How to Race Turn 5 at Road Americal

Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin Is a premium road-racing track on the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) circuit. It is 4 miles, 15 turns, rolling country. It is known as the Grand Prix of road racing in North America. I have run Road America many times in a Spec Renault or Spec Ford.

A road race circuit can be broken into three types of turns. Type I. Type ii, Type III A Type I turn is one that leads onto a straightaway. Turn 5 at Road America is a Type I turn. Here's how to drive it.

In this turn you brake early, get on the throttle as early as possible, make a late apex and accelerate onto the following straight at maximum speed. The basic pattern is enter the turn on the outside of the road, shift down, brake and have all your braking done before you have started to steer from the outside to the inside of the turn. Add throttle and go to full throttle to accelerate out of the turn in one smooth, continuous line.

Turn 5 in six steps:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
    

   Maximum braking down the hill on the straight before the turn. Find the braking/turn points on one of your practice laps.

2. Braking almost complete. Down shift to lowest gear that will be used in accelerating out of the turn.

3. Balancing point. Transition from braking to accelerating. This is a critical point. If you accelerate too early, you will have to let off to keep from running out of road on exit from the turn. If you wait too long to begin acceleration, you will not be able make entrance onto the straight at maximum speed.

4. Late apex. Should be at or very nearly at full throttle.

5. Go to full throttle, accelerating at maximum rate.

6. Maintain full throttle and clear the turn, using the entire road to make a smooth arc onto the straightaway.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the shiny side up!!!!!!