Sebring Setup Question

[TexasDad]

Starting to get our car ready to head to Sebring next week. Have read and been told a lot about how rough the track is and how hard it is on open wheel cars. For those who have driven there, do you set up the right height higher than usual for Sebring? Thanks

[Nardi]

Yes

[DaveW]

Starting to get our car ready to head to Sebring next week. Have read and been told a lot about how rough the track is and how hard it is on open wheel cars. For those who have driven there, do you set up the right height higher than usual for Sebring? Thanks

Yes

Plus lower spring rates and back off the dampers a bit. When I last ran at IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park), which was also very rough/bumpy I reduced my spring rates by ~30%.

[mikey]

"rough" is being kind.. obnoxiously rough is more accurate. turn 17 might as well be called "mogul bend"

my back hurt for a week last time I ran PFM there.. I wouldn't try it in my 1991 F3000. There's a reason IndyCar uses it for "accelerated testing"

good luck!

[Farrout48]

Soften the springs, raise the car, think about shock settings. Rough enough that my bifocal glasses bounced around inside the helmet causing a vision issue.

[Steve Davis]

The bumpiness is primarily focused into Turn 1 (end of front straight) and turn 17 (end of back straight). Most of the rest is 'about normal' for a 60? year old track surface. It's been 'patched' here and there numerous times, but everyone (?) feels that the CHARACTER of the track is defined by the ROUGH concrete at T1 and T17.. BTW.. 17 is a compound 'u-turn' that opens into the concrete outside wall of the front straight. Keeping the wheels ON THE GROUND is pretty important at both places.

Wear a mouth/teeth guard!
Steve, FV80

[cory mcleod]

Only track where I set the suspension to "full soft." Car floats but it allows me to get through T17 at about half speed.

Generally I'm a traditionalist in every way, but they need to repave T1 and T17.

[EYERACE]

Beware of the very hard 'dip/bump' caused by the low spot just past the apex of Turn One if you are still fairly up against wall to the left of the racing line. It's sort of where one leaves the concrete and enters onto pavement - well to the left.
When the 12 Hour cars can endure the torture of Sebring's bumps for the 12 hours, the engineers know they've designed parts as light weight as they can be but also strong enough for the rest of the season. For that reason alone, therein lies the argument to never smooth/pave Turns 17 or 1