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Pocono is tough. That's all there is to it. You may be going to the Honeymoon capital of the USA looking for a vacation but Pocono is no picinic. Pocono is best described as a road course and a superspeedway blended together. With three distinct corners, and the longest straightaway on the WC Circuit, pocono is a nightmare to set up for. Gaining in one corner, means giving in another. Your head wrench may pull his hair out before the weekend is over. An remember-we make two stops here per year! Turn 1 Turn 1 in it's own way may be the toughest at Pocono. What makes it so bad is not the turn itself but the fact that you have to slow from 200 mph down to 150 or 140. Turn 1 also causes many problems because the cars are often bunched up and checking up when getting into turn 1. Especially on the start of the race and on restarts take extra caution. An easy way to gain a few spots is to drive the car very high through turn 1 on the start. You can pass up to 10 cars if you can keep the car off the wall. Getting into 1: Start out at the wall in preparation for turn 1. You will have many opportunities to pass on the front stretch but, believe me, get back to the outside to make the turn in 1. Starting high, roll out of the throttle until you hit the apex of the turn. Once you reach the apex get back into the gas. While rolling out of the throttle you will have to tap the brakes. Depending on your set-up this may unsettle the car. It is best to tap the brakes while continuing in a straight line, because there is less of a chance of you losing the car as opposed to braking while turning, which is a dangerous maneuver and often leads to wrecks. Getting out of turn 1: As you get back into the gas, drive the car out to the wall. This gives you maximum speed exiting the turn, and maximum speed on the Long Pond Straightaway. The Tunnel Turn The tunnel turn may be the toughest turn at Pocono. The tunnel turn is very narrow and you usually cannot make a pass in this turn with getting at least two wheels in the grass (not recommended). As with turn 1, enter the turn high, tapping the brake (less so than in turn 1), and rolling out of the throttle. Drive the car down to the bottom of the turn getting back into the gas ASAP (usually at or just after the apex). You can usually make up some ground on the AI in the tunnel turn but leave the passing for the straightaways. Screenshot of the tunnel turn at right. Start high and get that car to the bottom. Turn Three Turn three may be the toughest turn at Pocono (see a pattern?). Turn three seems to be the turn that eats my tires the most. To get through turn three well you have to get into the brakes. No two ways about it. Again, you should prepare for the turn by starting the car out against the wall. This is not always possible because the straightaway just before turn three is a good place to pass. Brake a little early to prepare for the turn and then drive the car across the turn to the apex. At the apex, or middle of the turn your speed should be in the mid-130's. Slowwing to this speed usually will allow you to get through the turn with room to spare. If your are taking the turn perfectly then your car is out at the wall when you finish the turn. This allows you to keep all of your momentum for the front stretch, the longest straightaway in Nascar. To Shift or Not To Shift? I feel like you must use manual shifting at Pocono to turn fast laps. By using automatic shifting it allows you to concentrate on the other cars but it does not give you the power out of the turns that you need to be very competitive. Whether you shift or not the result will always be the same if you are not on your toes, or prepared for a race at Pocono (left). On the other hand, there is always good competitive racing if you are prepared (right)Have a nice vacation! |
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