AlanL

as a part of the track Grand Opening and even after doing a track walk and thinking about my lines I really missed just how tight that turn now is. I picked out the turn in spot I had noted earlier and jumped in still in third and promptly found myself a little wide eyed at how badly that missed the required speed of the new turn.

It wasn't the case that we were not traveling at speeds that would let you get in real trouble but it was quickly clear that this turn completely changes the rhythm of coming out of the turns and into the backside straight. This is definitely going to be the place to be in watching races at PIR because 7 is wide enough for a LOT of cars to try to pass each other through the turn.

Turn 6 now requires a complete rethink of how approach it and now is more like a left hand version of 4/5 than the old single apex turn.

General rule - stay off the curbs almost everywhere. The new teeth will not be kind and this track now has lots of them in places that used to be curb hopping heaven.

Jdog35

Oh wait...that was me I couldn't resist taking the HOG out there on such a nice day. That, and I'm heading to Bremerton EARLY tomorrow morning for the Audi clinic, so the TT needed a nap.

s4jones

Hopefully a major series will come back to town.

Effect you describe seems to make sense comparing the old and new maps. Little changes can make a big difference, eh?

Old map:
<img src="http://www.trackpedia.com/w/images/4/4b/PortlandIntl.jpg">

New map:
<img src="http://www.portlandraceway.com/graphics/BigMap2.gif">

No doubt it'll be entertaining to drive as well.

AlanL

Which is welcome news for me. After several thousand laps of DE time on that track driving and almost that many more instructing I was getting pretty bored with the circuit.

Yeah - it would be nice to watch a real race from back there. Maybe next year - sigh.

schwank

Thanks for the tip... can't wait to get out there tomorrow!

AlanL

From what I can see stay all the way outside (on the right) on 6 until you get to what about where the old apex used to be on the left and only then start migrating over to the curbing on the left so you apex across from the far end new stub apron at the outside.

Stay on the left side of the track until you reach the edge of the new curbing on the inside of 7 and then turn in. You will then be able to hit full throttle for the backside straight as of the apex of 7.

It's hard getting used to the view of 7 at turn in - the amount of pavement between you on the left side of the track and the curbing on the inside looks like an empty shopping mall parking lot. This is where race days will get nuts - there is enough room for up to 3 or 4 cars wide through there.

Jdog35

I agree. There is a lot of real estate in there. Should make things interesting for sure.

s4jones

Luckily, it's easier to correct than is a spoken one.

AlanL

jeremy_matrix

Bikes looked quick out there yesterday!