Circuits

Many good circuit analyses have been published for GPL's original circuits. I won't attempt to repeat all that information here. Instead, I've classified the circuits in terms of vertical loads induced and bumpiness, and pointed out trouble spots from the perspective of setup development.

Key trouble spots are highlighted in bold. Key high-G areas, bumps, and dropoffs are the areas to focus on when diagnosing bottoming of the suspension.

Hyperlinks on circuit names lead to maps.

What to do

Here's how to cope with the various types of trouble spots:

Bumps and dropoffs

To keep the car from bottoming on its bump rubbers:

High-G corners

Keep the car from bottoming on its bump rubbers:

Crests and off-camber corner exits

Keep the rear tires from going light and losing grip:

Curved/decreasing radius braking zones

Stabilize the tail of the car:

Crown transitions

Increase the compliance of the car to diagonal loads (see cross-weight):

Original GPL circuits

Kyalami

Classification: High G, moderately bumpy.

Dropoffs at the entry of Crowthorn, Barbecue, Sunset, Club, and the Esses.

High-G area at the right-hander in the Esses. Subtle high-G area in the second half of Sunset.

Bumps and crown transition in Jukskei. Crown transition to negative camber at the exit of Barbecue.

Crest at the exit of Club. Crest and crown transition at the exit of Leeukop.

Curved, decreasing radius braking area in Crowthorn.

Mexico

Classification: High G, moderately bumpy.

High-G areas in hairpin, right-hand kink before Esses, several places in the Esses, Peralta.

Crest entering Peralta. Small crests between Turn 1 and 2, and the left-right combination after the Hairpin.

Curved, decreasing radius braking area throughout Turn 1.

Monaco

Classification: High G, mildly bumpy.

High-G areas at exit of St. Devote, hump in Casino, middle of Chicane.

Dropoff in braking area for Tabac.

Severe crest before Chicane. Crest on top of hump in Casino.

Crown transition in Tunnel turn. Extreme camber change in first part of Portier.

Curved braking area at entry to Gasometer (labeled Virage de la Gare on the Papyrus map).

Tradeoffs: stability needed in braking area at Gasometer results in understeer in Massenet.

Monza

Classification: Low G, mildly bumpy.

Subtle high-G areas followed by crests: small rise and dropoff at the entries to Curve Grande, first Lesmo and at exit of second Lesmo. Small dropoff and crown transition in braking area of Parabolica.

Crown transition compromises grip at the exits of Grande, first and second Lesmos.

Tradeoffs: comfortable stability everywhere else results in understeer at Ascari.

Mosport

Classification: High G, moderately bumpy.

High-G areas in second half of Turn 1, bottom of Turn 2B, entry to 5A. Subtle high-G area in the second part of Turn 4.

Bumps at exit of Moss. Dropoff at entry of Whites.

Crown transitions in 3, 8 and 9.

Crests at entries of 1, 2A and 4, and at end of Andretti Straight.

Nurburgring

Classification: Extremely high G, very bumpy.

Characterized by extreme high-G areas, extreme crests, camber changes, curved and decreasing radius braking areas. In general, requires higher spring rates, higher ride heights, and a more stable setup than other road courses.

To find spring rates and ride height, focus on bumpy swerves in the run downhill to Fuchsrhöhre. If the car does not bottom and is stable here it should be good elsewhere.

Note that the car will tend to bottom heavily coming out of the severe dip at the bottom of Fuchsrhöhre itself; making it so it won't bottom at all here will compromise the setup too much elsewhere.

Rouen

Classification: Moderate G, moderately bumpy.

High-G areas in Turn 1, Beauval, middle of Scierie, Paradis.

Bumps in Six Frères, Scierie.

Crown transitions at Six Frères, Gresil, Scierie.

Crests at entry to Sanson, exit of Scierie.

Curved braking area at left-hand kink before Nouveau Monde.

Flaw in track: small longitudinal seam at several points along straight between Gresil and Scierie.

Tradeoffs: stability needed in braking area at left-hand kink before Nouveau Monde results in understeer in Gresil.

