THE LOW GROOVE - SETUPS

                   GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
                   MADISON, IL
                   1.25 MILES

                   EGG-SHAPED OVAL
                   TURNS 1 & 2 BANKED AT 11 DEGREES
                   TURNS 3 & 4 BANKED AT 9 DEGREES
                   FRONT STRAIGHT:    1,922 FEET
                   BACK STRAIGHT:   1,976 FEET

GATEWAY IS A REALLY COOL RACE TRACK. IT IS SIMILAR IN SHAPE TO DARLINGTON, BUT THANK GOODNESS IT DOESN'T DRIVE LIKE DARLINGTON. GATEWAY RESEMBLES NEW HAMPSHIRE TO A LARGE EXTENT. YOU NEED A GOOD STABLE RACE CAR HERE, BUT A LITTLE LOOSENESS HELPS YOU GET THE CAR TURNED THROUGH THE CORNERS EASIER. A GOOD CONSISTENT LINE, COMBINED WITH A SMOOTH TOUCH ON THE GAS, WILL REALLY PUT YOU AHEAD OF THE PACK HERE.

A GOOD LAP AROUND GATEWAY STARTS OUT AT THE WALL DOWN THE FRONTSTRETCH. I USUALLY GET ON THE BRAKES A LITTLE SOONER THAN I THINK I NEED TO GOING INTO TURN 1. I TRY TO GET THE CAR SETTLED DOWN AND BENEATH ME BEFORE I REALLY GET GOING INTO THE TURN. THE LOW GROOVE TENDS TO BIND THE CAR UP AND START YOU PUSHING, SO TRY TO STAY ABOUT A HALF GROOVE ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE TRACK THROUGH 1 AND 2. AS YOU GET THE RPM'S WINDING DOWN, GO AHEAD AND EXPERIMENT WITH DOWNSHIFTING TO THIRD GEAR. I LIKE SHIFTING BETTER PERSONALLY.

COMING OUT OF TURN 2, LET THE CAR DRIFT BACK OUT TO THE BACKSTRETCH WALL AND GET BACK INTO FOURTH GEAR. STAY NEAR THE WALL AND USE A SIMILAR BRAKING STRATEGY AS THE FIRST TURN REQUIRES. GET THE CAR SETTLED AND HEAD THROUGH TURNS 3 AND 4. TURNS 3 AND 4 ARE WIDER THAN TURNS 1 AND 2. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS LESS BANKING IN 3 AND 4, YOU CAN CARRY MORE SPEED THROUGH THE CORNER THAN YOU DO IN 1 AND 2. WHEN YOU SEE THE WALKWAY GOING OVER THE TRACK IN THE CORNER OF THE SCREEN, GET BACK ON THE GAS AND HEAD BACK OUT TO THE FRONTSTRETCH WALL.

KEEP YOUR HEAD STEADY AND BE PATIENT. THE DRIVER WITH THE COOLEST HEAD WILL USUALLY WIN HERE, SO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE AND YOU WILL FINISH WELL.

NASCAR 3 GATEWAY RACE SETUP
GREAT RACE SETUP THAT CAN APPROACH, IF NOT BREAK THE TRACK RECORD. SOLID SETUP THAT WILL KEEP YOU NEAR THE FRONT IF YOU DRIVE SMART. BEST LAP IS 132.275. AWESOME SETUP LATE IN THE RUN.