Blackhawk Farms Raceway

“Remember that in a tight and long corner, it is easy to pick up gobs of understeer by going to the throttle before the car has rotated to a usable yaw angle. Continuing the braking past the turn-in, then using a quick release of the pedal pressure, can help get the tail out to where you want it.”

Going Faster! — Carl Lopez (Skip Barber)

Blackhawk Farms' tight, technical corners reward patience with rotation. Lopez's advice about waiting for the car to rotate before adding throttle is fundamental here — the compact layout punishes understeer because there is no room to run wide. Use trail braking to create rotation, then apply throttle progressively once the car is pointed at the exit.

“At least 90 percent of your responses and actions in a race car are a result of the feedback you receive from your eyes and what they report to your brain. Good vision is something that can be practiced.”

Speed Secrets — Ross Bentley

Blackhawk's compact layout means corners arrive quickly — there is very little time between the exit of one corner and the braking zone of the next. Bentley's emphasis on practicing vision is critical here: your eyes must be looking through the current corner to the next one at all times. If your eyes are on the apex of the current corner, you are already behind. Use Blackhawk's safe environment to practice looking further ahead.

“The three secrets of high performance driving are: Smoothness, Smoothness and, Smoothness. Upon closer examination of this driver, you would discover that he or she makes no unnecessary movements of the steering wheel which would unbalance the car by shifting weight back and forth on the vehicle's suspension.”

High Performance Drivers Manual — Scott Blazey

Blackhawk's tight, technical layout with moderate bumpiness rewards Blazey's smoothness principle above all else. The short straights mean the car never fully settles between corners — every unnecessary input carries over to the next corner's entry. Eliminate steering corrections, abrupt throttle lifts, and harsh braking in the transitions. At Blackhawk, the smoothest driver is the fastest driver, and the compact layout provides relentless feedback on every input.