Sandown Track tips
Hi all,
With Sandown approaching, here are a few track tips that may help you find your way around this pretty little circuit.
Leaving the Pits: This is usually done by exiting pit lane.
Turn 1: Very interesting corner which is off cambered from the mid point on.
Try to turn in so the car is neutral on the apex of the corner, so the car just floats through the corner. Then build up speed as your confidence increases. Plenty of run off room here so don’t be afraid to have a go. I and many others have run off here many a time in practice and the odd time during a race. As long as you don’t panic things tend to sort themselves out.
Turn 2+3 (The Esses): These may seem quite complex to some, but we have found if you straight line them. They only feel like one corner.
Braking Note# Try not to brake too late here, as it will hurt your entry into the esses, which in turn will slow you down through the rest of the corner and also into turn 4.
If raining drive off line when braking into turn 2. This may save you from spearing off though the grass. Quite entertaining to watch, but not experience.
Turn 4: (Very important) this corner sets you up for the back straight.
Also can be a bad place to try and pass. The reason being, that it will slow your speed onto the back straight hence your terminal speed at the other end. Plus usually the person behind you both will most likely pass you both!
Approaching the top of the back straight you will feel like the track is disappearing in front of you. (Part of the thrill). Instead of panicking, focus on appexing the rumble strip on the Left hand side.
If you can do this, it will help you get back on the throttle sooner and hence you speed down the hill.
The journey down the Hill: Once you apex the rumble strip on your left, focus on straight lining the esses aiming at the outside of Dandenong Rd corner.
Brake when the car is flat on all four wheels. Otherwise you will lock a break and end up in the sand trap. If you do, just bury your foot in the throttle and see how far you can make it. This will impress the flaggies greatly, as they mark the Armco to see who has been in the furtherest. Talking from experience here! J
Back to Dandenong Rd corner.
As you approach Dandenong corner, pick a turn in point you will remember.
This will assist you in working out sooner rather than later in how to obtain a better exit speed. Coming out of Dandenong Rd I usually straight line the next right hand corner leading up to the final two corners.
The Esses: When entering the right hander leading into the esses, make sure you are on the far left as possible. So when you come out you will be on the far right hand side of the track leading into the final left hander.
The reason you do this, the last corner leads onto a long straight. And we need all the room we can get her to achieve the maximum exit speed. Plus you look like you have a million horsepower when you blast past your rivals. If you wish you can wave like the queen does when she is in her little carriage. Except you are going a tad quicker than her, unless it is raining…. J
Once you have passed the start finish line, it all happens again.
Take a few breaths and see how much faster you can get through turn one this lap..