Palmer Motorsports Park – COM Sports Car Club

Counter Clockwise 2.3 Mile

Track Records

Driver: Jeff Wasilko

Whiskey Hill Raceway at Palmer Motorsports Park features a 2.3-mile, 40-foot wide asphalt road course with 190 feet of vertical elevation, 14 turns, and spectacular vistas — views extend into Connecticut, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Road & Track magazine has named Palmer Motorsports Park one of the top 10 racetracks to drive in North America.

Summary

Safety first – before proceeding with any pace, identify the location and occupancy of all flagging stations; additionally, scout possible run-off/escape areas, and identify potential hazards and risks.
Need to think 3-dimensionally: Palmer has more total elevation change than any other track on the schedule besides Tamworth. More importantly, each corner has its own “grooves” and camber changes that drastically affect grip. Textbook 2d lines will need to be adjusted.
The line does not change much from car to car – instead optimized to take most advantage of camber “grooves” in each corner
Curbs don’t really help- they were designed to be harsh in order to keep cars off the dirt
Trail braking – while always important, just about every type of trail brake is required on each lap, and fast laps depend significantly on nuanced brake technique
Nothing is straight (except short straight between 9-10); with the car always turning or crossing the track, there’s no time to think > steep learning curve
Choreograph your vision – with many complex sections/corners, each leading into the next, it’s easy to get behind; instead, consciously work your vision through the course to stay ahead
Remain disciplined on track exit – don’t go for the throttle until you know you won’t have to lift; patience will be challenged as throttle pick-up points are very late in corners with diminishing camber
Use the whole track – the track is very wide, but using each inch of track makes a big difference given how technical the track is
Tons of available reference points, including visual (centerline around track is a constant reference point), auditory (very loud track), and kinesthetic (grooves and bumps); take notes and use these as helpful guides to become more consistent or address issues
Trust nobody – local clubs/drivers are still figuring this place out, and some bad habits have begun to spread

Quick Tips

T0 – approach the pit wall slowly to get as close as possible, turn-in late to get the best entry for T1 along the right edge of the track
T1 – back up the braking zone to get off the brakes early and get on power way early
T2 – 1 precise lift with a crisp turn-in
T3 – late, on-limit apex to line up entry for T4
T4 – carry as much speed into corner entry, angle up the hill
T5 – angle up the hill, unwind over crest and then add a little more steering post-apex, place wheel inside grated patch at apex
T6 – hit groove of camber mid-corner, push hard all the way to full track out, unwind over crest as car gets loose post-apex
T7 – double apex, trail brake as long as possible, line-up mid-track, wait for single application of WOT
T8 – hit marks precisely, unwind wheel over crest after apex, maintain some steering input after trackout to line up T9
T9 – as long of a trail brake as possible, get to mid-track immediately after turn-in for maximum camber, wait for apex/exit angle before getting to throttle
T10 – turn-in while under WOT and apply quick lift, smoothly transition weight at exit to set up T11
T11 – groove of camber around inside, hug white line, bleed speed slowly, line up T12 ~67% track left
T12 – partial brake and turn, huge camber groove around inside, throw away exit, begin throttle to carry onto straight
T13 – try to carry close to WOT, straighten wheel over crest, track out as much as possible while still making T14 stick
T14 – don’t go off to the right while holding WOT

Turn 0

Safety first – There are no outs as this curve in the front “straight” is approached at top speed. The best approach is along the wall, but make sure not to touch it… In the rain, the straight is deadly – best approach in torrential rain is to drive right up the middle in order to give maximum space on either side to correct for unseen rivers. Get up to speed slowly, perhaps lifting on the straight until the timing/approach can be executed consistently.
Turn 0 is not on the map and is usually referred to as the bend in the straight or its grouped together with Turn 1; however, this sells short the discipline required
Turn 0 should be taken under WOT and should be “thrown away” fully, to exit as far to the right side of the track as possible
Approach by crossing from right to left after exiting Turn 14 and run along the left side of the track, as close to the pit wall as possible.
Run along the pitwall as long as possible before turning into the “apex” of turn 0 (the kink in the track at the “3” brake marker for Turn 1)
Telephone poles on the left are a good marker for turn-in, aim for right around the 2nd to last telephone pole
Once telephone pole is spotted, aim vision towards the apex of Turn 0/entry for Turn 1
After turn-in, hug the car around the apex at the limit of grip, but not so aggressively to induce any significant tire slip
As soon as the angle into the Turn 1 brake zone is established, aim vision towards apex of Turn 1
The goal is to place the car at least 80% track right in order to “unkink” turn 1 and allow for the widest possible radius at entry; in addition, the suspension should be mostly settled just-in-time to nail the brakes for Turn 1
The worst thing you can at Turn 0 do is turn-in early/shallowly and drive in a straight line from the apex of Turn 0 to the apex of Turn 1 – this effectively kinks turn 1, drastically reducing the radius and amount of exit speed that can be carried to into Turn 2 and subsequently Turn 4

