ColorChange

Does anyone have videos and track tips for BlackHawk Farms in Illinois. I've got my first event in a month and want to start working it up.

TheOtherEric

Haven't you driven there before? I'd be happy to share my experiences (I've driven/taught there probably a dozen times) but I would have thought you were already familiar with it. No?

ColorChange

Nope, I've only really been to Putnam and Gingerman. I'm adding Autobahn in three weeks and BlackHawk in a month. I may do Road America if I get my car sorted and am happy with my driving.

joey bagadonuts

Here's how I do it (see below). I've noted target exit speeds out of some key corners. Obviously, you'll want to work your way up given this is your first time at this track. It's a hard-braking track so be aware of what your brakes are doing at all times. If you start to feel a soft pedal or you need to push extra hard to slow down your car, you need to exit the next time around.

Good luck and be safe.

TheOtherEric

Here's how I drive it. Some of this stuff I didn't think was possible at first, but I eventually got it.

- full throttle from apex of 1 up to the braking area for 3. Work up to this slowly, as you need to develop a feel for how to take 2.
- Hard hard brakes going into 3. Straight line only. Trail braking into 3 is very very risky although tempting.
- double apex 3. I think. This one is always open to debate. But you should be full throttle pretty early.
- Proper turn-in to 3A is tough but important. Pick your spot and try to be consistent.
- 4 is an important corner, and took me a long time to get. You can carry a LOT of speed thru it, but it doesn't seem that way. I do this one of 2 ways now: a) either just let off the throttle early going into 4 and don't brake at all, or b) full throttle up to 4 then just a tap on the brakes. I didn't think this would work until somebody made me do it. It's risky so work up to it.
- short shift between 4 and 5 (to 4th gear) since you're limited by cornering ability going thru 5 and extra torque won't help you
- Stay at the far right of the track approaching 5, and turn in at the start of the access road on the right
- Turn 6 is critical like Joey says. That's one thing my DL1 taught me. A lot of people spin going into 6 too hot. Once into 6, use the access road on the left as the next turn-in marker. You want to be on the throttle as early as possible, so you have to hit your marks. Lots of time is won and lost here.
- Turn 7 can be fast. I used to drop to 2nd gear but discovered i was fine in 3rd.

Well, now everybody has all my secrets.

TheOtherEric

BTW, I didn't like that map above since it doesn't look to scale to me. Here's a scaled map made from my DL1. He he, I just noticed, you can see my one OTE at BHF: coming out of 4. I was experimenting with taking it faster and faster (I found my limit: 62 mph mid-corner and 70 at exit). Not a good place to spin, so be careful there. Anyway, this map shows why 4 can be fast: the whole 4-5 is a pretty high radius turn. Track maps usually show 4 as a tighter turn when it's really not and that misleads us.

joey bagadonuts

Well, if you're going to go off in that stretch, inside is definitely the place to be. I once bumped the outside curbing--ouch!

I love the DL1 map, too. Aside from the differences you pointed out, Eric, it also shows how straight the run from T1 to T3 really is. The official map makes it look a lot tighter. I was doing 1:23's my only visit there last Summer and thought 2nd gear out of T7 might get me another second; I kept it in 3rd while trying to maximize exit speeds. Sounds like it's a toss up.

Good stuff!

TheOtherEric

1:23's in a '91 C4? Crikey that's great. My best laps were low 1:24's in my '96 C4 cabriolet with MPSC, PSS9, TRG sways, street alignment. A 964 C4 would be a great car for that track.

Turn 7 really is a toss up. I kept arguing to my last "instructor" (Skiff) that 2nd gear was best but then I shut up when I saw my rpm's as I tried it in 3rd. I don't think it made any difference either way.

joey bagadonuts

Thanks, Eric. I'm also running -3 degrees of camber and I'm sure that didn't hurt, especially in the "Carousel" (T3). Also running 17" MPSC's. How'd the C2 do?

TheOtherEric

I just bought the C2 so I haven't had it on the track yet. Putnam (4/23-4/24) will be first, then Blackhawk on 5/4. I may run Dunlop SSR tires this year, so I may not end up any faster than last year on my MPSC's despite running -2 deg camber all around now. We shall see.

ColorChange

Eric: I'll see you on the 4th then. I'll be at the Autobahn on 4/23-4/24 with the Alpha Club.

speedread

I have a good quality 28mb file of one lap at Blackhawk in a Sho doing 1:26, but I no longer know the link and can't find it. If I post one that large directly, will it tie up the system. It's on my desktop. How should I do it if you want it?

Dave in Chicago

Watch out for wildlife. A 911 filled the front light bucket with a deer a couple of years ago going into 3 and there are turkeys out there. No kidding, we do collect a couple of animals there from time to time.

PatK-Mpls

Ok, so the turn that seems to really seperate people there is the carousel - turn 3, I think. It is my contention that you should come in and make a VERY early apex, trail brake hard to rotate the car and then very swiftly squeeze back to full throttle. (Incidentally, my best time last summer there was a 1:16.7 in a GT3)