MAM Turn 3

We just returned from a terriffic day of racing at Mid America Motorplex and pick up some interesting information on a new line through turn 3, the decreasing radius. While I usually enter the turn hot and stay as hot as I can, I stay interior of the centerline. Right before the radius starts to decrease, I chop the throttle slightly, causing the front tire to nose in right towards the rumble strip. Once I reach the rumble strip I get on the gas and try to accelerate through to the carousel.

Yesterday my blazingly fast buddy Randy Norian, on his smoking hot RS-250 was tearing me up on this turn. Given Randy's prowess on the track, I rarely get the opportunity to watch him anywhere on the track for very long. I noticed, however that near the end of turn 3, Randy drifts out past the center line and turns in even later. Since most guys get it in their heads that the radius decreases, Randy's move is doubly counterintuitive. Randy's angle not only gives him a running start at the corner, but flattens it out to the point where he can pin his throttle all the way to the carousel. While a tight line shortens the distance you have to travel, Randy's line allows him to stay so much hotter through the turn and blast out so forcefully, that the distance advantage becomes a non-issue. You typically cannot go wrong taking a decreasing radius a little hotter, a little deeper and turning a little sharper.

One problem you may encounter is that other riders might find the line surprising. While this is not a problem on a track day, if you had a better rider behind you taking a fast tight line, the apex near the rumble strip might get a little close if the rider passing you was not anticipating your rocket-like acceleration past the apex. It would be an unusual circumstance however that much faster rider was not taking this line with you, instead of T-boning you at the apex.