Turn 1

Safety first – If you get in trouble, straighten the wheel. Let the car settle, and then try to get the car turned once control is regained. While there isn’t a lot of runoff in the case of a total brake failure, in almost all other circumstances there is enough room to get the car slowed down safely. At the apex, be mindful of the joints in the pitwall that jut out. At exit, things settle down – any mistakes/momentum loss early in the corner and the exit will feel slow. However, if you nail the entry or apex a little early, you can run out of room and there is not a lot of runoff. Under WOT at corner exit, the tendency is usually towards understeer – breathe off the throttle as early as possible if you think the trajectory will lead you off the track.
Turn 1 is a slow-in/fast out left hander. Momentum at exit will carry all the way to Turn 4, even if a slight lift is required for Turn 2.
Approaching the apex of Turn 0/entry of Turn 1, brake as soon as weight is settling from Turn 0, aiming the car along the right side of the track – think about the trajectory you would take into Turn 1 if the front straight was actually perfectly straight and “Turn 0” didn’t exist.
Aim vision into mid/corner and the apex along the pit wall
Threshold brake early (the “4” brake marker is a good reference for a lot of cars, “3” for momentum cars) into the bottom of the uphill slope, but quickly begin releasing brake pressure after than, and fully release the brake at turn-in
Turn-in from nearly all the way track right, just past the “1” brake marker
Hold the trail brake just until the front right tire bites and then roll off the pedal fully. This is the biggest mistake at Turn 1 – overbraking at turn-in, inducing understeer. This is exacerbated if the line at Turn 0 is too shallow – the straight line entry towards the apex of Turn 1 both pinches the corner as well as encourages aggressive braking deep into the corner.
Carry as much speed into the corner as possible – the front right tire should almost slide at entry
Begin looking for the corner exit beyond the pit wall and crest of the hill
Pause briefly, allowing for the trajectory through the apex to be established, and then begin picking-up full throttle. Don’t stab the pedal. There should be 2 fluid pedal inputs – rolling off the brake pedal, followed by a brief pause, and then a single smooth application of WOT which is held through corner exit.
Take advantage of the additional camber right around the concrete blocks at apex
Under WOT, apex along the last concrete barrier on the left. Begin unwinding the wheel as the exit becomes visible.
Continue to pick-up WOT earlier and earlier until the car tracks out fully to the right, using the extra pavement beyond the white line.
While tracking out, smoothly unwind the wheel and be prepared to breathe off the throttle if the car is going to go long…
Finally, don’t hang out on the extra pavement too long as it disappears quickly.

Turn 2

Safety first – the approach to turn 2 is tricky, and dropping a wheel could be a disaster with small runoff and concrete walls on the right. There is another pit wall on the inside. The exit is blind and is backed up by a short runoff to tire walls in front of a granite wall. The speed is really high. This corner is dangerous all around. It’s no safer in the rain. Proceed with caution.
Continue to maintain some steering input after the exit of Turn 1 as the track continues to turn left after the crest
Spot the turn-in for Turn 2, and drive along the right side of the track towards the turn-in point. It’s ideal to run along the outer edge, but driving in a straight line towards the turn-in point is OK as long as the car is positioned 100% track right after the crest.
Begin turn-in under WOT and with very slow wheel inputs; deliberately attempt to slowly transfer weight onto the front right tire.
An ideal turn-in point for most cars is around the pavement transition, near the gap in the pit wall
Aim vision towards apex, visualizing the apex and exit which is out of sight behind the trees
Lift off the throttle at turn-in, being precise with the timing and rate of the release of the gas pedal in order to induce the necessary rotation. The later the lift, the more weight will be on the front right, and the more rotation will be induced. Also, the quicker the pedal is released, the more drastic the under/oversteer condition will be.
Overall, the pedal release should be quicker than you think. It’s better to have a shorter 100% lift versus a longer 50% lift in order to get back to WOT sooner.
The release of the gas and application of WOT should be a single, fluid up/down motion.
Use the lift to angle the car into a slightly early apex. The downhill slope will cause slight understeer.
Hold WOT through the apex, being prepared for the car to slide slightly over the grated pavement at apex (less grip).
Vision should always be looking around the trees at apex to find the corner exit
Besides for the grated pavement patch, the track actually picks-up a lot of grip around the camber groove at the apex
Corner exit pitches uphill, maintaining high grip levels through exit
Track-out fully by unwinding smoothly – you should need every inch

