Fast Lap at Putnam Park Road Course

by Ron Fellows

I made my first visit to Putnam Park in November of 1994, driving for Buz McCall, in the new Pratt & Miller designed Camaro for the Trans Am series. Will Moody- the team manager then- raved about Putnam Park and since that first test, I would be hard-pressed to calculate how many miles I've done here.

I've driven a wide variety of other race machines at Putnam Park as well(in order of fun factor); WSC Ferrari 333, GTS class Corvette C5-R and NASCAR Craftsman Truck. I have always enjoyed the track, the people and the area (particularly the Walden Inn in Greencastle) and I'm sure you will find Putnam Park challenging as well as useful for vehicle development.

Here is some detail of a lap around Putnam Park using the Loop pn the front straight (which we used regularly to work on brake development).

From the perspective of my Corvette C5-R, we approach the chicane in fifth gear and brake at the start of the flat, just after the slight downhill. Enter into the chicane in first gear, using some curb on the entry (driver's right) and for the left I use a fair amount of curb, get the car pointed as straight as possible and accelerate in first, short shift to second for the right and back on to the front straight, up shift to third and fourth.

At about the 'one' marker, touch the brake slightly- still in fourth- turning in for turn one using about half of the curb on driver's right, accelerating again for turn two.

Approaching turn two give yourself two or three feet of racetrack on your left (it will help you maintain a constant arc through turn two, reducing your chance of turning too late), brush the curbing at the apex, exit right to the edge of the track and accelerate hard through the esses (turn three).

Enter turn four- middle of the track- and brake, downshift to third, turn in and carry the apex from the start of the curbing until you are squared to the exit (the track is slightly off-camber through the apex) and accelerate hard, using all the road at the exit and up shift to fourth.

Approaching turn five, give yourself two or three feet of track on driver's left, brake-staying in fourth gear- turn in and aim for the start of the curb (you'll be lucky to touch part of it, the apex is not completely visible until after you begin your turn in, but if you aim for the beginning of the curbing it will be a useful reference). Just after the apex you should be able to pick up full throttle and accelerate hard through turn six (I usually touch the inside curb with the right front) aiming toward turn seven.

Just after turn six, begin braking (give yourself three or four feet of track on driver's left to adjust for the upcoming radius), downshift to secon gear. I take the shortest way around turn seven using most of the curbing, rotate the car as quickly as possible, get the wheel straight, pick up the throttle and accelerate hard toward turn eight, up shifting to third and then fourth.

raking hard, but not long, for turn eight, downshift to third and turn in early (two apexes), the front left wheel will almost touch the grass at the first apex, drifting out slightly, then to the second apex, touch the curb with the left front and get the car squared to the exit. Now hard on the throttle use all the road (there is plenty on driver's right), us shift to fourth and accelerate hard to turn nine.

Approaching turn nine, brake, downshift to third and give myself three or four feet on driver's left (I don't want to miss the apex of turn nine because of the elevation), turn in, using the curb on driver's right, over the crest off the throttle (as the car gets light), accelerate again, aiming for the line dividing the race track from the pit road approaching turn ten.

Just before turn-in for turn ten, slight touch of the brake, in and across the curb on driver's right (right front only), to full throttle as early as possible, using all the road at the exit, on to the pit-straight, up shift to fourth and then fifth for one lap of Putnam Park- under seventy-five seconds- in the Goodwrench Service Center C5-R.