Restricted IT Double at GingerMan

[luckymotorsports]

Come to the only SCCA race at GingerMan on July 11-12. This is a SCCA national weekend with a double restricted regional for IT cars. More information coming.

 

[RedMisted]

I heard they made some changes to the circuit layout to enable the track to be more driveable. I used to run track days there and I remember the place to be very difficult to drive consistently fast. It was tight, narrow, relatively flat and featureless, required tons of shifting, and had some hard-to-see apex and track out points. Without a long straightaway, it's seems more of a glorified go-kart track than anything else, IMO. (Sorry to offend anybody, because it is a true test of driver skill...)

So what changes have they made?

 

[ddewhurst]

***I used to run track days there and I remember the place to be very difficult to drive consistently fast. It was tight, narrow, relatively flat and featureless, required tons of shifting, and had some hard-to-see apex and track out points.***

Chris, I sometimes offen people without trying. I have raced on eight tracks in the midwest. Gingerman is what I'll call a VERY technical track with LATE apex turns including mild elevation. Elevation is not nearly as extreme as Mid Ohio's two vertically blind corners. ITA RX7 last time I was there.

IMHJ, it's a DRIVERS track.

 

[shwah]

You guys driving the same Gingerman that is in South Haven? My recollection is very little shifting (like never in many street cars), relatively simple/safe track, elevation up the front straight, up the 2-3 straight, down the 3-4-5 kink.

Never raced there, but turned lots of laps in lots of cars and always considered it a good beginner track. I have always thought it might get more challenging in a race, but have not had a chance to find out.

 

[RedMisted]

You guys driving the same Gingerman that is in South Haven? My recollection is very little shifting (like never in many street cars), relatively simple/safe track, elevation up the front straight, up the 2-3 straight, down the 3-4-5 kink.

Yeah, the track's got some elevation, but not within the context of a Mid Ohio, Watkins Glen, Mosport, etc. In other words, it's RELATIVELY flat.

As for shifting, because of all the corners compressed into Gingerman's 1.88-mi. layout, plus how my driveline is set up, I'm shifting more times per mile than at other places. Yeah, in many street cars you would do much less shifting because such are geared for fuel-efficient street driving and not maximum acceleration out of corners and up straights.

Granted, Gingerman is one of the safest tracks out there. I'd race it in a heartbeat, but would expect to suffer a couple dings, etc. due to its tight confines.

 

[tom91ita]

track expansion is for 2010 per this:

http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/hometownwest/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1227018011154990.xml&coll=7

i was there for a track day last summer and some dirt was piled up to the east side of the track.

relatively safe beginner track but i prefer grattan, mid-ohio, etc.

with regards to shifting, i am doing 3-4-3 several times but it does not seem overly so. i never see 5th.

 

[Eagle7]

track expansion is for 2010 per this:

http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/hometownwest/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1227018011154990.xml&coll=7

i was there for a track day last summer and some dirt was piled up to the east side of the track.

relatively safe beginner track but i prefer grattan, mid-ohio, etc.

with regards to shifting, i am doing 3-4-3 several times but it does not seem overly so. i never see 5th.

What he said. Safest (and slowest) track I've been to - never seen anyone hit anything but another car, but M-O and Grattan are my favorites.

Tom, any info on the new layout? Extending the main straight to bypass T1? I think the only interesting elevation change is at the end of the main straight - hope they keep that.

 

[tom91ita]

i have see variations of this from sites like this:

http://www.sttforum.com/sttforum/viewtopic.php?t=4573&sid=e9fcdab37312d8b44491877474ad1dff

the dirt i saw along the east and SE area of the property would be consistent with the banking shown here.

and going counterclockwise would not hurt my feelings at all. i never did like the right hander to the front straight with the tire wall there. reminded me too much of putnam park.

:

 

[Eagle7]

Thanks Tom. That's quite different than what I imagined.

Yes, T11 - that's where the flaggers gave me the treasured Nadia Comaneci award. I saw the guys standing above the tire wall running, then a little berm launched me up-up-up - to a perfect sideways 4-point landing in the sand trap without a twitch - perfect 10.

I guess running CCW creates a T2 problem, but that should be a much lower speed spot.

 

[luckymotorsports]

GingerMan is all 3rd-4th gear in my Miata. The track is very technical and even though I have driven hundreds of laps there, I still find it very difficult to turn a perfect lap. Almost impossible to hit anything if you have an off. Great track to run in the rain because you can really push the limits and not worry about hitting anything if you slide off.

Probably not the greatest track for high-horsepower cars due to limited straights. But,there are 3 good passing zones under braking. Pretty smooth except for one bump near the apex in T11.

Keep it in mind for 2000 and we'll do our best as a region to make it worth your while.

Thanks.

 

[RedMisted]

That's just what Gingerman needs--a longer straight preceding the final turn. I'd dearly love to see that. But I wouldn't want to see T11 change--although it's probably in everybody's best interest if it does! Can't have cars flying 130 mph toward a concrete wall!