Road Atlanta – Turn by Turn

Note: All passing zone data depicted below is based on "advanced driver" rules, if you are in a different run group please consult your organization or chief instructor for passing zones that are appropriate for your run group.

• Turn 1 – Begin braking at about the 150 ft. mark. Similar braking level to turn one at  Sebring. Firm but not standing on them. As McKay says, don’t over slow here. Shift 5th to 4th. There are two pit exits from the upper paddock that will be in your peripheral vision to the left. Turn in about where the first pit exit meets the grass and as the road narrows from the left (see video). Turn toward the corner worker station understanding that the apex is about 30 ft past the corner worker station. Power hard to the apex and power hard up the hill in 4th.
• Turn 2 – is a very minor left (like 8 at Sebring) but it is completely blind and it is important to be set up for late braking in to 3. As you come up the hill from 1 look to the center of the tall pines. Line the car up to the left edge of the right tree knowing that you will slide left through  2 for hard braking for 3. Turn 2 (and the braking zone for 3) will come in to view once you get to the top of the hill.
• Turn 3 – At the top of the hill you can see the apex rumble strips for turn 3 (a slight right hander similar to 15 at Sebring). Line up to the left side of the road, stab the brake hard, just long enough to grab 3rd gear,  then turn toward the top of the inside rumble strips. Once you turn in, press hard back on the power and clout the very top rumble strips hard with the right front.  If you do this correctly the car will literally launch and it will pitch you in the right direction for 4a. It sounds a little more dramatic than it is and once you do it a few times it will be one of your favorite parts of the track.
• Turn 4 – is the esses and it actually has four parts. Left (call it 4a just after turn 3), 4b a blind right (at the very crest of the hill), then steeply down essentially straight with a left right squiggle at the bottom of the hill that is the braking zone for 5. Again, it sounds kind of intimidating but once you do it once, it will be as natural as riding a bike. Take 4a flat in 3rd keeping the car tight to the left rumble strips. Shift to 4th as soon as your hands are straight. There is a road (part of the motorcycle course) that comes in from the left. At the very end of this road is a short rumble strip on the left (you still cannot see the apex of 4b yet). Get the car to that left hand strip and at the end of the strip, turn slight right to the apex of 4b. The rest of the esses come in to view at this point. This is intimidating at first and requires a bit of a ryhthm.  Done correctly this is all flat from the turn in at three to the braking for 5. The left right squiggle at the bottom of the hill is a very intuitive. Keep the car left to the end of the strips at 4c and straight line brake (with a downshift to third) to the strips on the right. This little squiggle, which is the set up for turn 5 is slightly uphill which aids in slowing the car and loading the car at turn in.
• Turn 5 – Turn in for five is at the end of the right rumble strip. The apex for 5 is late (almost at the end of the inside strip). At the apex the car should be pointing toward the top of the corner worker pagoda at the top of the hill between 5 and 6 and you should be hard on the throttle. Aim for that pagoda as you straighten your hands and the exit comes into view. As McKay states, the outside of the rumble strips is paved and the fast guys go 4 wheels off over the paved strip and back on the tarmac after the corner. This takes some balls the first few times as well but once you get it, it is fun. From 5 to 6 is flat with an upshift to 4th at the appropriate time.
• Turn 6 – The entry to 6 is downhill flat in 4th and you are approaching quickly and it seems a little intimidating at first (like 10 at Sebring). But, the turn is slightly uphill with good camber all the way through. So, you can brake later than you think at the 300 stripe across the road (shifting to third) and lighter than you might think. Turn in is late at about the 100 strip and you should be hard on the power through the apex which is around the corner in a little dip (like 13 at Sebring). Power hard through the turn and up a slight grade to the track out, which quickly becomes the braking point for 7.
• Turn 7 – Braking for 7 is all about feel. You will undoubtedly over brake the first few sessions and probably most of the weekend. This is a great place to “know where to go slow to go fast” as the exit of 7 is hairy. In my opinion, unlike McKay’s bonsai description, it is wiser to be a little slow and smooth here and live to race another day. 7 is all third gear. The turn in for 7 is the end of the turn 6 track out rumble strip. The inside rumbles are low so you can climb all over them as you point the car to the exit rumbles. Knowing your style, you’ll be all over these and hard on it on the way out. As a side note – the inside of 7 is my favorite place to watch. Back in the day, the 962s would be way off boost going through 7, coming on full boost dramatically at the exit, shifting to third on full boost up the hill away from us. It was exhilarating to watch.
• Turn 8,9 – Anyway the back straight is boring in an e30 (like the back straight at Sebring). It takes all day to wind out 4th and 5th is a bit of a non event just saving wear and tear on the valve train.
• Turn 10 – You can go deeper in to 10a than you might think at first braking past the Arai sign at about the 200 mark. The fast guys go to the 150 mark and stand on them. 10a and 10b are very simple 3rd gear 90 degree turn on which you can clout the inside curbs at the apexes. Do them as fast as you dare understanding that a fast exit of 10b is critical for a fast lap.
• Turn 11 – Coming up the hill toward the bridge is weird. You cannot see jack shit. Line yourself up to the left coming up the hill. At the end of the rumble strip turn slight right aiming just past the right bridge abutment toward the pit in for the lower paddock. This feels weird but it puts your car at the correct angle as you crest the hill.
• Turn 12 – Once you can see your way down the hill, hug the grass on the left and wait for the end of the rumble strip on the left. As the end of that strip on the left exits your peripheral vision, look to the apex well down the road on the right, then the flag stand, and keep your hands straight and do not lift.

And that is a lap of Road Atlanta.   After your first session you will be saying “Holy Crap”. After a few more sessions you’ll be saying “Holy Crap that was fun”.

Turn-by-Turn information provided with-permission by

©2017 - Condor Speed Shop
Written by Don Stevens for a first-timer at Road Atlanta
Check out the original article here!