MY350Z.COM Forums - View Single Post - Le Circuit Mont Tremblant and Calabogie Motorsports Park (now with pictures)

dmoffitt · 07-15-2008, 11:53 AM

Day 5 (1 of 3 days at CMP) was quite damp - it had rained overnight - thankfully the sky was clearing with no threat of more rain as the morning went on. That's ok, because it took me a better part of the morning to really learn all 20 turns!! What an amazingly setup track though. Very technical, lots of blind apexes and some real "gotcha" turns.

I was signed off in White but really wanted some help / instruction / pointers so I grabbed the guy next to me who had a Green/Yellow student with an RS America. Turned out Glenn (his name) runs the Targa Newfoundland rally school so I had QUITE a good right-seater!!

A (verbal) lap around CMP:

Just like LCMT the exit of the pits keeps you left of the front straight - but in this case you hug the apex / stay inside in T1 as it's a left hander. Normally coming down the front straight you are at the very top of 4th, light brake before this kink and are WOT through it, unwinding the wheel then bringing the car back far left along a concrete wall before braking into T2 (down into 3rd gear). You have to not get too ambitious on the throttle through / out of T2 as you only unwind part way, crest the hill, then bring it back right to the (somewhat blind) apex of T3. You're WOT before the apex and just clip the left curbing for the fast left that is T4 onto the "back" straight. Depending if I was catching traffic I'd be shifting into 4th either just before or just after T4 and 5th halfway down the straight. HARRRD braking and down into 3rd gear again for 5 (stay right, don't take a "normal" line), track out to the curbing then bring it in hard right for 6, where, like T7 at LCMT there is a little grip on the very inside but not much outside - plus, if you are inside early enough you have a straight shot up and over the hill past T7 onto the straight before T8 "Temptation." I usually short-shifted it into 4th before cresting the hill. T8 is named that because it's a decreasing radius carousel and you're tempted to get into the throttle WAAAAAY earlier than you should / can get away with. Glenn showed me the two major variants of the line through there - first, the "school" or "safe" line which is to rim-shot it around the outside after REALLY slowing the car and then ease into the last left-hand bit. Second, which I MUCH preferred was to turn in EARLY, back WOT, and take it as a double, trail-braking the 2nd left half while looking up the hill. I'm told this is something like 15meters shorter, and considering how many people I caught through there I believe it. You can't botch that as you'll send the back end of the car around if you turn too early or give it too much initial throttle input. Coming up hill out of 8 is "Deliverance" - T9a-9b - you stay right into 9a, short shift to 4th there while the car is straight, only track out half way and get far right over the hill at 9b then allow the car to track out left, braking hard-but-short as you head toward the left-hand side of the track, then turn in early for T10, WOT through there in 4th once you work up the courage (and some heat in the tires) staying inside through both T10 and T11, tracking out far left before braking and down into 3rd for T12. 12 is a hairpin right with a late entry (that rewards you if you do have the patience as you're WOT from the apex all the way through T13 which is an uphill medium left. After you crest 13 it flattens out and you trail-brake for T14 and take it somewhat early as the steep uphill that begins there "catches" the car letting you make the early entry stick (and allowing you to carry lots of speed). Shifting into 4th while getting the car far left for T15 you stay on the throttle, GENTLY turn in and then bring the wheel in a bit more right as you are quickly going to full throttle. Light braking before T16 which is a medium left into a downhill braking zone, most people go too far left before braking - the trick I found was stay right along a seam in the pavement 2/3 of the way to the right, brake and down into 3rd, make the FIRST apex (T17), throw away T18 and aim for the curbing right before the pit-in blend line, then get the car lined up STRAIGHT up the hill through T19 so you can get a GOOD run on T20 (the sharp left at the top of the little rise leading onto the front straight). I can't begin to comment how many passes I got here!

Speaking of, I was FLYING through White. I think a combination of help learning the track early and easily (some people TAPED A TRACK MAP TO THE STEERING WHEEL!!) and the fact that UCR's "White" was really a Blue+White mixed group had a lot to do with that. I got black flagged the first run of Day 2 for "being too close" to the car in front of me - the reality of it was two things, neither my fault: The guy had gone WAAAAY early into T11 causing him to almost go off the pavement before 12, so I was already on the brakes and staying tight inside (vs tracking out left for a fast exit) - and he then over-corrected and practically cut me off / flew in front of me. I kept from hitting him and was by no means the cause (guy even came over and apologized - he hadn't been there the day before and it was his first time on track - but what compounded it was that the track photographer got a photo of me RIGHT on him - but it was shot at 200mm which compressed 20 feet to make it look like 2. After a stern (if undeserved) talking to all was well and I went back out... But I realized the same thing was happening here as had happened at LCMT - my 2nd run of the day I was just leaving it in 4th gear for every corner except T8 and just being smooth / gentle and was STILL flying by people (with far more horsepower, turbos, etc). I asked for a check-ride and was approved for Black after lunch. It wasn't my first time running with the Advanced run-group, I did that in a mixed White/Black at Nelson Ledges and was one of the quicker cars / drivers out there so I wasn't really nervous so much as excited to really get to hustle the car around the track!