Silverstone

Classification: Moderate G, moderately bumpy.

Dropoffs at entry of Copse, Becketts, Stowe (severe), Club, Woodcote.

High-G areas in Maggots, middle of Becketts, middle of Chapel, Abbey, Woodcote.

Bump near exit of Abbey followed by transition to decreased camber. Severe bump in the middle of Maggots.

Crown transitions near edge of track at exit of Copse, Chapel, Club. Crown transitions in Maggots, Stowe, Abbey, Woodcote.

Crest at entry to Becketts.

Spa

Classification: High G, moderately bumpy.

High-G areas in Eau Rouge, right-hander in Malmédy, left-hander in Masta kink, Stavelot, exit of Blanchimont.

Bump after entry to Stavelot followed by dropoff near middle of turn. Increasing G at exit of Stavelot.

Crown transition and slight hump in transition between left-hander and right-hander at Masta kink.

Crest at exit of Eau Rouge, entry to right-hander in Malmédy.

Tradeoffs: stability needed in Malmédy, Masta, La Carrier results in understeer in long right-handers at Burnenville and Stavelot.

Watkins Glen

Classification: High G, moderately bumpy.

High-G areas in the first turn, the end of the left-hander in the Esses, the exit of the Loop, the middle of Big Bend and in The Ninety.

Crest and crown transition in transition between right and left-hander in the Esses and at the entry of the Loop. Crown transitions in Big Bend and in entry to The Ninety.

Dip in braking area for Big Bend.

Zandvoort

Classification: High G, very bumpy.

High-G areas in Zjin Veld, Scheivlak, Tunnel Oost, right-hander before Panoramabocht, and Pulleveld.

Large bump in entry to Scheivlak. Bumps all along area from Scheivlak to Tunnel Oost. Bump and off camber at exit of Tunnel Oost.

Crests at Gerlachbocht, entry to Hugneholzbocht, Hunzerug, Jan de Wyker, and entry to and exit of Pulleveld.

Crown transitions at Hondenvlak, exit of Tunnel Oost, right-hander before Panoramabocht, Panoramabocht.

New Circuits

Brands Hatch

Classification: High G, very bumpy.

High-G areas in Paddock Hill Bend, Graham Hill, bottom of Pilgrims Drop, bottom of Dingle Dell, entry to Clearways.

Large bump near exit of Paddock Hill Bend. Bumps exiting Surtees, in Hawthorne, Dingle Dell Corner. Bump followed by adverse camber at exit of Stirlings Bend. Dropoff just after entry to Hawthorne.

Crests entering Paddock Hill Bend, entering Druids, exiting Westfield, in Clearways, in Clark Curve.

Curved braking areas in Paddock Hill, Surtees, Hawthorn, Westfield.

Dubai

Classification: Low G, smooth.

Osterreichring

Classification: Moderate G, moderately bumpy.

High-G areas in Dr. Tiroch, after entry to Bosch, at exit of kink between Schikane and Rindt.

Bumps near top of Dr. Tiroch, near top of rise before Rindt.

Crests at entry to Hella Licht, at top of Dr. Tiroch.

Curved, decreasing radius braking area in Dr. Tiroch; curved, decreasing radius entries to both left-handers in Schikane.

Snetterton

Classification: Mild G, mildly bumpy.

Mild-G areas at apex of right-hander in Esses, at exits of Coram, Russell.

Bumps in exit of Sear, braking area for Hairpin.

Crests at entry to Sear, entry to Hairpin, entry to and exit of right-hander in Esses.

Conversion Road Courses

The tracks from ICR2/CART and the NASCAR sims are not crowned. Some, however, do have significant camber changes, bumps, and high-G areas. Transitions to adverse or less favorable camber at corner exit are common; this has an effect very similar to traversing a crown, causing the rear tires to lose traction and producing power oversteer.

The bumpy and high-G circuits benefit from setups similar to those used for Zandvoort and Mosport, while the less bumpy ones are good candidates for setups derived from Kyalami or Silverstone setups.

Elkhart Lake

Classification: Mild G, mildly bumpy.

