Master Momentum and Survival at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Road Course
How to maximize consistency, safety, and maximizing exit speed for the Ray FF1600 (Formula Ford) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Road Course.
November 8, 2025
1) TRACK SNAPSHOT
- Location & layout: Loudon, New Hampshire. Length approx. 1.5–1.6 miles (assumption), clockwise. Official turn count varies by layout (assume 10–12). iRacing HUD may number T1–T12; this guide uses a 10-corner schema—match your HUD visually.
- Character:
- Camber/Elevation: Infield has low-to-moderate elevation; “The Bowl” is mildly banked with helpful positive camber.
- Surface quirks: Generally older asphalt with patches and some bumps on braking entries and rejoining the oval. Grip builds through a session; marbles offline punish.
- Curb profile: Mix of medium flat curbs and some taller inner curbs (chicane apexes) that can unsettle a light Formula Ford—use with restraint.
- Three corners that matter most for lap time:
- T1–T2 Infield Entry Complex: Sets rhythm; big time loss if you over-slow or attack tall inner curbs.
- T5 “The Bowl” Hairpin: Longest low-speed corner; exit speed dictates your entire run out to the oval.
- T9–T10 Final Chicane/Complex back to Front Straight: Massive time swing; requires precise braking, rotation, and clean exit onto the S/F.
2) INCIDENT & TRACK-LIMIT HOTSPOTS (Rookie Priorities)
- T1 braking from high speed: Cold tires and drafting reduce grip. Common dive-bombs cause secondary contact. Brake early Lap 1–2.
- T1/T2 inside sausage/tall curbs: Hitting inner curbs can bounce the FF and cause spins or 1x cuts. Straddle gently; don’t launch over them.
- T5 The Bowl exit: Power-on understeer or inside-front lock-up → drift wide onto exit curb/grass → 1x or spin on re-entry.
- Rejoin to oval (T6–T7 area): Blind-ish merge. Stay predictable; don’t cut across faster cars on the oval line.
- T8 oval arc (if no South Chicane): Dirty air + wall proximity; off-throttle mid-corner corrections can snap the rear. Keep tiny inputs.
- T9–T10 final chicane: Over-attack entry curb = bounce and straight-line off; track limits on exit if you rush throttle.
- Pit entry: Short distance from final complex to pit limiter line; easy to speed. Start slowing earlier than you think.
- Pit exit: Blend line merges near T1 braking zone. Stay on your lane to T1; don’t turn across traffic.
3) RACECRAFT PLAN (Ray FF1600)
- Drafting zones:
- Front straight and oval arc/backstretch offer strong slipstream in the FF.
- Set passes into T1 or into T9 (final chicane). Be alongside before turn-in; don’t lunge late.
- Clean passing spots:
- T1 (preferred inside): Begin move halfway down the straight with overlap. Brake straight; avoid apex curb clobbering; prioritize exit.
- T5 The Bowl (inside): Force a compromised entry for the lead car by showing nose early; commit to late apex and drive off underneath.
- T9 final chicane (inside): Strong if you’ve got a run from the oval. Brake earlier than the leader if you’re inside to avoid washout.
- Defensive lines that don’t kill exit speed:
- T1: Slightly tighter entry, but open hands early and get to power sooner. Don’t apex-park—momentum is king.
- T5: Middle-of-the-road entry to discourage dive; rotate late and protect the inside on exit.
- T9: Defend inside and roll a tidy, earlier brake; prioritize squared-up exit.
- Start/first-lap survival:
- Add +20–30 m to T1 braking Lap 1; expect chain reactions.
- The Bowl (T5) stacks up—be patient and diamond the exit.
- Safe escapes: Use inside runoff at T1 and straight-line the chicane if blocked; re-enter after traffic. In T5, stay deep and wide rather than chopping across noses.
