Let's give Reeves Callaway some love. He was a pioneer in bolting turbochargers onto naturally aspirated street cars (BMW, VW, Alfa), he was among the first to recognize the importance of internal aerodynamics (f.e., using chassis members as air ducts), he designed cylinder heads for the Aston Martin Vantage, etc., etc., but what he's most famous for (at least around here) is a series of 'Callaway Corvettes' including a C7.R he campaigned in the GT3 class in FIA races until 2018. I took Sylana's version of the mod to Road America where it acquitted itself well against the other GT3s (at least until Corvette and Porsche showed up with their mid-engined designs). It was very well mannered...something like the man himself. Ten-lap race setup.
Why I test at Elkhart Lake. 1. It doesn't have any stupidly slow hairpins or chicanes, which interfere with repeatability...at least the way I drive. Spa would be ideal for testing if it weren't for that ugly, contorted chicane at the end of the lap. 2. The Carousel. Unlike the Nordschleife's Karusel (tight and lumpy), RA's Carousel is the closest thing you'll find to a high-speed, steady-state skid pad (or 'pan' as they call it in Blighty). It will give you an indication of absolute grip, with numbers you can compare, car-to-car and setup-to-setup (anything under 100 mph = pokey; anything over = speedy). 3. The Kink. The scariest turn in North America. Little cars will barely notice it, but big cars will make or break a decent lap-time depending on if your setup will allow you to take it flat out. Or not.
Why I test at Elkhart Lake. 1. It doesn't have any stupidly slow hairpins or chicanes, which interfere with repeatability...at least the way I drive. Spa would be ideal for testing if it weren't for that ugly, contorted chicane at the end of the lap. 2. The Carousel. Unlike the Nordschleife's Karusel (tight and lumpy), RA's Carousel is the closest thing you'll find to a high-speed, steady-state skid pad (or 'pan' as they call it in Blighty). It will give you an indication of absolute grip, with numbers you can compare, car-to-car and setup-to-setup (anything under 100 mph = pokey; anything over = speedy). 3. The Kink. The scariest turn in North America. Little cars will barely notice it, but big cars will make or break a decent lap-time depending on if your setup will allow you to take it flat out. Or not.
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