筑波サーキット Part 2
Knee Scraping Action
It's high noon, racers line up in the grid, final engine checks, tire warmers coming off, and race queens are flagging the time before the race begins - it's show time folks. Tsukuba is my favorite track because it encompasses an even balance of corners, chicanes, and high speed straights that cater to a wide arrange of cars to test their speed and handling. In my eyes, it's the perfect time attack track that any type of car can compete in, in hopes to enter Tsukuba's "Under One-Minute Club". Races like World Time Attack Challenge usher in Tsukuba's fastest competitors to constantly break each other's records.
I'm going to explain my favorite course sections that make this track top of my list which should also help give a better idea of where the actions shots where taken on the track.
I'll start off with the main straight where the starting grid and glorious finish line await racers to cross. This also where the podium ceremonies after the races are held.
After the main straight, you'll be entering the 1 corner at high speed which brings you to a complex part of the course...
...my favorite part of the track - the S corner.
Straight from the S corner you'll find yourself hard braking immediately entering the 1 hairpin corner.
Exiting from the hairpin, you'll recognize the next technical part of the track because of the Dunlop Tire arch. For car races, the shorter side of this corner is called the 80R corner while for bike races the longer section which twists a little tighter coming out of the Dunlop corner is called the Asia corner.
I prefer tight cornering sections in any track but this final corner coming from the back straight where you'll probably get to your highest speed, allows the final dog fights to be seen by the starting line bleachers. One of the most epic sections towards the final laps of races.
With 5 minutes till the green flag is waved, racers line up at the starting grid.
Get your ear plugs out, the main straight is where engines scream and echo along the paddock walls...
...followed by the loud exploding backfires from down shifting entering the 1 corner
From the right angle, you can see the bikes sway in a high speed wave motion making their way through the S corner.
Enter the first hairpin. Entering from the momentum of the S corner you're turning left halfway through the last curve and trying to enter as tight as possible in to the hairpin.
Coming out wide out of the hairpin, you're pushing full throttle once you've got your tires straighter and ready for that exit speed.
Not too long after you're starting to pick up speed in lower gears, time to ease off the throttle and through your weight into the Dunlop corner.
The Asia corner for bike races is a crucial part of the track, you're throwing the most momentum in opposite directions through this section than any other. There were a few spills I witnessed for a few unfortunate racers that leaned too far on the counter turn that sent them skidding into the hay stacks.
Finally, racers are catching their highest speeds down the back straight before entering the final corner into the finish line.
つづく
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