Turn by turn guide to the Nelson Ledges track

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Contents

Track Map

Image:NelsonLedges.jpg

Turn 1

Also known as "Station 2" to corner workers. T1 is a fast and potentially treacherous sweeping right with what seems to be multiple radii. It has recently been repaved, so many of the bumps commonly used for reference are gone. Depending on your car, this corner can be taken from flat out (in a low HP Improved Touring class car), to moderate braking for balance and corner setup. Enter T1 on the far left and begin to bend your car in just before the flag station. There is a false apex very early in the corner that you'll want to ignore, as if you aim for this at speed, you will run out of exit room and will have to lift or run out of track at the exit. Aim for the second "point" in the pavement further around the corner. Beyond the apex, the radius of the corner opens cosiderably, so carrying speed is essential for a fast laptime. There is a patch of about 18 inches of extra pavement at the exit, and available to use if you need it, but I wouldn't recommend making a habit of it, as dropping a wheel off the outside can have two dire consequenses. If the grass is wet, it will suck you right off as it's also heavily cambered away from the track itself and you will make a beeline straight for the wall on the outside no matter what inputs you make in the car; or you may overcorrect after dropping a wheel by trying to jerk the car back up onto the pavement. Once you "hook" the car, you will then just shoot right back across to driver's right where there is no runoff (the tirewall comes back out towards the track at the exit) and spray tires everywhere as you pinwheel along the tirewall. Done right though, turn 1 us a very fast and very rewarding corner.

Turn 2

Also known as Station 3 for flaggers. T2 is a fast, gentle right with a fair amount of camber that helps you with speed. Also, the new pavement ends at the exit of T1 and you're back on old pavement at this point. The aggregate here is very coarse, which also gives great grip. T2 requires a basic line, wide entry, quick apex at the middle of the corner (watch the curb on the inside, it's not obvious and will upset your car if you use it), and fast wide exit. The extra pavement on the outside here is a lot more forgiving, there is no exit camber in the grass and now that the runoff area has been extended and graded smooth to "Oak Tree", if you do go off there's plenty of room to recover. Watch out for the infamous "hook" though if you overcorrect. But again, many years ago the tirewall was moved back for extra room. Years ago, you might have wound up in the spectator area, but now it's usually a long, lurid, rough slide that most times just ends in the mud, usually.

Turn 3

Turn 4

Four is also known as "Oak Tree", which was located more off the Short Course and is long since gone. The entry to Oak Tree is fairly complicated, as there is a good crown to the surface. If you set up too far to driver's right, your entry will be off camber and could send you spiralling off early in the corner. Enter too far left, and you can't carry the speed you need for good lap times. Oak Tree has a lot of banking to it, and it's much faster than it looks, especially since the radius of the corner opens all the way through. The pavement is still old and coarse for good grip, but watch out for the smooth patches on the lower third of the banking, especially in the wet. A good apex has you tight on the bottom at the first third of the corner, but you can find grip higher and an opportunity to carry more speed for a run in the Carousell from a higher line. The top of Oak Tree has a tendency to collect marbles and trash, so avoid "rim riding" if you don't want to take a scenic adventure. Runoff area camber falls sharply away, so if it's wet, say hello to the tirewall.

Some smaller cars may want to double apex this corner, just to shorten the distance at the exit, while more powerfull cars can use HP to keep momentum up high at the exit.

Turn 5

The Carousell. A long, sweeping, banked right hander with a tightening radius. A fast entry should see you low and apexing right about Station 7. From here you'll let the car begin to drift up the track and scrub speed. Do what you have to to get the car to rotate in the center of the caroussell; left foot brake, a brake stab, a sudden lift, whatever, but it's essential that you get the car pointed to a late apex very near the exit of the corner. From here, you can slowly begin applying power in a steady fashion. Pull the car down to a very late apex just before Station 9. If you're too high, you'll find yourself in more marbles and the runoff area on the outside is, short. The banking will fall away before you're done needing it, and you will feel like you're shot out to the exit, but if you've set yourself up correctly, you'll be rewarded with great exit speed coming on to the tracks longest "straight". Avoid trying to "sprint car' the carousell, as an overcorrection will shoot you off the top, or send you in a continuous arc off into the tires on driver's right. The exit is also VERY slippery in the wet, so a light foot is prudent if it's raining.

Turn 6

Station 10 is the Black Flag station normally. If somebody wants to talk to you, they'll show you the flag here. The back straight isn't really straight, as there's a slight bend halfway down, but nothing that requires lifting or apexing. Also, there is a fair amount of undulation to the track here, so if you have some unorthodox alignment settings be prepared to fight to keep the car travelling in a straight line.

Turn 7

The Kink. Or Station 11. A fast kink to the right, just as it says. There has been about 8 feet of pavement added to widen the apex and exit, so it's not nearly as eventfull as it once was. Especially since it was repaved and the large bump at the apex removed. In a low hp car, this corner is pretty much a sleeper. Faster cars require larger manparts though.

A misjudgement here can provide for major excitement here because of the speeds we're dealing with. Best case scenario is a long, long, long, long slide with a few seconds of reorientation at the end. Let's not discuss worst case scenario's now.

Turn 8

Station 12. A fast lefthander with a complicated exit. Enrty is on the far right, hard on the brakes at the crossover road. There is a small "hump" in the braking zone that can upset your braking, and the pavement is polished here and slippery. Probably the best opportunities for outbraking your opponent are here if you've done the carousell correctly. Carry too much spped through 12 though, and you can easily screw your entry for 13. Carry too little, and you'll be outbraked and passed. Watch the curb at the apex, as it is fairly high and can throw you off line. You may want to sacrafice some speed in 12 for a good launch through 13 for the front straight, especially if you can afford horsepower. Low hp cars can afford to carry more speed through 12 as they won't have to slow as much for 13.

Turn 9

Station 13, or the Keyhole. Lots of camber to help you here, the radius tightens and requires a late apex. Watch the smooth tar patches down low if it's wet, there's much more grip up high. Slow the car early out of 12, and rotate it in the first third of the corner. Set yourself up for a good hard launch through the apex and you'll lengthen the front straight by 20 yards or so. Camber falls away at the exit, but by then you should be aiming straight, not finishing your turn. There's plenty of extra pavement at the exit, but if you have to use it, you're apexing too early and just adding distance to your lap.