TOCA Touring Cars Track Summary 
by Brian Ford
TOCA Touring Cars Track Summary
by
Brian Ford
DONINGTON GP - From the start finish
line, hard on the gas to Redgate staying out wide to the left.
Brake, turn in staying off the throttle until through the second
part of the apex then back on the power. Accelerate all the way
through Hollywood, Craner, then brake for Old Hairpin, turn in on
the apex then power out hard. Stay on the power through Starkeys
and Schwantz, lift off/brake and turn in for the uphill right
hander at McLeans. Be hard on the power from mid corner and all
the way to Coppice, lifting off and taking the first turn then
back on the power quickly to drive the second apex as one long
curve. Hard on the power until the Esses then brake HARD and get
a clean left-right run, back on the power in the change of
direction mid corner. Run fast to Melbourne hairpin, brake hard
again and get an out wide turn in for a fast line out back on the
gas soon as the car is getting straight. Fast run to Goddard then
braking down to get into then out of the corner cleanly while
keeping revs up.
Summary - Important corners are
Redgate, Old Hairpin and McLeans. Get back on the power quickly
in slow corners, keeping revs up by "blipping" the
throttle while under brakes and turning. Best overtaking - At the
Esses, Goddards or uphill into Coppice. Do NOT fight for position
through Redgate or Old Hairpin. Avoid going up the
"inside" (right hand side of track) into Redgate.
SILVERSTONE
- From
the left side of the track, lift off and turn in through the VERY
fast right hander at Copse, getting back on the throttle soon
after the apex. Hold the power down through the left-right at
Maggots then brake HARD for Becketts and turn in, getting on the
gas quickly for the run out through fast left-right-left series
that leads onto the straight that runs to Farm corner. Brake hard
and turn in sharply at Farm, getting a tight clean line then a
fast hard run out through the left-right at Abbey. Hold the power
on through Bridge, brake for Priory then accelerate and brake
lightly with a late turn in from out wide (right) at Brookland.
Hold the power down for the double right hander at Luffield and
the run onto the gently curving right hand curve through Woodcote
and onto the front straight.
Summary - Important corners are
Copse, Becketts and Farm for fast laps. Keep the speed up through
the Priory-Brookland-Luffield section. Best ovetaking is under
brakes into Becketts or Farm, and into Priory. Avoid banging
doors through high speed corners like Copse, or Maggots.
THRUXTON
- Fast
right hand sweeper under power through Allard. After the slight
left kink, brake for the right hander at Campbell which is over a
crest and downhill. Accelerate through the left at Cobb then the
gentle right at Segrave which opens out. On the gas all the way
through the fast flat left at Noble and the long right at
Goodwood, which tightens up a little through Church. Fast through
the right at Church and the giant long gentle sweeping left that
is Brooklands before braking HARD for the right-left-right
chicane at Club, aiming to get on the power uphill after the
first right and through the left and right remainder then back
onto the front straight.
Summary - Club chicane and the
Campbell-Cobb series are the most important corners. best
overtaking is into Club under brakes but must be clean. A
sometimes better tactic is to get a faster run into then out of
Campbell-Cobb then out accelerate through Segrave. With such high
speeds for most of the lap AVOID rubbing fenders where possible
and aim to outdrive the opposition rather than biff and barge. Do
NOT cut the left side of the chicane at Club - the barriers do
NOT move.
BRANDS HATCH
"Indy" - Fast sweeping right from the start finish
line to Paddock bend; a right hand downhill over crest corner.
Brake lightly, tuck in tight on the apex and hard on the gas down
the hill, while trying not to run wide. DRIFT to the left uphill
towards Druids, then brake and turn in keeping revs and speed up
as much as possible. fast run downhill under power through the
sweeping bumpy left at Graham Hill bend and onto Cooper
"straight" which is actually curved left. Stay on the
power through Surtees until the road rises again into Mclaren.
Lift off the gas and turn in across the apex at the crest of the
hill where Clark begins. Hard on the gas again for the run onto
the curved and slightly banked Brabham "straight". It
IS possible to run a lap at Brands and only use the brakes once
for the turn at Druids.
Summary - You need to be fast
EVERYWHERE at Brands, which is a challenge as the track is narrow
and bumpy. Getting Paddock and Druids right is important. Best
overtaking is by running a faster & tighter line through
Paddock and pass down the hill, or under brakes uphill into
Druids, or by getting a fast run down the hill from Druids and
overtaking at Graham Hill where a lot of cars run wide. Avoid
running wide out of Paddock, and watch the turn in uphill into
McLaren.
OULTON
PARK - The
first right hander at Old Hall can be taken almost flat out, with
just a lift off the gas. Watch for bumps on the exit unsettling
the car. The track curves gently right and downhill to the left
kink at Cascades, which can be taken flat if line up is good.
Fosters comes up fast and requires a good jab on the brakes
before turning in and accelerating along the short straight to
Knickerbrook which has a bump in it that can throw the car about.
