Navigating Circleville Raceway Park
By Mike Unger

CRP is a 7/10th mile road course consisting of 10 turns, seven lefts and three rights. While some of the turns are actually two curves blended into one all the turns have the same radius. This was due to the fact that when Steve Tatman laid out the track in 1993 he was equipped with a stake with a string and a sketch of what he and Dennis Hopson decided what the track should look like. Dennis was playing with the Sacramento Kings that year and had visited California tracks for reference and finally discussed the track layout with the (legendary karting family) Emmicks. Using all of that that info they finally decided on the layout as you see it today. The track has been a favorite for racers with its challenging number of corners and generous length.

Turn 1 is a simple 90-degree left-hander with a short straight as a lead in and short straight on the exit. This turn in low horsepower karts tends to be a non-event. That is it is taken flat out and doesn't develop much lateral G at all. In higher horsepower karts this turn is where the show is. A 40HP kart sliding sideways at 50 mph is an exciting thing. To handle this turn start from the outer edge of the track and turn in about 20 feet after the start finish line. The apex is right at the center of the turn and the exit point is the end of the curbing on the outside of the turn exit. Tips: Do not turn in too early for this turn, if you do you will quickly run out of room on exit. Also it is very important to straighten the steering wheel on the straight connecting turns 1 and 2. Making a large gradual arch throughout the short straight robs precious horsepower and slows the kart down.

Turn 2 is the fastest turn on the track. It is a 60-degree left that leads into a hard right-hander. This turn requires smooth and deliberate control of the steering wheel. Start from the outer edge of the track turning in and look for an early apex. This will help line you up for straight-line brake that will be required for turn 3. On exit of this turn stay to the right for entrance into turn 3.

Turn 3 is one of the key turns at CRP. This turn is the one that is constantly overdriven and where I still find more speed each time I drive though it. It is a wide 90-degree right that requires quite a bit of braking to enter properly. The fast line is to exit turn 2 and take a straight shot right for the inside of turn 3. This allows you to brake in the nice straight line and keep you out of the marbles that tend to gather on the outside of the turn. Run around the inside of the turn and let the kart drift out to about the middle of the track on exit. This sets you up nicely for the 180-degree turn 4.

Turn 4 is the turn on the track that requires the most patience. If you exited turn 3 correctly you are halfway there. From the middle of the track move the kart to the right about 1 kart width and right at the start of the corner turn the kart in. A late apex is preferred here since exit speed is very important leading onto the long backstretch. Exit the turn on the right side of the track being careful not to step a wheel off. Even the slightest bobble on exit can cost you positions at the end of the long straight.

Now you go down the long backstretch. This is the time where you check you gauges and look for that fellow competitor coming along side. Even in the lowest horsepower karts speeds can reach over 50 mph, and in a 40hp kart speeds can be as high as 75 mph at the end of the stretch.

Understanding that, turn 5 is one of the scariest turns on the track. Turn 5 is a slightly off camber, downhill, 90-degree left. It can be taken much faster than expected and because of that it is where most beginners slow the kart down too much. It is very important to look to your left before going into this turn. This is the place where most of the passing takes place on the track and if you inadvertently turn into someone here you will be in the grass just like your competitor. Let him go and get him in the next turn. You can't win from the grass. The important thing to remember about this turn is to brake as late as possible and get the kart turned in and pointed at the middle of the curbing on the inside of the turn. Then let the kart slide out on exit the far right side edge of the track. If done correctly the turn can be done with one smooth steering input and the turn will be nice and flowing. If you are stabbing at the steering here you are probably driving in to hard and need to brake just a touch more. If on exit you are steering your kart to the outside of the track you are braking too much.

After turn 5 there is a very short straight leading into turn 6. Stay to the right and run all the way up until turn 6. Turn 6 is an uphill left that you can take surprisingly fast. The turn in point is right at the beginning of the turn and the apex is in the center of the turn. On exit you should track out all the way to the edge of the track right where a bit of curbing ends. A couple tips for this turn, entry speed is typically higher than feels comfortable because the incline will naturally show you down, the fast line is to get to the inside as far as possible at the apex. I have seen karts actually carry the outside wheels over the grass at the apex naturally making the turn a kart width wider. On exit wait until you have traveled about 2 kart lengths and move to the left of the track. This will set you up for turn 7.

Turn 7 is a right-hander and one of the hardest turns on the entire track. This turn is a slow speed 160-degree right-hander that has no banking and on the outside of the track is actually off camber. Due to how flat this turn is it is very easy to overdrive this corner slide the kart sideways and bog the engine at exit. Enter this corner with patience and if anything go a bit slower than you think is appropriate. Turn in at the beginning of the corner get the kart as tight against the inside curbing as possible and let the kart drift out on exit all the way to the piece of asphalt that is the shortcut between turns 3 and 7. If the engine bogs on exit it is likely because you are overdriving. The reason is you are sliding the kart sideways and then finally the chassis finds grip on the exit of the corner when the tires stop sliding. The sudden high level of grip bogs down the kart and slows you down. Unfortunately most drivers assume they need to drive even harder to keep this engine from bogging causing them to repeat the same mistake. On exit you will exit on the left of the track.

The part of the track between turns 7 and 8 actually has a slight bend to the right and to the left like a series of esses. The fast line is a simple straight line through these. Just watch out for that aggressive driver here. Passes rarely work here and more often than not end up with 2 karts sitting in the grass.

Turn 8 is an uphill 130-degree left-hander that is similar to turn 6 in that you can go through it much faster than you would initially think. This turn requires a late turn in and a late apex so you can maximize your speed on the short straight leading into turn 9. The exit will take you to the far right side of the track at the end of the curbing. After exit gently move over to the left to setup for turn 9.

Coming into turn 9 you will need to be mindful of your fellow karter trying to pass you on the inside. This turn is one of 3 key passing zones on the track so be mindful and respect your fellow karter. The turn is slightly off camber and opens up on exit to a much wider piece of track. So on entry get slowed down enough to hit the middle of the corner as tight as possible and power out so you exit in the middle of the wider part of the track leading into turn 10. If you are exiting so that your kart is all the way to the left you will need to come back to the right to setup for turn 10. This will cost you time.

Starting from the middle of the track you will approach turn 10. Turn 10 is actually part of the oval track and has a fair amount of banking. The entrance starts on a slight incline then transitions to a quick and hardly noticeable decline (walk the track and you will see). The decline tends to cause the kart to understeer so unless you are driving one of the slower karts at the track it is very important to slow down a little bit to transfer some weight to the front tires. This will help you steer the kart up tight against the inside of the turn. The fast way is to start at the middle of the track, decelerate a very slight amount and then get back on the power right before the apex. The banking will do the rest. You will exit on the far outside of the track about 6 kart lengths from the start finish line. Stay on the outside and you will be setup for turn 1.

A couple other tips to consider when running at CRP. Even though the track has 7 lefts and only 3 rights the three right-handers are key to going fast. Make sure your kart can run through those right-handers well. Key passing zones are at the end of the backstretch leading into turn 5; the entrance to turn 7 and the entrance into turn 9. I encourage you to always look for your fellow competitor all time but be even more mindful in these 3 areas. These are the areas most likely for someone to try passing you. Be courteous and keep in mind you aren't racing for the F1 championship. Race fair and clean and the racing will be fun and challenging for everyone.