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'The Miracle Mile' The one mile oval at Loudon, New Hamshire is one of the few opportunities for the Winston Cup Circuit to come north. With the banking at a mere 12 degrees and the turns unforgiving, the competition here can be tough...that is, unless you do your homework. While not the most popular Sim track, Loudon is an easy track to learn and win at. If you are in a racing league, you can usually score pretty well with just a little practice. Four Factors While getting ready for a weekend up north, there are four factors that you have to keep in mind to be successful. They are finding your brake points, getting through the turns, passing, and finally, pit strategy. If taken as individual factors, none of these will make you win...put them together, and a win is almost guaranteed. Brake Points Each individual driver is going to have there own brake point or points. These points are basically the spots on the track where you feel comfortable starting to brake getting into the turn. Your brake point should allow you enough time to get the car settled down with driving the car too deep into the turn. The only real way to define your brake point is to practice. Turn as many hot laps as possible experimenting and defining your own brake point. Factors that will change your brake point are your car set up, the amount of wear on your tires and the line you use getting into the corners. Your Line through the Turns Your line through the turns will vary depending on two things: your set up and your tire wear. On fresh tires, with a good set up, you should be at the bottom of the race track. This will make the track as short as possible and will afford you the most passing opportunities. You can tell how good your set up is by the line you take. If you have to move the car up a lane or two in the turns then you know your set up can probably use some work. As your tires wear then you will probably have to find the best line. Don't be afraid to experiment in practice. The shortest route is not always the fastest. By running a little bit higher you can sometimes gain a speed advantage because your rpm's remain high through and out of the turns. This can be a dangerous line because you have to cut across the track, risking hitting other cars that are running a more conventional line. Passing Passing at Loudon, NH can be characterized as classic 'short track'. Meaning, get your nose up to the rear quarter panel of the other guy and then out brake him into the turns. You can usually force the AI to move up through the turns and then pull away from them on the straightaway. Pit Strategy If your set up is not the fastest on the track, don't worry. Tire wear will usually allow you to run a full tank of fuel. Cautions are usually plentiful or non-existent. If you know you don't have anything for the leaders then take every chance to pit. This will extend your window and if your luck is right you may just pull off a win playing the pit strategy game. |
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