When I ran the IMSA course in a SCCA HPDE they ran the long straight and turned right into the North infield.

 

You ran the "North Infield with the Bowl". The "IMSA" course is the other direction : Run down the front staight in the NASCAR direction, NASCAR 1, Back Straight (Long Pond Straight), NASCAR 2, and then turn left into the North Infield.

 

Many groups run that track configuration in the reverse direction of the IMSA course. It is very different when run clockwise, and considered more safe by those groups. IMSA never ran that course. When either T-1 or T-3 of the bowl are run in a clockwise direction (opposite NASCAR direction), most spinning cars will spin down to the inside instead of up into the outer wall. Most spins coming onto the NASCAR course from the North Infield end up with the car spinning down to the infield. The very few that get up into the outside wall are usually caused by the spin being caught and then over correcting in the opposite direction, just as a recent contact with the outer wall happened. The only other contact with the outer wall that I have seen in the last seven years was caused by a mechanical failure at high speed.

 

Thank you for correcting my understanding of the IMSA course. I suppose running it clockwise should just be reffered to as the long course. When I ran that event I did see one car take on the wall when coming out of the chicane. Was not a spin. Just got loose and slid into the wall.

 

I don't know - maybe I'm a nut, or maybe my car is geared uniquely...

I like that quick fast turn 3 + straight, then that high speed right, then the one gear downshift to the tighter right. The short chute is a nice "dwell time" before the left hand turn - and then you have this triple "ess" combination - the right, accelerating into a larger left hand turn, tap the brakes and a right.
Rinse. Repeat.

It's also neat how you can practically see the whole track at once! It really gives you a good vantage point to see where others are.



Edit: it's like a large, quick autocross course - without being a "sea of cones"!

 

The Pocono track has no "soul" and feels like an afterthought thrown in to appease the clubs. Actually, it feels like we are driving down access roads for the campers on their way to their parking spots for the NASCAR races.

That being said, with no elevation changes, I agree that you can see the entire course easily and it does make the course particularly confidence inspiring. I find that whenever I need to boost my confidence a bit, Pocono does the trick quite well.

It is, however, by FAR the bumpiest track I've ever been on. Lime Rock and Summit Point are mild by comparison.

 

Agreed, by far the bumpiest.

 

I was discussing this with a track nut -- and neither of us is that familiar with the Poconos. (My last time there was about 1970 for a weekend rock concert.) He asked me a questions I couldn't answer -- maybe someone here can.

When leaving pit row are there two entrances onto the track? Or is there only one?
When getting onto the track - is there a starter there? Or is it up to the driver without assistance?

See what I mean... thanks.

 

Worse than Sebring? Not sure when you were last on the North Course, but it is much better currently since the repaving than it was not too long ago. The South infield is worse now.

 

There is one pit exit, but the clubs go both ways out the hot pit, so you could describe it as two exits. At every event that I had the (misfortune?) of attending, there was a starter standing at the beginning of the blend line.

 

I have been there twice but IIRC when you run the North course(clockwise) you start on the NASCAR track opposite pitwall and run part of the straight (very little) and onto the bowl passing this turn in question where cars one lap ahead of you are exiting the infield and entering the bowl. You run the entire course before actually being on this turn in question. It is an exit from the infield on the North coursse.

When you run the double infield(clockwise) you start behind what would be the entrance to pitwall (when NASCAR runs counter-clockwise)and turn almost immediately into the turn in question never entering the NASCAR track where cars already on the track will be turning in behind you to enter the field. On the Double Infield course this turn in question is an entrance onto the infield.

They had starters both times (HOD event)

 

South infield is worse than Sebring. North is ok, I agree with that. The last time I was there was this June event last year.

 

Agreed on the south infield. I know two people with race suspensions who damaged their suspension on the south infield last year.

 

I have to ask the obvious question here: Every single event I have ever done at Pocono North had the "hot" pit marked with cones and a worker releasing cars from the staging area up against the speedway wall. (even the Google maps picture has that setup....."cones" and writing added by me, obviously )

How in the world can a car end up going the wrong way? were drugs involved?

 

First of all I don't know what happened, but I suspect if it was early in this event and the driver had run 100's of laps on the double infield in prior events they MIGHT have been fooled into turning in the same spot?? No excuses just guess work on my part.