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Track Day at Pocono - By Steve Divins
August 2008
I recently had the pleasure of running the full course at Pocono Raceway. It was a nice treat compared to the usual North, South, or East course that I normally get to run. The paddock and garage areas seemed almost empty as it didn’t have the bustle and noise of three clubs using the track at the same time. After a quick morning meeting and flag chat, the track went green.
We ran the full course clockwise, coming out of NASCAR turn 1 onto the front straight, then into the infield just past pit out. The infield connects back to the tri-oval at the back of the track, just in time to let you get a run through the tunnel turn, down the straight and right into the before-mentioned banked NASCAR turn 1.
After an iffy weather forecast, the day ended up pretty nice. We were able to get four 25 minute sessions on track. With a mandatory lunch break for the flaggers, it ended up being plenty of track time for the day.
My first session left a little to be desired. The track was cold and the tires had a tough time coming up to temperature. I lacked the confidence to really push through some of the faster turns, but got a pretty good smile going on the long straights. I decided to keep it safe and not go for too much too early… It was only a track day, not a race!
By the time my second session came around, the sun had broken through and the track was warming up nicely. As we lined up on pit lane to be released, I could feel some confidence coming back. After two laps I could feel the grip of the tires and I knew I would have a good run. I started pushing through the corners and really got to feel the banking of turn 1. This was a great run… very fun.
Now it was lunch time. Since I bring my truck and trailer to the track, I am able to travel heavy. I bring a small grill and a big cooler. Hot dogs and hamburgers… and I opted for the light blue Gatorade. After a few minutes for my stomach to settle, I was ready to get back on the track.
Session three came up and it was cloudy. The track cooled a bit and it seemed like a really long time since my last run. I locked up my rear heading into the left hander before the back straight and ran wide through that turn. That messed up my entrance to the back straight, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. As I got to the end of the front straight, I missed my turn in and had to use the run-off area and wait to get back in. I opted to end this session early and try to clear my head for the last run.
This turned out to be a good idea as my final run of the day was the best. I hit some of my fastest straightaway speeds and felt great through the corners… amazing the difference a session can make.
All in all, it was a great day. A lot of fun was had, and having the entire track for just one club was great. By the way, the club I ran with was the Porsche Club… I did this one on four wheels!
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