Moderate-G area at apexes of Turns 3, 5, 6, 8, 13.

Bumps at the beginning of braking area for Turn 5, at first apex of Carousel (Turn 9) and in kink between 11 and 12.

Crests entering Turns 6, 8.

Off-camber exits at Turns 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14.

Curved entry to braking area in Turn 5.

The majestic Road America has been compared to Spa (after his first F1 race at Spa, Jacques Villeneuve called it "the Elkhart Lake of Europe"!), but it differs in not having any of the high-G areas found at Spa.

Like Portland, Elkhart Lake has a nice rhythm and is characterized by subtle elevation and camber changes to which the driver must be sensitive, since these increase or reduce grip at critical moments. The numerous off-camber corner exits simulate a crowned surface which causes the rear tires to lose traction just as the driver is trying to accelerate out of the corner.

Precision is essential here; several corners require braking at precisely the correct point at very high speed, and precise placement of the car through several medium and high speed corners is critical to lap times.

Try a street circuit setup with higher ride height or a Silverstone setup with slightly lower ride height. A Portland setup is also a good baseline. Start with Spa gearing and tweak as necessary.

Heartland Park

Classification: Mild G, smooth.

Mild-G areas at entry to Turn 5, exit of 9, entry of right-hander before 11, entry to 12.

Small bump at exit of Turn 5. No other significant bumps.

Crests at apex of Turn 5, exit of right-hander after 8, apex of right-hander before 11, exit of 11. Adverse camber at exit of Turn 6.

Curved, decreasing radius braking area in Turn 1.

This is one of my favorite conversion circuits. It's smooth, but subtle, with many small elevation changes that make it difficult to see around many of the corners from their entries. This gives Heartland a unique flavor. Like Riverside's Turn 6, Turn 11 can suck the unwary driver into a too-fast entry.

Try starting with a Silverstone or Kyalami setup, and lower the ride height slightly. If you've already got a setup for Portland, try that.

Laguna Seca

Classification: Very high G, very bumpy.

High-G areas in 3, 4, 5, 6, dip before 7, 8A, 9, 10.

Bumps in 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 (especially exit), 10, 11. Off-camber exits in 3, 4, 6, 8A, 10.

Crest between 6 and 7.

Curved entry to braking area for 2.

This is one of the great conversion circuits, with dramatic elevation changes and G loadings/unloadings. There are bumps and off-camber exits everywhere. Driving this circuit really demonstrates the dramatic difference between GPL's awesome physics model and the old Papyrus vehicle motion module in ICR2/CART.

Try deriving a setup from Zandvoort or Mosport.

Mid-Ohio

Classification: High G, very bumpy.

Note: Since I could not find a labeled map for Mid-Ohio, I have placed names and numbers on the corners on the track map according to the best of my recollection.

High-G areas in Turn 1, middle of Keyhole, entry to Turn 5, Madness, entry to kink before the Carousel, and entry of final turn.

Numerous bumps, particularly through Madness.

Crest at apex of Turn 1, followed by off-camber exit. Crest entering Keyhole, off-camber exit. Crest in middle of Turn 5, between Turn 5 and Madness, in Madness. Crest and off-camber exit in kink before Carousel.

Curved, complex braking area entering kink before Carousel.

Tradeoffs: stability needed over bumps and crests and exiting kink before Carousel causes understeer through the Carousel.

Try deriving a setup from Zandvoort or Mosport.

Portland

Classification: Mild G, smooth.

Mild-G areas in entry to Turn 1, entering kink between 1 and 2, 5, entry to 8.

Virtually no bumps.

Off-camber or descending exits from 1, kink between 1 and 2, 2, 3, 8, and 9.

Crests in Turn 1, between 4 and 5, 8.

Curved, tricky braking area entering Turn 7.

Tradeoffs: stability needed entering kink between 1 and 2 and in braking area for Turn 7 causes understeer elsewhere.

This is a wonderful, smooth circuit with a nice rhythm and subtle undulations - except for the braking area for Turn 7, which is a big challenge because it requires an extremely precise turn-in at very high speed followed immediately by heavy braking, and there are few visual references to help pick the turn-in and braking points.

