As we are super keen beans with a slight addiction to racing (ok, maybe more than slight), we can’t wait to get our butts down to Sydney for some high octane competition at SMP.
In preparation, we asked Jamie to give us some driver insights into the key turns around the Eastern Creek track.
Turn 1 – This one is seriously high speed. Turn in flat, down one gear and hang on. You can make it into the wall if you get it wrong so big concentration needed every lap.
Turn 2 – This corner feels like it goes forever! It’s a hard brake, back to second gear with a double apex required. The fact that it’s off camber makes it very low grip.
Turn 4 – Up over the crest before a big negative g-force as you turn and brake hard into turn four. Halfway through it almost turns into positive g-force as the rear gets a bit loose over the crest.
Turn 6 – Hard brake on a high grip surface and a very early apex required here. Tight corner really opens up on the exit which allows you to carry a heap of speed through the apex.
Turn 7 – Known as Corporate Hill, really weird sensation as the car almost ‘floats’ through this corner on the edge of out of control. If the car’s good there is a heap of time to be made here.
Turn 8 – The hairpin, for some reason this corner has a very untraditional narrow turn-in. But once in the corner, you feel a big sense of grip before you hit the gas and power out. Plenty of room on the exit to drift the car out over the speed humps.
Final corner – While you’re still gathering it up from the corner before, you tip the car in hard to the last corner. The car really binds up at the apex as you hit the gas as early as possible to get down the long Eastern Creek straight. Once again, plenty of road on the exit to use exit kerb and then some.
The Red Bull Racing Australia crew hit SMP August 25 – 28.
