes to do certain things and fight us on others. The advice was to use these elevation changes and cambers to our advantage and let the car settle after input to avoid fighting it.
Many thanks to the track team, and the refreshment truck / cart, along with my fellow drivers, for making this an interesting experience. The track really does look different at a walking pace, and the brain has time to soak in the nuances and appreciate them. I have done this probably five times and have learnt something different every time. </>