4) DRIVING LINE & MARKERS (Corner-by-corner)
Assumption: 10-turn schema. Match these to your HUD visually.
| T# | Name | Priority* | Approach Ref | Brake Point | Trail? | Apex Type | Min Speed (rookie target) | Throttle On | Exit Trackout | Kerb Use | Risk/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infield Right | High | End of pit wall; 300/200 boards | ~125–150 m | Yes, light | Late, brush inner | 45–50 mph | As soon as car points | Full L exit | Light brush only | Cold tires: add +20–30 m Lap 1 |
| 2 | Left Flick | Med | After T1 apex | Maintenance or tiny brake | Minimal | Mid-late | 55–60 mph | Modulate to keep balance | Use full R | Avoid tall inner | Don’t attack inner curb—unsettles FF |
| 3 | Right Kink | Low | Faint right bend | Lift-set only | No | Early | 70–75 mph | Early partial | L trackout | Flat if confident | Scrub kills speed—small hands |
| 4 | Left Prep | Med | Short chute | Short, firm | Brief | Late | 55–60 mph | Smooth build | R exit | Brush exit curb | Sets up Bowl line |
| 5 | The Bowl Hairpin (L) | High | Cones/fence on R | ~100 m (earlier on hot track) | Long, gentle | Very late | 35–40 mph | Unwind then roll on | Full R exit | Exit curb ok | Protect exit; don’t apex too early |
| 6 | Right Kink/Exit | Med | Up to oval gate | No or tiny lift | No | Early | 80–85 mph | Early, steady | Full L | Skim curb only | Keep car straight—build speed |
| 7 | Oval Rejoin | Med | Merge line | None | No | N/A | 90–100 mph | Full | High line stable | No curb | Be predictable on merge |
| 8 | Oval Arc | Low | Wall sight; light markers | None | No | N/A | 100–110+ mph | Flat | Hold middle-high | N/A | Tiny steering inputs only |
| 9 | Final Chicane Entry (R) | High | 300/200 boards | ~125–150 m | Yes, smooth | Late | 45–50 mph | After rotation | Use all L exit | Avoid inner sausage | Big 1x hotspot—prioritize balance |
| 10 | Final Left to S/F | High | Inside post/curb end | Trail off | Short | Late | 50–55 mph | Early, progressive | Full R onto S/F | Low inside curb ok | Set up max S/F speed |
(*Priority = effect on next straight)
5) BRAKING & GEARS (Rookie Baselines)
- First laps (cold tires):
- T1: Brake ~125–150 m from the 200 board; 3rd→2nd. Long, light trail to rotate; don’t snap off the pedal.
- T2: Likely 3rd; tiny brush if needed to settle.
- T4: Short brake; 3rd→2nd optional depending on torque. If bogging, stay 2nd.
- T5 The Bowl: 3rd→2nd. Long, gentle trail; let camber help; super-late apex.
- T9/T10: 3rd→2nd. Smooth, linear brake into a feathered trail; release sets rotation.
- Mid-stint adjustments:
- As grip rises, move brake points 5–10 m later, but keep the same release shape.
- If fronts overheat/understeer in T5/T10, lengthen the trail phase slightly and delay throttle 0.2–0.3 s.
- Gears (starting point):
- 2nd: T1, T5, T9/T10
- 3rd: T2–T4 mix, T6
- 4th: Oval sections (T7–T8), start/finish
- Validate by: avoiding over-rev in 2nd; if you hit limiter early, short-shift to 3rd and compare delta; if engine lugs at apex, try dropping one gear.
6) CAR CONTROL CUES (Momentum Car Emphasis)
- Rotation tools:
- Use gentle trail braking to rotate at T1, T5, T9. The FF1600 responds best to a long, tapering release rather than a “jab and off.”
- For fast kinks (T3/T6), a small lift is safer than extra steering.
- Steering-angle discipline:
- Aim for one clean arc per corner. If you add lock mid-corner, you’re scrubbing speed. Unwind early and let the car breathe on exit.
- Throttle patterns:
- Build throttle progressively after rotation. “Squeeze, don’t stab.” Especially at T5/T10—early but gentle wins.
7) CURBING, BUMPS & SURFACE CHANGES
- Curbs to attack:
- Exit curbs at T2, T5, T10 are usable if flat; they widen the road and preserve momentum.
- Curbs to avoid:
- Inner apex curbs at T1/T9 (and any sausage curbs) are risky—can bounce the light FF and cause spins or 1x.
- Bumps/camber:
- Expect some bumps under braking into T1/T9—keep the car straight during the initial hit, then begin trail.
- The Bowl (T5) has helpful camber—trust a late apex; the car will stick if you release the brake smoothly.
