As anticipation builds for Round 5 of the 2024 Logitech G Supercar Pro Invitational Series at Watkins Glen Raceway, Hayden Veld shares his insights and strategies for mastering this iconic track.
Known for its challenging turns and high-speed straights, Watkins Glen demands precision and skill. Learn from Hayden who outlines his five key points for conquering the Glen, offering a glimpse into the mind of a top-tier sim racer preparing to tackle one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar.
Qualifying
With this track being the shortest on the 2024 calendar qualifying here is so important. Not just for the track position but also to get out of that mid/tail-end pack. The walls are so close here at Watkins so it will be so easy to get caught up in other dramas. With split qualifying this round it will be interesting to see which teams can find a way to work together.
Strategy
With the mandatory two stops, it opens up so many possibilities with strategy. It can be quite difficult to pass here so getting the strategy right to maximise the new tyres is crucial to working your way up the grid, or, maintaining position at the front. Pitlane is not too long so there are plenty of options here to be aggressive if you need to.
Track Position
Drafting is easy here, but passing is difficult. You need to find a way to avoid being stuck in a draft train so there are ways to avoid this. Pitstops, which may not work are always an option. Alternatively, fuel saving and being smart about how to maintain position is an option.
Championship Points
The top 20 is a challenge in itself, but with a higher likelihood of now having DNFs there will need to be races where you just try and maximise the number of points that you get. Zero points are on offer if you do not cross the finish line at the end so at times you may need to be a bit more conservative to ensure that your points haul is moving in the right direction.
Car Damage
The new damage on the car is one of the biggest changes that iRacing has bought to the series since its inception. Suddenly cars will be more heavily penalised for receiving damage. The days of having rear wing damage with no consequence are gone. Having cars now lose wheels and be stationary will no doubt keep the Race Control and Safety Car drivers on their toes. DNF will mean zero points so there may be some changes in how drivers take on the challenge of Watkins Glen, and the rest of the series.
