GingerMan Raceway
South Haven, MI
Length
1.88 miles
Turns
11
Direction
Clockwise (primary); counter-clockwise configurations available
Elevation Change
60 ft
Elevation (ASL)
610 ft
Surface
Polymerized asphalt (formulated for racing and Michigan winters)
Grip
Good mechanical grip; improves with rubber down
Brake Severity
Moderate - several hard braking zones but adequate runoff
FIA Certification
SCCA/MAJORS approved
Nearest Airport
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International (AZO) - 35 miles
Nearest Trauma Center
Bronson Methodist Hospital (Kalamazoo) - Level II
Track Character
Compact, fun track that flows well. Good for learning — consequences of mistakes are low. The back section has some elevation change. Setup balanced with slightly more focus on turn-in response. Good beginner track with a safe layout.
“Weight transfer, g forces and momentum all work together. Your goal is to make the weight transfer harmonize with the needs of the suspension and tires to achieve optimum traction. With a racing car you want to constantly blend your braking into cornering, your cornering into acceleration.”
Bob Bondurant on High Performance Driving — Bob Bondurant
Gingerman's flowing, compact layout is an ideal track for practicing Bondurant's fundamental skill of blending inputs. The low-consequence environment lets you experiment with the transitions — carry a little more brake into the corner, feel the rotation, then blend to throttle. Developing this connected driving style at Gingerman builds habits that transfer to every other track.
“Concentrate and work on getting 100 percent out of yourself and your car. Your 100 percent today may be only 90 percent six months from now, because your technique has improved. And you can always improve.”
Speed Secrets — Ross Bentley
Gingerman is purpose-built for skill development. Bentley's progressive improvement philosophy matches the track perfectly — the safe layout with low consequences encourages experimentation. Use each session to work on a specific technique: trail braking in session one, vision in session two, throttle application in session three. The flowing layout provides constant practice opportunities.
“The faster and longer the corner, the less trail braking you should use and the earlier you need to be on the power; the slower and tighter the corner, the more trail braking you should use to help rotate the car.”
Ultimate Speed Secrets — Ross Bentley
Gingerman's flowing layout with its mix of tight and sweeping corners is the perfect place to practice Bentley's rotation-vs-set framework. Categorize each corner before your session: the tight corners need trail braking for rotation, the flowing corners need early throttle for a settled car. The low-consequence environment lets you experiment with the boundary between the two approaches — push the trail braking a little deeper into the medium-speed corners to find where the technique transitions from helpful to harmful.