The run uphill is flat out through the left curve of Clay Hill,
followed by Druids - a double apex right hander. Lift off for the
first apex, clip the second while getting back on the power. Run
flat out to Lodge, brake hard and turn in, holding off the
throttle until over the crest as the corner tightens after the
apex. Negotiate the gentle left in the dip at Deer Leap while
accelerating towards the start / finish line.
Summary - To be quick, you need to
be clean and fast through Cascade into Fosters. Lodge is the most
important corner and must be gotten right for fast laps. Best
overtaking is under brakes into Fosters, or at Lodge. Often a
faster run out of Fosters through Knickerbrook can give an edge
up Clay Hill for overtaking. The fast corners at Druids and Old
hall are not good places to get into fender banging.
DONINGTON
SHORT
- From the start finish line, hard on the gas to Redgate staying
out wide to the left. Brake, turn in staying off the throttle
until through the second part of the apex then back on the power.
Accelerate all the way through Hollywood, Craner, then brake for
Old Hairpin, turn in on the apex then power out hard. Stay on the
power through Starkeys and Schwantz, lift off/brake and turn in
for the uphill right hander at McLeans. Be hard on the power from
mid corner and all the way to Coppice, lifting off and taking the
first turn then back on the power quickly to drive the second
apex as one long curve. Accelerate hard towards the Esses, then
brake hard and turn in, aiming to get your corner entry speed set
before turning, then get on the power once between the left and
right sections for a fast run out.
Summary - As for DONINGTON GP for
the most part. Best overtaking is still under brakes into Coppice
or from a faster run through Redgate. Overtaking under brakes
into the Esses can be done but must be timed to perfection.
CROFT - Keep to the left of the
track after crossing the start / finish line. Brake lightly for
the first part of the Hawthorn bend complex, which is a right /
left kink. Squirt the throttle coming out, before drifting into
the first part of the double apex right hander. Accelerate
through the seconf apex towards the Chicane, which can be taken
without lifting by running over the ripple strips. Hard on the
gas to Tower Bend, brake hard then turn in and drive the corner
to the apex, lift off to avoid running wide, then hammer the
throttle again and race towards Jim Clark curves, which can be
taken flat out, as can the right at Barcrof. Brake for Sunny,
turn in and get back on the power, aiming to clip both of the
apexes in this double apex right while accelerating towards the
complex curves near the pits. Brake and turn into the left
hander, squirt the gas before braking again for the tight right.
Back on the gas again for the short straight towards the 180 deg
left hairpin, for another stab on the brakes and a tight turn in
across the apex, getting on the gas as soon as possible to
accelerate towards the start / finish line again.
Summary - The Hawthorn complex is
important to getting fast laps, as is the series of tight turns
near the pits. Tower Bend needs to be mastered as well for fast
times here. Best overtaking is under brakes into Tower or Sunny,
and sometimes with a faster run out of the tight left hairpin
that leads back onto the main straight. Hawthorn is NOT a good
place to get to rubbing fenders.
KNOCKHILL - Brake
late for Duffus and turn in. The corner is a blind apex downhill
over crest. Get back on the gas through the following left kink,
then brake for McIntyre which is tighter than it looks.
Accelerate through the right kink at Butcher's, then lift off for
the over crest left- right flick through Chicane. Hard on the gas
up to Clark, then through this sweeping uphill right with just a
lift off the throttle - no braking required if you are good. Hard
on the power all the way to the critical hard right hairpin at
Taylor's. Brake late and hard, turn in getting back on the power
to drive the corner all the way around for a fast run back down
Stewart straight.
Summary
-
Because the first corner at Duffus is blind, it is easy to
overcook it and run wide, so take care and watch your braking
markers. The section through McIntyre - Butcher's - Chicane is
tight and not good for passing. Best overtaking is under brakes
into Taylor's. Next best is under brakes into Duffus but be
careful of entry speed, and if you can master the turn at Clark
that is another prime place to nip up the inside, as most cars
brake for it.
SNETTERTON
- The
first corner at Riches is a double apex right. Lift off the gas
for the first, then hammer it again as you clip the second and
race up the short straight towards Sear. Brake hard but then get
on the power again and drive the corner all the way around. The
fast Revett Straight brings you to the Esses - brake lightly for
the left, turn in then brake hard right up to but NOT into the
right hander and get on the power again quickly, staying on it
all the way through Bomb Hole and Coram corners. The Russell
chicane needs care and attention - brake hard, turn in on the
first, right hand part, and "blip" the throttle to keep
revs up before tapping the brakes and turning into the tighter
left kink. Avoid running wide and get on the power quickly to get
a good run out onto the main straight.
Summary
- The
fast right hander at Riches needs careful attention. The slower
sections at the Esses and Russell chicane need to be gotten
through as smoothly and quickly as possible. Best overtaking is
under brakes into the Esses or Russell. A good fast run through
Riches and Sear can set up an overtaking run along Revett
Straight too.
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