I dunno man...Peter Krause and others say it's less technical than VIR. I'm registered, but I'm not sure it's worth my effort after doing a back to back weekend at VIR then Mid Ohio to THEN further haul my rig all the way over to Watkins Glen.

 

WGI is to tracks as Augusta is to golf.

 

It's less technical, but it's a different sort of track. Everything at the Glen is fast and has a great flow (not that VIR doesn't have a flow). The slowest corner of the Glen is 50% faster than the slowest corner at VIR. They are both great tracks.

I'll be at the 48 Hours. It should be a ton of fun.

 

Not a racer but have been visiting the Glen since '72 and driving it since '96....if you've never been there you're really missing out. it may not be as technical as, say, Mid-O, but it is long (3.4mi) and fast as hell.

As much as I enjoy Mid-O (I'm there 3 successive Fridays starting last week) if I had a choice I'd bag it and go to the Glen; yeah, the history's great but the track is better, and it'll never be better than it is right now with the recent repave.

Gary

 

Definitely do not miss the Glen just because it is less technical than VIR. It is in a word SPECTACULAR!

 

We know each other a little bit so please take this in the good-natured spirit in which it was intended: once you go to the Glen you will look back at this post and laugh at yourself. I promise.

You'll go right by my house on the way home too, let me know if you need a pitstop.

 

Hahaha! I hate that word, "technical." Reminds me of Alan Wilson designed tracks...

Watkins Glen IS the Holy Grail of US road racing tracks. The first, the only and so steeped in history, I get chills rolling into town. One of the first tracks I ever drove thirty-two years ago after it opened back up, lying fallow for a little while after the US GP left town.

With the improvements, it's spectacular. A joy to drive and a true test of driver and machine. Can't wait to head up for my spring and fall weeklong engagements, plus a few more individual events worked in.

This is true, IMO.

Given that it is by far our most popular Speed Secrets/Krause & Associates Virtual Track Walk, there are no shortage of drivers that want to do their best to master Watkins Glen, and with every possible morsel of information.

Ahh, maybe in a 914-4, but not in most cars!

Take a look at your data again, Matt, because your comparison is not valid or correct. Typical minimum speeds differ by less than 25%, depending on the car AND the driver!

Let's not forget that even on a Watkins Glen record lap (and I have open several IMSA, PCA, SCCA and historic car files at the moment to check this), there are FOUR places on this track within a few miles per hour in minimum speed, generally ranging between 58 mph and 65 mph for big formula cars and GT cars on slicks OR R-comps, FOUR places... And these are all on sub 2:00 (and a few sub 1:50.XX) laps. Mere mortals are often slower than this.

At VIR, there are FOUR places on that track within a few miles per hour in minimum speed, generally ranging between 46 mph and 54 mph for GT cars and formula car/sports racers, FOUR places... All these are all on sub 2:00 (and many sub 1:50XX) laps. Mere mortals are often NOT slower than this, at VIR.

As in most places, the potential for improvement lies not in going faster in the fast stuff, but going less slow and negotiating the slow stuff in a shorter period of time...

The more I do this, the less I tend to make sweeping statements.

That said, Turn 1, Turn 5, Turn 6 and Turn 10 are some of my all time FAVORITE corners! Awesome.

Yep, and the recent repave at The Glen is HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE! Hope Mid-O gets that treatment pretty soon, because not so much...

Haha! And that's the great thing about Rennlist. We're all friends.

 

For anyone going and looking for a refresher, I captioned the first lap here so I could run through all the corner numbers in my head.

 

Thanks David! And, as you know, I'm quite used to eating my hat/habit so.....will prepare for that eventuality

Just for the record:
My intent was NOT to dis the venerable and hallowed circuit of Watkins Glen...rather that I'm afraid I'll be too burned out after doing 3 back to back to back events to then undertake the necessary trek.

(In rereading my post, I can see how it may have sounded dismissive of the track itself, but was more about logistics and my capacity/stamina.)

 

[QUOTE=ProCoach;14138791]Hahaha! I hate that word, "technical." Reminds me of Alan Wilson designed tracks...

Yeah, Peter, like Mosport (FOUR 100mph turns in my goofy Mini on street tires--imagine a FAST car) and LeCircuit....I think Wilson was a masochist

Yep, and the recent repave at The Glen is HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE! Hope Mid-O gets that treatment pretty soon, because not so much...

Me too--I've been calling for it for years. They need to quit taking the low contractor bid on sealer and redo the damned thing!!

Gary

 

That's what I think

 

If there is a heaven, and I'm allowed in, I want to spend all "eternity" driving WGI and Mid-O.

 

I have only done WGI and NJMP Lightning.
WGI is much faster as Matt stated.
However, I think it is less technical then lightning.
I am only novice so take with a grain of salt.

 

I installed a camera, I was hoping to record me passing you

 

I have room in white, black and red run groups. Green and yellow are sold out.
I definitely need more instructors as I still have drivers on the waitlist.

Also, we do have camping at the 48 hours. There are showers on site out near the pyramid.