The Racing Line at Big Willow

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park is a historic facility, surrounded by mountains and sunshine in the vicinity of Rosamond, California. In addition to the feature circuit, Willow Springs International Raceway, aka "Big Willow," there are the Streets of Willow Springs and the Horse Thief Mile. Between the three courses, a variety of track experiences are possible, ranging from the high speed sweepers of the main circuit to the canyon-like corner carving at Horsethief. Due in part to its scenic west coast location, members of the automotive media can often be found at Willow Springs, shooting video or preparing for their next writeup.

The main track, Big Willow, is known for its high speeds, but also for the elevation changes and flowing corners found in the technical section comprised of Turns 3 through 6. Turn 1 is a 90 degree left-hander that most pilots could take a bit faster, using the extra speed to carry them all the way to the right on exit. Turn 2 is technically a double apex, but a look at the videos shows that many drivers swing out near or past mid-track and end up struggling to get the vehicle pointed back in to the second apex. Better to stay closer to the inside, then make sure to be on the throttle early while also catching the apex and driving all the way to the outside.

Turn 3, which is discussed more in this blog post, is where almost everybody takes a line that goes very much against the recommended path. For various reasons, some corners seem to highly encourage a wide entry and late apex approach, Turn 3 included. Al's approach, however, is to turn in early and hug the inside.

After the first apex at Turn 4, some vehicles will go slightly past mid-track before the second apex. After that, everyone except the motorcycle swings all the way to the left edge before cutting back in to Turn 5. Only under-powered vehicles should exit Turn 5 wide.

The approach to Turn 8 is straightforward, but takes courage and skill to get through it at the limit. After exiting all the way to the left, the entrance to Turn 9 is slightly different for each vehicle, with more power meaning coming closer to taking hitting the first apex. Even then, the Porsche stays a width or two out, in contrast to the motorcycle, which takes nearly a true double apex.