Mark Schnor catching me at T8 (following him taught me a lot)

Tracking out after T5

Up the hill at T6-T7

Tight at T20 for good speed down the front straight

Laurie and I shooting the sh1t after my check ride (cresting T7)

I gridded fairly late for my 3rd run and was behind a slower old 911. We always do a yellow warm-up lap the first time around and if all is well the track goes green by T17/18. I'd been warming up my tires/brakes (by over-slowing some of the corners) and was still keeping up with him just fine - a yellow warm up doesn't mean crawl around it just means no passing and don't push it TOO hard or drive aggressively. Anyhow, right behind me was a black GT3 and behind him a green GT3 Cup Car. I figured I'd probably have to let both of them by once we went green .... Well, obviously nobody can pass between T17 and T20 but I got the point RIGHT at the exit of 20 and rocketed by the older 911. I had gone out with the track chair and after my check ride we just spent the 2nd half of the session tweaking lines and improving exit speed even more so I had a wicked-fast line through T1 (he doesn't even brake in his GT3, just a slight lift - I'm jealous!!). So not only did the GT3 and the Cup have to get by the guy I'd passed but I carried some really nice speed through T1 into 2. I watched the black GT3 get through T4 in my mirrors just as I was starting to brake for T5 and the Cup passed him on that straight. I gave an early point from T6 into 7 so the Cup could go by me before Temptation figuring he'd be much faster coming out of there. I actually stuck it nicely and stayed with him through the turn exit (he took the same inside double-apex line I had learned, so I took that to mean it was a good way through there haha) but he rocketed away up the hill, I guess 90-100+ more horsepower and a lighter car will do that!! The black GT3 had fallen a bit more behind and I think I was much quicker through T10-12 and after 14-16 into 17 because I'd gained several car-lengths on the front straight and he didn't gain them back despite having more power. The next several laps were practically open-track for me which was a BLAST. Each time I'd come out of T20 I'd see the GT3 further and further back and let me tell you, that really made me feel great. Then....... disaster.

(continued)