8) SETUP / DRIVER ADJUSTMENTS
- FIXED series assumed:
- Driver adjustments:
- Brake bias: start around 58–60% forward. If locking fronts into T1/T9, move rearward by 0.5–1.0%. If rear gets lively at turn-in of T5, move forward 0.5%.
- Tire pressures: run what’s provided. Expect pressures to rise by lap 3–4; pace up as they stabilize.
- FFB: Ensure you can feel understeer onset—reduce overall strength if clipping in oval sections.
- Driver adjustments:
- If OPEN (conservative baseline):
- Pressures: target hot ~24–25 psi (check iRacing garage recommendations).
- Camber: modest negative to protect contact patch; don’t over-camber fronts or you’ll overheat on long runs.
- Toe: small front toe-out (0.5–1.0 mm total) for response; rear near-zero for stability.
- Brake bias: 58–60% start; tune by feel as above.
- ARBs/diff: Keep soft and neutral; momentum car prefers compliance. Minimal preload on diff coast to aid rotation without snap.
9) TELEMETRY & METRICS TO TRACK
- Sectors (example split plan):
- S1: S/F to exit T2 (T1–T2 complex).
- S2: T3–T6 (kinks to The Bowl exit).
- S3: T7–T10 (oval + final chicane to S/F).
- Rookie targets:
- Min speeds: T1 ~45–50 mph; T5 ~35–40 mph; T10 ~50–55 mph.
- Lap-to-lap variance: aim for ±0.3–0.5 s over a 5-lap run.
- What to inspect on traces:
- Brake release timing vs. understeer spikes at T1/T5/T9.
- Throttle pickup delay after rotation (goal: earlier but smoother).
- Steering saturation (flat-topped steering trace = scrubbing). Aim to unwind sooner.
10) PRACTICE PLAN (45 minutes)
- 0–10 min: Out-lap + references
- Find brake boards for T1/T9; note visual landmarks.
- Warm tires gently; no 1x. Success = clean laps, stable references.
- 10–25 min: Corner families
- Focus on exits of T1–T2, T5, T10. Log min speeds. Success = hit target mins within ±2 mph, no 1x.
- 25–35 min: 2×5-lap consistency runs
- Safe race pace, leave margin. Success = each 5-lap set within ±0.5 s, zero incidents.
- 35–40 min: Pit in/out practice
- Enter at pace without speeding; clean blend on exit. Success = 3 perfect pit cycles.
- 40–45 min: Draft practice + cool-down
- Practice following 0.5–0.8 s back through T9–T1. Success = hold line without contact/1x; note earlier brake points in draft.
11) QUICK CHECKLIST (pre-race)
- Brake bias start point: 59% (safe baseline).
- First-lap brake margins: +20–30 m at T1, +15–20 m at T9.
- Two “free time” fixes:
- Unwind steering 0.2 s earlier at exits; add 2–3 mph by freeing the car.
- Earlier throttle at T5/T10 but 10% gentler—smoothness preserves momentum.
- Two safety traps to avoid:
- Don’t hit inner apex curbs at T1/T9—bounces cause spins/1x.
- Don’t turn across traffic on pit exit or oval rejoin—hold blend line.
- Fuel note: Short sprints typically no stop; if fueling, calculate laps × ~0.10–0.12 gal/lap for FF1600 (assumption) + 1.0–1.5 gal buffer.
12) ONE-PAGE SUMMARY
- Brake earlier than you think at T1/T9; long, gentle trail sets rotation.
- Avoid inner sausage/tall curbs—especially T1/T9.
- The Bowl (T5): late apex, protect exit; it sets your whole lap.
- Small steering inputs in fast kinks and on the oval; lifts instead of extra lock.
- Defend inside at T1/T9 without parking the apex—momentum matters.
- In draft, add earlier braking by a car length or two, especially Lap 1–2.
- Use exit curbs (T2/T5/T10) to widen the track, but keep the wheel straight over them.
- 2nd gear for T1/T5/T9, 3rd for most infield, 4th on oval—validate with delta.
- Track consistency: target ±0.5 s over 5 laps; chase earlier throttle, not later braking.
- Pit discipline: speed limiter early; blend predictably on exit.
Notes:
- Some layout specifics (exact length, turn count, certain curb profiles) are assumptions for the standard Road Course without South Chicane. Match the corner numbers to your iRacing HUD/map and adjust brake markers accordingly.