If you already have an Elkhart Lake setup, try that, but you'll probably need to shorten the gearing. Otherwise, try a street circuit setup with slightly higher ride height and taller gearing. Add stability with stiffer front anti-roll bar, softer rear anti-roll bar, and more forward brake bias.

Riverside

Classification: High G, mildly bumpy.

Note: NASCAR Legends, from which the GPL version is derived, uses the "Stock Car" circuit. This cuts straight from 6 to 8, eliminating 7. The map does not show the kink in the back straight but I believe the kink is authentic.

High-G areas in entry to 2, entries to 5, 6, throughout 9. Moderate-G area exiting 8A.

Bumps in exits of 1 and 9, also small bumps at several places in esses.

Crest at apex of 4, 5, entry to 8. Slight crests at several corners between 2 and 6, exit of 8. Adverse camber transitions at exit of 1, 3, 9 (very slight).

Curved, decreasing radius braking area entering 6.

Riverside is one of the crown jewels of the conversion tracks available for GPL. For the driver it is fast, rhythmic, seductive, and very difficult to get exactly right. The setup needs to deal with high G's in turn 9 and also be nimble and yet stable through the esses, particularly into 6.

Try starting with a Mexico or Zandvoort setup.

Sears Point

Classification: High G, very bumpy.

Note: There are two versions of Sears Point. The original version from NASCAR 2/NROS incorporates the entire road course including Turns 4, 5, and 6 and is very bumpy.

The 1998 circuit from NASCAR 1999 and NASCAR 3 has a "chute" straight from 4 to 7. This version is much smoother, and some of the high-G areas have been eased, particularly on the descent from 7 through 10.

High-G areas in kink between 1 and 2, entries to 2, 3, 4, and 5, throughout second half of 6, exit of 6, 8, 8A, 9, 10.

There are bumps everywhere in the original version. Important bumps and dropoffs are in kink between 1 and 2, entry to 2, kink before 3, entry to 3, exit of 4, at exit of 6 just after adverse camber change, entry to 8A, 9, apex of 10.

Crests at exit of 2, entry to kink before 3, apex of 3, straight between 3 and 4, 5, exit of 8, entry to 10. Changes to adverse camber at exits of 3, 6, 7, 10.

Curved braking areas for 2, 10.

Sears Point is one of the most challenging circuits available for GPL in terms of both driving and setup. The chassis must deal with numerous bumps and high G areas as well as crests where the car goes light. Stability in the braking area and turn-in for 10 is critical, but too much stability causes understeer in the long Carousel (Turn 6).

A setup that works for Mosport or Laguna Seca should be a good starting point here.

Watkins Glen (Modern Era)

Classification: High G, moderately bumpy.

High-G areas in The Ninety, Turns 2 and 3, The Loop (Turn 5), and entries to Turns 10 and 11.

Bumps in entry to The Ninety, Turn 2, at transition between 3 and 4. Dropoffs at exit of The Ninety and apex of Turn 11.

Crests at entry to The Loop. Rise and crest at entry of Turns 10 and 11.

Transitions to adverse camber at exits of The Ninety, Turns 2 and 4, The Loop, Turns 10 and 11.

Tricky braking area for the Inner Loop, as precise turn-in is required near the end of the braking area.

Stability is needed for the braking for and transitions in the Inner Loop.

This is a fast and exciting circuit, ruined slightly by the Inner Loop but still a great course for racing. With a good setup, putting the power down out of The Loop is a truly sensual experience. A setup for the original GPL version of 1967 Watkins Glen will work fairly well here and is a good baseline setup.

Conversion Street Circuits

The street (and airport) circuits converted from CART/ICR2 are generally smooth and almost totally flat. Try deriving a basic street course setup by starting with a Monza setup, but shorten the gearing to something close to what you'd use for Silverstone.

If the Monza setup has asymmetrical camber or is otherwise asymmetrical, you may want to change it to be symmetrical, at least for Detroit and probably Vancouver and Toronto.