07-15-2008, 11:53 AM	#2
dmoffitt Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 744 iTrader: (3)	Day 5 (1 of 3 days at CMP) was quite damp - it had rained overnight - thankfully the sky was clearing with no threat of more rain as the morning went on. That's ok, because it took me a better part of the morning to really learn all 20 turns!! What an amazingly setup track though. Very technical, lots of blind apexes and some real "gotcha" turns. I was signed off in White but really wanted some help / instruction / pointers so I grabbed the guy next to me who had a Green/Yellow student with an RS America. Turned out Glenn (his name) runs the Targa Newfoundland rally school so I had QUITE a good right-seater!! A (verbal) lap around CMP: Just like LCMT the exit of the pits keeps you left of the front straight - but in this case you hug the apex / stay inside in T1 as it's a left hander. Normally coming down the front straight you are at the very top of 4th, light brake before this kink and are WOT through it, unwinding the wheel then bringing the car back far left along a concrete wall before braking into T2 (down into 3rd gear). You have to not get too ambitious on the throttle through / out of T2 as you only unwind part way, crest the hill, then bring it back right to the (somewhat blind) apex of T3. You're WOT before the apex and just clip the left curbing for the fast left that is T4 onto the "back" straight. Depending if I was catching traffic I'd be shifting into 4th either just before or just after T4 and 5th halfway down the straight. HARRRD braking and down into 3rd gear again for 5 (stay right, don't take a "normal" line), track out to the curbing then bring it in hard right for 6, where, like T7 at LCMT there is a little grip on the very inside but not much outside - plus, if you are inside early enough you have a straight shot up and over the hill past T7 onto the straight before T8 "Temptation." I usually short-shifted it into 4th before cresting the hill. T8 is named that because it's a decreasing radius carousel and you're tempted to get into the throttle WAAAAAY earlier than you should / can get away with. Glenn showed me the two major variants of the line through there - first, the "school" or "safe" line which is to rim-shot it around the outside after REALLY slowing the car and then ease into the last left-hand bit. Second, which I MUCH preferred was to turn in EARLY, back WOT, and take it as a double, trail-braking the 2nd left half while looking up the hill. I'm told this is something like 15meters shorter, and considering how many people I caught through there I believe it. You can't botch that as you'll send the back end of the car around if you turn too early or give it too much initial throttle input. Coming up hill out of 8 is "Deliverance" - T9a-9b - you stay right into 9a, short shift to 4th there while the car is straight, only track out half way and get far right over the hill at 9b then allow the car to track out left, braking hard-but-short as you head toward the left-hand side of the track, then turn in early for T10, WOT through there in 4th once you work up the courage (and some heat in the tires) staying inside through both T10 and T11, tracking out far left before braking and down into 3rd for T12. 12 is a hairpin right with a late entry (that rewards you if you do have the patience as you're WOT from the apex all the way through T13 which is an uphill medium left. After you crest 13 it flattens out and you trail-brake for T14 and take it somewhat early as the steep uphill that begins there "catches" the car letting you make the early entry stick (and allowing you to carry lots of speed). Shifting into 4th while getting the car far left for T15 you stay on the throttle, GENTLY turn in and then bring the wheel in a bit more right as you are quickly going to full throttle. Light braking before T16 which is a medium left into a downhill braking zone, most people go too far left before braking - the trick I found was stay right along a seam in the pavement 2/3 of the way to the right, brake and down into 3rd, make the FIRST apex (T17), throw away T18 and aim for the curbing right before the pit-in blend line, then get the car lined up STRAIGHT up the hill through T19 so you can get a GOOD run on T20 (the sharp left at the top of the little rise leading onto the front straight). I can't begin to comment how many passes I got here! Speaking of, I was FLYING through White. I think a combination of help learning the track early and easily (some people TAPED A TRACK MAP TO THE STEERING WHEEL!!) and the fact that UCR's "White" was really a Blue+White mixed group had a lot to do with that. I got black flagged the first run of Day 2 for "being too close" to the car in front of me - the reality of it was two things, neither my fault: The guy had gone WAAAAY early into T11 causing him to almost go off the pavement before 12, so I was already on the brakes and staying tight inside (vs tracking out left for a fast exit) - and he then over-corrected and practically cut me off / flew in front of me. I kept from hitting him and was by no means the cause (guy even came over and apologized - he hadn't been there the day before and it was his first time on track - but what compounded it was that the track photographer got a photo of me RIGHT on him - but it was shot at 200mm which compressed 20 feet to make it look like 2. After a stern (if undeserved) talking to all was well and I went back out... But I realized the same thing was happening here as had happened at LCMT - my 2nd run of the day I was just leaving it in 4th gear for every corner except T8 and just being smooth / gentle and was STILL flying by people (with far more horsepower, turbos, etc). I asked for a check-ride and was approved for Black after lunch. It wasn't my first time running with the Advanced run-group, I did that in a mixed White/Black at Nelson Ledges and was one of the quicker cars / drivers out there so I wasn't really nervous so much as excited to really get to hustle the car around the track! Mark Schnor catching me at T8 (following him taught me a lot) Tracking out after T5 Up the hill at T6-T7 Tight at T20 for good speed down the front straight Laurie and I shooting the sh1t after my check ride (cresting T7) I gridded fairly late for my 3rd run and was behind a slower old 911. We always do a yellow warm-up lap the first time around and if all is well the track goes green by T17/18. I'd been warming up my tires/brakes (by over-slowing some of the corners) and was still keeping up with him just fine - a yellow warm up doesn't mean crawl around it just means no passing and don't push it TOO hard or drive aggressively. Anyhow, right behind me was a black GT3 and behind him a green GT3 Cup Car. I figured I'd probably have to let both of them by once we went green .... Well, obviously nobody can pass between T17 and T20 but I got the point RIGHT at the exit of 20 and rocketed by the older 911. I had gone out with the track chair and after my check ride we just spent the 2nd half of the session tweaking lines and improving exit speed even more so I had a wicked-fast line through T1 (he doesn't even brake in his GT3, just a slight lift - I'm jealous!!). So not only did the GT3 and the Cup have to get by the guy I'd passed but I carried some really nice speed through T1 into 2. I watched the black GT3 get through T4 in my mirrors just as I was starting to brake for T5 and the Cup passed him on that straight. I gave an early point from T6 into 7 so the Cup could go by me before Temptation figuring he'd be much faster coming out of there. I actually stuck it nicely and stayed with him through the turn exit (he took the same inside double-apex line I had learned, so I took that to mean it was a good way through there haha) but he rocketed away up the hill, I guess 90-100+ more horsepower and a lighter car will do that!! The black GT3 had fallen a bit more behind and I think I was much quicker through T10-12 and after 14-16 into 17 because I'd gained several car-lengths on the front straight and he didn't gain them back despite having more power. The next several laps were practically open-track for me which was a BLAST. Each time I'd come out of T20 I'd see the GT3 further and further back and let me tell you, that really made me feel great. Then....... disaster. (continued) Last edited by dmoffitt; 07-15-2008 at 12:16 PM.