Turn 3

Safety first – there’s not much to this corner, and it can almost always be taken with WOT. However, any incidents here will be high speed and big. Also, in the rain, the bump at the apex is enough to fully unsettle the car.
Turn 3 is a throwaway WOT left-hander corner that sets up the entry to Turn 4
Adjust the timing of the turn-in and the apex angle to line-up Turn 4 from as far track-left as possible – aiming for left half of the track

Turn 4

Safety first – there’s not a lot of runoff if you can’t get the car slowed down on the pavement. A brake failure would suck here. Incidents in the rain end badly here. However, small issues in the dry should be caught by straightening the wheel and using the extra pavement. If on-line (early entry/inside approach) there should be plenty of pavement to the outside to allow for corrections.
Turn 4 is a fast-in/slow-out, 67% throwaway corner. It is pitched sharply uphill and has slightly favorable camber towards the inside. The entry is mostly flat, but when turning up the hill it is actually slightly off-camber.
The best arc through Turn 4 is the one that allows for the most amount of speed to be carried up the hill. Due to the steepness, this is paramount, and gaining elevation quickly should be a top priority.
The beginning of the brake zone is somewhere between the start of the catch fence and the tire wall on the left.
Apply threshold brake, taking advantage of the uphill slope to shorten the brake zone as much as possible
Immediately begin angling the car towards the inside of the track and up the hill with vision already curving around the inside line towards the apex
Trail brake as long as possible up the hill in order to carry maximum entry speed – go as fast with as much trail brake as the left tires can handle; carrying momentum is the key to gaining elevation quickly
After the trail brake is released, the car should still not quite be able to make it to the apex; let the car coast until it begins to stick
Gently apply throttle with a slow application of the pedal, perhaps not even to WOT, as the car hugs the apex. Use just enough throttle to control the car positioning along the right side of the track, increasing throttle in order to induce understeer and begin the mid-track approach into Turn 5.
By now vision should be towards the entry into Turn 5.
Exit Turn 4 about 67% track right, aiming for the favorably cambered groove at the entry of Turn 5. Be mindful of wheelspin on exit.

Turn 5

Safety First – this is one of the slower corners on the track, so most incidents here are the result of consecutive driver errors. With that said, usually the first mistake is too much steering input over the crest at apex. This induces oversteer, which can eventually lead to an off into the tire walls on either side.
Turn 5 is an uphill left hander with a steep groove of helpful camber on the inside. There is a section of grated pavement, which should be straddled, parallel to the apex curbing. The camber quickly fades away at a slight crest in the hill, just after apex. The corner exit continues uphill, but overall the camber flattens out.
Approach turn 5 from 67% track right under some/full throttle
Turn-in quickly and early, continuing to aim up the hill and towards the camber groove.
Lift the throttle after turn-in in order to induce maximum rotation towards the apex.
Allow for some coasting as the apex angle is established – do not miss the apex
Aim vision up and over the crest after the apex in search of the corner exit
Begin applying WOT before the apex curb, and make sure to get a clean application of power with minimal wheel slip, being mindful of momentum carried up the hill
Apex early, but hold the apex, hugging the curb without touching it in order to place the left tire on the inside of the grated pavement.
Unwind the wheel over the crest immediately after the apex to avoid oversteer
Once past the crest, add some more steering input as grip returns
Track-out all the way to the track exit while on the limit. Because the track is so steep, this will require maximum entry speed with an early apex and clean application of WOT

