Track Specification

Track distance -  2.66 miles
Race distance -  188 laps
Maximum number of cars - 39
My best lap - 199.192 mph without the draft
Good lap - 197.000 mph  (120 degrees)
Pit window - 42 to 45 laps
Fuel usage - 2.2 laps per 1 gallon
AI lap speed (100%) -  195.0 mph  (0:49.9)
Pace lap speed - 90 mph

Talladega overview

Talladega is the most popular track to drive.  You can drive flat out all 
the way around the track.  I have turned more laps on the modem at this 
track than any other track off-line.

Outside temperature can effect your speed at Talladega.  The hotter the temp, 
the faster the human drivers can go.  All speeds listed below are for 85 
degrees with no wind.

Driving tips

Your setup is not important.  As long as your tire pressure is set to 60 psi 
for all 4 tires, spoilers are set to 5.0 and 40 degrees, and you do not have 
a radical weight or shock setting, you can turn 195 to 196 mph laps without 
the draft.  Your line around the track is very important.  The easiest way 
to describe the correct line is to follow an AI car around the track.  Their 
line is very close to my killer line.  The most important thing to remember 
is keep your cornering speeds as fast as possible.  If I exit turn 2 at 186 
mph and you exit at 184,  I will be moving 1 to 2 mph faster than you all the 
way down the back straight.  You just lost .1 second to me in a non draft 
situation.

At the start finish line, you should be going 190+ mph.  Your lowest speed 
through turns 1 and 2 should be 185 mph or higher.  You can reach 200+ mph on 
the back straight.  Your lowest speed through turns 3 and 4 should be 189 mph 
or higher.  The tri-oval is where most of your speed and tires are lost.  You 
should never hear tire squeal once you pass the apex of the turn.  If you do, 
you are taking the tri-oval incorrectly.  The tri-oval can be taken without 
tire squeal, but tire squeal from the beginning of the turn to the apex is 
acceptable.


 
Start/Finish line speed should be above 
190 mph.

                            
                             
                            Stay above the white line through 80% of
                            the turn, then cut off the last corner.


 
Stay above the white line for 80% of the
turn, then drop below to gain speed.

                            
                             
                            Start your turn here.  Drop the left side
                            tires onto the white line in the apex.
    

Drafting is where you can make up ground on an opponent or put ground between 
your opponent.  If you can put an AI car on your bumper without lifting, do 
it.  You will beat him down the back straight, but if you keep him in your 
draft, he will catch you in the turns.  Drive his line, because he will not 
drive yours.  With an AI on your bumper, you can gain and extra .5 to 1.5 mph 
per lap.


                  
                   
                  Use the draft to increase your speed.


Dangers

The tri-oval is where most of you trouble will occur.  Never bite off more 
than you can chew when it comes to passing cars before the tri-oval.  You are 
better off lifting and following than passing side by side through the tri-oval.  
Passing AI cars side by side through the tri-oval can be done.  I recommend 
you practice it, you may need it some day.

  
         
Get beside or infront an AI car.       Don’t turn in to late.

  
         
Notice how the outside car give way to allow you the inside line.


Watch for AI cars that try to take the tri-oval from the center lane.  They 
are going to slow down in the tri-oval.  If your not careful, you will hit 
them.  Prepare yourself for and inside pass.  Give the AI 2 or 3 car lengths 
and take the tri-oval as low as you can to make the inside pass.


  
         
When a car moves to the inside line, you better prepared to slow down.

  
         
The inside car will cut you off.       Lift ahead of time to take the 
                                       inside line.

Modem racing tips:

I will bet the farm, if you race anyone over the modem, it’s at Talladega.  
Learning to drive against another human is just as important as learning to 
drive against the AI cars.  A humans driving style and line is much differant 
than an AI car.  A human car will accelerate and decelerate at the same points 
as your.  You will not have a huge advantage on the back straight like you 
do against the AI cars.  A human driver will driver below the white line and 
block your pass attempt as well as trying to pass you through the tri-oval.  

Both human drivers will need to learn and appreciate where the other driver 
is going.  If the other human driver is on your left heading down the back 
straight, you cannot dive to the inside line!  You NEED to give him the inside 
line and be prepared for him to drift up the track a little.  Taking the center 
lane heading into turn 3 is the smart thing to do.  You will still be in the 
draft and more important, you will still be alive.  Passing while heading into 
the tri-oval is very dangerous.  Unless it’s the last lap in the race, I 
recommend extreme caution over bold, over aggressive passing while heading 
into or through the tri-oval.  I put the odds of a successful exit of the 
tri-oval with two humans, side by side, at a 10% success rate.  Take my word 
for it, no matter how good a run you have on your human opponent coming out 
of turn 4, you will not fully overtake him before the tri-oval.  Unless one 
driver gives, there will be an accident and another needless restart to the 
race.

Many modem racing leagues have an important rule for human vs human racing.  
It goes like this:

With a true head to head format, and thus more of a "dueling" environment 
between drivers, there are going to have to be some clear-cut rules about 
determining a winner when there are accidents between the two player cars.  
These rules need to follow the rules (written or unwritten) of real racing, 
which state that it is always the responsibility of the FOLLOWING car to 
avoid hitting the car in front.  The only exception is when the leading car 
makes an unnecessary and violent deceleration in an attempt to cause an 
accident, and this is a judgment call. However, if you can only see your 
opponent in your side mirror due to both being along side each other, the 
lead is then in question and BOTH drivers should use the same caution they 
would if they were the following car.

I would rather finish a race in second place on my opponents back bumper than 
end a race in a senseless accident.  By showing a little respect for your 
opponent, they will in turn respect you.


====================================================
JOERACE setup for Talladega Superspeedway
----------------------------------------------------
Fuel:           22 gal.
Stagger:       +1.000"
Steering Lock:  7ø

WEIGHT BIAS    POUNDS   PCT     SPOILERS
----------------------------    --------------------
Left Bias:      1875   53.5%    Air Dam:        5.0"
Rear Bias:      1700   48.5%    Rear Spoiler:   40ø
Cross Weight:  +50     51.4%

TIRE   PSI   CAMBER   SHOCKS    GEARS
----------------------------    --------------------
RF     60    -1.70ø    100%     First:          6.00
RR     60    -1.93ø    100%     Second:         4.80
LR     60    -0.84ø    100%     Third:          4.00
LF     60    +0.00ø    100%     Fourth:         3.50
====================================================