On Sierra.com, the fastest guys can do 1:15's with the default <fast> setup,
good average drivers can do up to 1:16's. That is to say, the setup still
has potential.
If you lose your time in the fast turns, then maybe the WG setup you find
here:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/joachim_trensz
This setup helps you with the right handers, and since these are the more
important turns at the Glen, it makes at least me about 1 second faster per
lap than the default <fast> setup.
You may also try a trackguide, I don't know if it can be of much help, but
maybe you'll find some new idea in it. Apologies for any typos.
Achim
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When planning to race Nascars at Watkins Glen, you need to bring three
things. Patience, determination, and subtleness. With the patience you'll
wait for the right moment, with the determination you'll grab your chance
when it comes, but with subtleness, because if you use the bullfighter's
approach, you'll not only ruin the tires quickly with the extreme power and
weight of the Nascars, you'll also have a hard time controlling these high
masses.
For a start, use N4's fast default setup. Like most others, this one is a
really good setup if you can adapt to its characteristics, which, OTOH,
isn't everybody's load of bread. The easiest single measure to make this
setup more stable is to set the camber of both rear tires to 0, so if you
find the setup is too twitchy, this may be the first thing to do. It will,
however, make you slower.
The other critical behaviour becomes apparent in the Esses, where in the
transition from T3L to T4R, the car's suspension adds a cunning jumpiness,
which affects the directional stability of the car and often causes the
driver to touch the right hand curbs. Stiffening the front suspension, and
anti-roll bars can cure this. But again, this will cost you speed.
As for the driving, it's a common misconception that driving on or beyond
the limit is fast. What's fast is driving clean, everything else will lose
you time while trying to catch the car and set it up for the next move.
This is actually an important concept in both driving and racing. Most of
the time you are either preparing the next move, or you're carrying that
move out. A move can be some sort of competitive manoeuvre targeted at
getting you a better position against your opponents, or it can be the next
driving manoeuvre that decides whether you'll pass a section quickly, or
slowly. A passage through the next corner is an example, but also setting
the car up for the straight that follows the corner. This latter move often
starts way before the corner, in that you chose your cornering speed and
line in such a way that is gets you into an optimal position for a quick
exit - which is particularly important if there's a long straight after the
corner, or another corner that can be taken fast only when entered at a
certain angle, or speed.
In such cases, you'll want to sometimes even on purpose take the first
corner knowingly in a less than optimal way, if it allows you to take the
second corner optimally. This is the case for example when the second corner
is followed by a long straight, and hence exiting optimally from the second
corner will have a much more positive impact on your laptime than being fast
in the first corners.
Anyway, lets go to the track.
Do an outlap, and as you approach the last right hander, make yourself aware
that a lap actually starts with the last corner of the previous lap, as your
exit from that corner will affect the laptime of the next lap.
A common mistake in corners especially in simulations is to chose the wrong
turn-in point - despite the fact that the makers of our sims provide us with
all sorts of help, namely the tiremarks which usually show us precisely
where to drive, and where not to. Still, the truly optimal line differs
somewhat depending on your driving style, and your car's setup. A car that's
lose will need somewhat different lines and speeds than a car that's pushy,
but both have one thing in common: the less you slide (rear or front), the
fast you will be.
As for the Glen, a general rule is, keep the tire squeal low. If it smokes
you've messed it up. If it squeal, it's an indication you're wearing
something off quicker than becomes you well in a race. In hotlapping, of
course these things don't matter so much, but be aware, once smoke pours,
you're outside the optimal parameters.
Alright, back to the track - approach the last corner of the outlap on the
left hand side, left of the tire marks. Your goal is to be fully in the
banked (lighter) lane of the track from the middle to the exit of the
corner. To achieve that optimally, you must at some point turn in very
decisively and bring the car's RF very near the curb. That's the point from
where you start the run into the next lap.
From that point, take it easy on the steering. Steering slows the car down
(lateral friction of tire); hence, your goal is to steer as much as
necessary, but as little as possible. Open the steering up as you accelerate
into the straight, allow the car to move over to the left, try to stay off
the elevated portion on the far left, but use it if you have to. If you do
that, use half-throttle instead of full if the car gets unsteady.
As a general rule, don't slam the throttle, but add throttle carefully - the
soft suspension, the tires that simply cannot be stiff enough to deal with
the cars weight and tremendous power - all that in the end makes it faster
to apply throttle gradually rather than slamming it, especially while the
car is cornering. Once fully straightened out, things are different.
Brake when the last traffic light on the left leaves your windscreen and
disappears behind the A-column. Brake a little earlier rather than later,
and if necessary control your braking distance by releasing the brakes
somewhat if you feel you've braked early. The time you lose because of this
will be more than made up for by the added precision at steer-in point
gained through this procedure.
T1R's groove is hard to see, but again, steer in a little earlier than you
think you should, but don't yank the wheel fully to the right immediately,
rather start moderately but do go to full lock when the time is right and
the speed is low enough. Your turn in point is where the left hand armco
ends, the line is to try and cut across the inside starting corner of the
lighter pavement section, go to the inside of the wide band as you reach the
apex, and then of course, accelerate once the car is pointed into a
direction which allows you to accelerate without pushing the car off the
track on the left hand side. If you nicely coast through that turn, it's
actually faster to not be on the throttle too early.
T2R can be taken on a tight line, this time you cut across the lighter
pavement in such a way that you cross its outer perimeter maybe half a
carlength after it started. Be sure to slow down sufficiently to position
the car optimally for the exit. When you see you have a free run and can
stay on the right hand side, accelerate first moderately than fully.
The next lefthander T3L is entered in analogy to T2R, and as for T4R, let
your feeling guide you. However, as opposed to your feeling, it is not
absolutely essential to stay on the inside throughout all of T4R. Rather,
starting somewhere mid-corner you can let the car drift off to the left,
thus reducing the friction at the front tires, thereby saving them and
making the car faster. In your windscreen, the white can be up to maybe 20
game inches inside the windscreen without your tires leaving the track.
Braking for the chicane starts on the left hand side slightly before the 500
marker. Do not stay left all the time. Rather, allow the car to drift to the
right, with the purpose of being able to end up in an attitude fairly
aligned with the track after the first lefthander of the chicane (T6L). For
T5R, slightly cut across the corner of the curb, but only slightly, to make
the line as straight as possible without upsetting the car.
Continue to either slightly brake if necessary or coast across the inside
curb of T6L, and align the car with the track. This is the moment to get
back on the throttle. If you're good, you can use the throttle to align the
car a little faster, but don't use that too often in a race - tirewear makes
this a move to use carefully.
T7L and T8R are passed like the T5L/T6R combination, just under
acceleration. I personally have to shift into 3rd before the Loop (T9R), but
that's a matter of taste.
For the Loop T9R, that consists of two corners actually. One is the initial
section where you enter and try to get into the banked lane, and then you
linger there through the rest of that section. The second section starts at
that white sign on a post on the inside of the track. Somewhat before that
point, it's good to not be too close to the curb, because in that final
section, you'll get fully on the throttle again and stay at full throttle
until you reach T10L. Therefore, try to find at least an innuendo of a
racing line through that second section, which takes you from a point a
little further away from the curb to a point a little nearer to the curb (at
the ,apex') and the drift over to the left as you exit the Loop.
The braking for T10L starts on the right hand side somewhat before the final
traffic light. There's nothing special about this corner, you enter the
lighter lane from the outside somewhat after the point where it starts, slow
down well, get back on the throttle fairly early but moderately at first.
Increase throttle as your car's situation permits.
That's it. Good luck :)