Turn 6

Safety first – Turn 6 is a blind-over-crest right hander with hazards on both sides at exit. The car gets light at apex and towards the left side of the track at corner exit. The best bet to save issues is to try to get the car straightened out, ideally down the hill towards the entry of T7 where there’s more pavement. Most incidents here are caused by a late turn-in/too much wheel input to compensate. Actually not too bad in the rain as all the water runs downhill from here, but still tricky.
Approach Turn 6 from track-left, and carry as much speed into corner entry as possible. Turn 6 is a fast-in/medium-out corner with a slightly early apex.
Most cars will need either a full lift or a small amount of brake at entry. Either way, these should be done as smoothly and in as drawn out a manner as possible.
Aim the car towards the favorable camber along the inner half of the corner entry.
Experiment with timing of brake/lift in coordination with turn-in to get the proper arc/rotation towards the apex
Aim vision around crest and down the hill, towards the apex
Apex on the white line, and begin applying throttle, getting to full throttle just after apex.
Begin unwinding before the car begins tracking-out as the car will get loose if it’s near the limit. The track falls away as the camber groove is lost.
Vision should already be aimed at Turn 6 corner exit/Turn 7 entry.
Track-out fully, and straighten the wheel fully only once track-out is reached.
Vision should now be aimed towards the entry/mid-corner of Turn 7
It’s common to want to throw away Turn 6, but the time lost due to the tighter radius and longer distance cannot usually be made up through Turn 7 where the exit, not the entry, is the limiting factor anyway

Turn 7

Safety first – there should be plenty of pavement to correct small mistakes, but a brake failure at entry would suck. There’s some run-off in case a wheel is dropped, but any significant off-track action will end up in the tire wall.
Turn 7 is a true double apex. The first apex is actually the track-out of Turn 6, and the second apex is around the corner, down the hill, and buried in a deep camber groove called “Mick’s Pocket”.
Approach Turn 7 from track-left with a straight wheel and WOT from exiting Turn 6
Aim vision towards the left, around the corner and down the hill
Begin a quick threshold brake, and immediately trail the brakes while adding steering input.
While holding slight trail brake, continue to arc the car towards the left, eventually fully releasing the brake as the car approaches mid-track
Aim vision into Mick’s Pocket, and allow the car to continue coasting after the trail brake has been released in order to line up the ideal apex/exit angle
Pick-up WOT smoothly, and apex along the tire wall. Make sure to apply throttle only once.
Use all the track-out, including some of the extra pavement if needed.
The car will understeer from exit-to-track-out as the track begins to flatten out and the camber eases up.

Turn 8

Safety first – a lot of incidents here happen with too much wheel input and erratic throttle input at the crest/apex, causing a spin to the inside. On exit, a wheel can be dropped, often if trying to hold WOT with eyes closed…or similar.
Many cars can take this corner flat out, but some will require a lift.
Turn-in slightly early under WOT, and aim towards the white line at apex
Your vision should look through the apex and search for the exit
Hold steering input to get the car onto the while line, and then begin releasing the wheel
Make sure you are unwinding by the time the car goes over the crest after exit to avoid upsetting the balance
Allow the wheel to open and the car to track-out fully to the far right side of the track
Continue to keep vision up and ahead, maintaining some steering input to bring the car to track-left in order to line up Turn 9

Turn 9

Safety first – Not a lot of runoff at corner entry. Aim towards the pavement on the inside if issues arise. Once safely into the corner, you should be OK, unless you get on the gas/apex early. The track flattens at exit, causing drastic understeer, and the exit is blind. If you drop a wheel on exit, gradually ease off the throttle and bring the car gently back on track.
Turn 9 is a downhill right hander that is long, blind, and more than 180 degrees. It pinches at exit. It has a lot of camber, especially on the inner half, but it disappears at apex/exit.
Cross the track from right to left after exiting Turn 8, but straighten the car and the wheel just before beginning a brief threshold brake. Ideally get the car fully track-left, but ~80% track-left is OK.
Aim vision into the corner and down the hill
Apply heavy braking, and ease off slightly at turn-in
Turn-in early, with lots of trail brake, aiming for mid-track, along the outer edge of the deepest camber groove.
Fully release the brake pedal once the car reaches mid-track, and allow the car to coast and continue rotating until the apex/exit angle can be reached.
Apply WOT with a single, smooth application of throttle
Aim vision through apex and to corner exit
Apex very late to compensate for the pinching/flattening at exit
Use the entire track-out, all the way to the white line
If you are apexing early, it doesn’t mean you need to turn-in later – if anything you might need to turn-in earlier, with less wheel input and more speed in order to bleed it off while traveling the long distance through the corner.
Missed apexes are usually the result of premature maintenance throttle

