Track guide

Jimbo · Track guide

I will be using this section to post information on the STCC tracks as we go to them. These will be writtern from a drivers point of view (my self) and I will try and cover all the points about the track and include some photos to help.

Jimbo · Southend

The first track in this short guide is Southend. When ever the Southend track is mentioned there is always a groan from someone in the room. This is because the first thing that people think of about the track is the bumps. The track was laid over an old off-road track years ago and the tarmac was laid by hand instead of machine. This has given the track "ripples" that can bounce the car about and make holding a consistant line very tricky indeed.

The layout of the track is actually quite nice with some nice flowing corners and some fast sections but it also plays host to several tricky hair pins and switch backs. The track also has a nice gradient which gives it a different dimension and adds some interesting features to some of the corners. The main "feature" being the Alpine section. This is in my opinion the nicest section to the track but also one of the hardest to get right. Its also a bit of a car killer in the fact that if you get it slightly wrong its race over!

The first corners.

The above photo shows the first corner of the track and the fast chichane leading into the first of several hair pins. The first corner can be taken easily flat providing you get the line right but you also need to be thinking about the exit of the corner as well. This is due to the fast chichane that follows as you need to be braking whilst turning to make the entrance which is extremely tricky. you can then flick the car right then left and use the drain on the inside of the hairpin to help pivot the car round ready for the run into the infield. The next corner is again a hairpin but nothing too challenging and then a gentle right hander to head into the Alpine section.

The Alpine section got its name due to the hill that it is built on. Although not really visable on the above photo its steep enough at the top to make the cars "light" and in some cases take off completly. The section is entered to begin with on a decieving left hand hairpin. Its decieving due to the slight slope that falls away from the drivers stand and makes the corner seem to be tighter than it looks. Then next up is a double right hander with the second apex being tighter then the first but providing enough room if a mistake is made. This part of the track is the closest to the drivers stand being almost directly below the drivers feet. The cars then accelerate up the hill to the highest point of the track. The line here is cruicial as too wide and you will find the wall on the outside and too tight and you end up comprimising yourself for the run down the hill. Also as the cars can sometimes take off over the crest of the hill the line needs to be spot on as there are no brakes or steering in the air so the run up the hill needs to be perfect.

The down hill section of the Alpine is in my mind the most fun bit of the track. There are 3 points on the track that you need to make in order to be fast and missing any one of these points can ruin you lap and in some cases your day!!! The first point is a painted kerb on the inside and can be mounted with all 4 wheels. The second point is a similar kerb on the outside of the section next to the round grassy island which can just be touched with the outside wheels. The track then starts to open up here then its a case of keeping it planted and aiming for the final apex and watching out for the wall on the outside. Too tight here and you will clip the large kerp on the inside. Too wide and the wall on the exit will bite you.

The end is in site.

After exiting the Alpine (Hopefully with all 4 corners of the car intact) Its then over the the right side of the track and hard on the brakes for a very tight left handed hairpin. The bumps here make it very tricky in the braking zone and can easily throw you off line making you run wide and in some cases spin out completly. Its then a short run to the final corner which is a hammer head affair causing the cars to understeer on the turn in under braking and to run wide on the exit. This is also slightly blind from the drivers stand and is tighter than it looks making it very easy to clip the kerb on the entrance to the hairpin. Its then a case of opening the throtle all the way as the corner opens up onto the good sized main straight and keeping it stable over the ripples to have another go. All in all a very challenging but also rewarding lap if done correctly.

A good run round the track is about 16 laps in the 5 minutes and the track record is 17 I believe. The main changes that I made to my car was to raise the ride height up all round to cater for the bumps and to sofften the damping slightly to make it more stable.