Phoenix is one of the toughet stops on the circuit.  This flat one mile track with a dogleg on the backstretch is a unique blend of speed and handling.  To run well here you must be able to race a loose car.

Loose is fast:
Fast laps at Phoenix require a loose set-up.  If you can handle the car loose you will be fast and you will be able to run up front.  Try increasing the rear bias (from the Ace set-up), to slightly more than 50%.  Reduce cross weight slightly, to about +0.  Now we're talking loose.   If you can drive the car this way you will be plenty fast enough.

Shocks 
You should be able to get good tire wear at Phoenix, so experiment with the shocks, increasing their stiffness to make the car more responsive in traffic.

The Groove
Enter turn one toward the middle of the track.  Drive the car slightly lower on the track as you round the apex, but you don't want to go to the bottom of the track.  The lower you get in one, the car becomes more and more loose, especially with the car on the edge of out of control anyway.  You'll drive the car out of turn one out to the wall.  At this point you have to be thinking about the dog leg. 

The mac version of PIR does not really do justice to the track here.  Under normal conditions you should be able to run two wide through here.  Unfortunately, the mac version does not allow two wide racing unless one of you is in the grass.  I usually try to run the car down to the grass, occasionally getting at least two wheels into it.  Getting the car into the grass is not a problem.  Occasionally though, this will upset the handling of the car.  If you do plan to get in the grass then you should be prepared to recover the car as you come out of the grass.  The car has a tendency to want to edge out toward the wall when coming back on the track after running through the grass.  Turn three:  As you exit the dogleg, drive the car to the middle of the track and then move out to the outside as you prepare to enter turn three.  I like to drive through turn three high and then as I hit the middle of the turn move down toward the white line and cut across turn four. This gets you a good head of steam as you run across the front stretch, across the start, finish line and back to turn one.

The First Lap
The start and the first lap is very important.  The green flag drops quickly as the pace car peels off of the track and enters the pits.  Be ready, because the rest of the field will jump on you if you give them a chance.  As you get up to speed on the front stretch be ready to check up as you enter turn one because all of those cars slow very quickly and your day could be over before it starts.   

Phoenix International Raceway

Length: 1.0 miles

Banking: 11 degrees

Pit Window: 80-90 laps

Best Lap:130.000

 

Download Set-Up

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