Turn 10

Safety first – while about as fast as Turn 2, Turn 10 is actually one of the safer corners on the track. If something happens, straighten the wheel and aim for the large grass runoff area. Don’t try to be a hero and most mistakes shouldn’t be catastrophic.
Turn 10 is a fast-in/not quite as fast-out right handed kink with a wide radius. It is immediately followed by Turn 11.
Approach from track-left
Most cars can hold WOT until after turn-in, only requiring a slight lift and then reapplication of WOT at mid-corner
Aim vision through apex of Turn 10 and into Turn 11
Turn-in, and aim to run over the grated pavement on the right half of the track and towards an early apex
Breathe off the throttle just enough to make the apex
Look into Turn 11 entry
Return to WOT at apex, which is on top of the white line on the right
Immediate begin easing off the throttle and unwinding to shift weight for Turn 11
Transition steering and weight transfer into entry of Turn 11

Turn 11

Safety first – there’s usually enough room to catch small mistakes, assuming the recommended inside line is chosen. With that said, there’s not a lot of runoff before the the tire wall. Also, spins are really common here due to the shifting weight and reducing radius.
Turn 11 is a reducing radius left hander that continues into Turn 12. It should be a fast-in/reduce speed as slowly as possible kind of corner.
Complete the weight transfer from Turn 10 to Turn 11 while at the limit of grip
Gain composure of the car while returning to throttle
Aim vision along inside white line and around apex
Aim the car for an immediate apex along the white line on the inside. There is significantly more camber on the inside of the track, and the reducing radius makes the inside line most efficient.
Hold along the inside white line through mid-corner. You’ll need to release the throttle, and eventually transition to a brief coasting in order to keep from sliding off the white line if you carried in enough speed.
When approaching a late brake point for Turn 12, take out some, but not all, steering input to allow the car to slightly track off of the white line and to unload the right tires slightly.
Allow car to track-out slightly for a proper arc through Turn 12, but no more than the center of the track

Turn 12

Safety first – if approaching from mostly track-left, there should be plenty of room to catch mistakes at entry. Because this is a throwaway corner, there should be minimum drama at exit as well. Probably the safest corner on the track…except that it’s blind, increasing the risk of a car-to-car incident with a spin…and that it’s easy to spin.
Turn 12 is a throwaway corner that transitions into the “Corkscrew” of Turn 13/14.
Begin just to the left of the center of the track, with slight left wheel input. Aim vision around the long Turn 12 arc
Apply a single on/off brake motion, deliberately slow and smooth. Do not reach threshold brake as you’ll still have moderate wheel input.
Brake less than you think, turning in with too much speed, requiring additional trail brake to maintain rotation
After turn-in, keep the car on the inner half of the track while maintaining maximum lateral G’s
Arc towards a late apex at the kink in the track on the left at the end of Turn 12.
As soon as the arc is established into the grooved pavement around the apex, begin applying throttle, getting to WOT just before apex
Aim vision into Turn 13, and begin unwinding the wheel

Turn 13

Safety first – the entry is slow enough with enough extra pavement/runoff that big offs should be avoidable, but it is easy to get loose over the crest and shoot towards the tire wall on the right. Also, the corner is blind and is in the middle of a left-right-left combination, entailing multiple weight transitions.
Turn 13 is a fast-in/fast-out partial throwaway right hand corner in the middle of the “Corkscrew”; maintaining minimum speed is most important
Approach from the exit of Turn 12, mostly to the left side of the track
Apply WOT, and begin a smooth turn-in to complete the weight transfer from Turn 12 into Turn 13
Ideally, only a partial lift and immediate return to WOT is required. If it is easy to hold WOT, apex Turn 12 earlier and get on the gas earlier.
After turn-in, breath off the throttle just enough to allow the car to arc towards the favorable camber at the apex, which is just over the crest.
Aim vision over and around the crest towards Turn 14
Bury the gas, and begin unwinding the wheel as the car flies over the crest. Come as close to the apex curb as possible without hitting it.
Keeping the wheel straight will help the weight transfer for Turn 14
Track out as far as possible, leaving only enough space to make WOT stick through T14

Turn 14

Safety first – while this can be taken safely at WOT in most cars, there’s minimal runoff, it’s high speed, and there are hard things to hit on both sides. It’s also downhill and preceded by a sharp weight transfer. It gets a lot worse in the rain. If understeering off the outside, breathe off the throttle slightly to regain control.
Turn 14 begins the front straight
Approach Turn 14 from the exit of Turn 13, leaving just enough room so that WOT can be held through the corner.
Hold strong steering input around the apex, hugging the inside most of the way around the apex curb
Allow the car to track-out fully. If it’s not at the limit, you can push harder through Turn 12/13.

Credit: Nick Fontana