Another alternative is to start with a Silverstone setup and lower the ride height.

Cleveland

Classification: Low G, smooth.

No high-G areas or crests. No discernible bumps.

Turn 1 may require trail braking. Entry to Turn 3 and transition between 3 and 4 may require braking while turning in the GP cars.

This is a fairly easy circuit to set up the car for, because, unlike in real life, where it is extremely bumpy, the Papyrus version is very flat and smooth. Cleveland has more long fast turns than the pukka street circuits, however (this circuit is on an airport, but I had to put it somewhere).

The engineer needs to find a combination that is good in the transitions from 3 to 4, 5 to 6, and 9 to 10, but doesn't understeer too much in 1, 7, and 8.

Detroit

Classification: Low G, smooth.

No high-G areas or crests.

Some braking areas may require braking while still turning in the GP cars, including the entries to 4, 8, 9, and 12.

The Belle Isle circuit is challenging for the driver because of the many turns but relatively straightforward for the race engineer, as the circuit is almost completely flat and smooth. The car needs to be good in transitions because of the many corners, and traction out of slow corners important.

Long Beach

Classification: Low G, smooth.

No high-G areas, bumps, or crests.

This is an easy track to set up for, since it is very smooth (unlike in real life) and flat, and there are no tricky braking areas. Good traction out of the final hairpin is critical, as is braking into Turns 1 and 6. As with Detroit, the car needs to be good in transitions.

Tradeoffs: stability needed in transitions results in understeer in Turn 5 and in kink on main straight.

Toronto

Classification: Low G, smooth.

No high-G areas or crests.

Bumps in Turns 5, 8, and 9.

Curved entry to braking area for Turn 8.

Like Long Beach, this is a smooth, flat, relatively simple circuit to drive, although there are more corners and the Turn 1-2 and Turn 7-8 complexes are a bit tricky.

With very few bumps, Toronto is a fairly simple circuit to set up for. Setup should be similar to Long Beach but perhaps a bit higher ride height will be needed to keep the car off its bump rubbers over the bumps.

Tradeoffs: stability and forward brake balance needed in Turn 7-8 complex causes understeer elsewhere and compromises braking for Turns 1 and 3.

Vancouver

Classification: Low G, mildly bumpy.

Note: I have placed arbitrary numbers on the corners on the Vancouver track map, since I could not find a labeled map for the 1995 circuit.

No high-G areas or crests.

Bump in Turn 3.

Curved braking areas in Turn 2-3 complex, beginning of Turn 6 braking area, and braking area for Turn 8-9 complex.

Another circuit which is challenging to drive but relatively simple to set up for. The curved braking areas are the biggest challenge, because making the car stable for them will make it understeer elsewhere. Setup should be similar to Long Beach but perhaps with a bit more forward brake bias and a touch more understeer.

Conversion Ovals

Setup advice for each oval would be a massive undertaking and is beyond the scope of this manual.

As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that the G forces induced by an oval are proportional to the bank angle and the speeds achieved. See Oval Track Data for details about the bank angles of each circuit.

Steep Ovals

For the steeply banked ovals, the foundation of the setup involves finding the correct spring rates and tire pressures for a given chassis for that particular oval.

Once reasonably suitable spring rates and tire pressures are found, the other parameters, such as camber, damper settings, and anti-roll bar settings can be used to dial in the handling so that it is reasonably neutral and comfortable for the driver.

Shallow Ovals

On the shallow ovals, the setup will more closely resemble a road course setup but will generally have asymmetrical camber, spring rates, and damper settings. Camber on all four wheels will be optimized for turning left.

The differential ramp angles and clutch packs can often be useful for tuning the car's balance at corner entry, mid-corner, and corner exit.

See Also

For more information about oval setups, see the sections on ovals in Setup Parameters, Introduction to Race Car Dynamics, Developing a Setup - Basic Settings, Developing a Setup - Dialing it In, Spring Rates and Ride Height, How Do I Know when It's Bottoming?, The Suspension, Damper Tables, and The Differential.