- ADAC GT Masters premiere at Slovakia’s one and only professional racetrack
- BMW driver Dominik Baumann describes the 5.922km circuit
- Championship leader Diego Alessi on preparing for an unfamiliar venue
The penultimate race weekend (13th - 15th September) of the 2013 ADAC GT Masters campaign is breaking new ground at the Slovakia Ring in Slovakia. This will be the first time that the track, opened in 2009 and located about 40 kilometres south-east of the capital Bratislava, has hosted the Super Sports Car League. The 5.922km Slovakia Ring, which is one of the longest circuits in Europe, will be terra incognita for most of the ADAC GT Masters line-up.
Dominik Baumann (20), currently third in the standings together with Pixum Team Schubert co-driver Claudia Hürtgen (41), is one of the few contestants who is already familiar with the track from previous outings and has even picked up a winner’s trophy there. “The track is great fun, but it is also very difficult and takes some getting used to,” says the BMW Z4 man from Austria. “The Slovakia Ring is very fast, but in addition to its long straights and fast corners, it also has some really slow turns. Many of them are far from easy to negotiate because they gradually tighten up, which is to say that the radius gets smaller.”
Few natural features and an exceptionally wide start-finish straight
But it’s not just the corners that prove a challenge at the Slovakia Ring. “Apart from a couple of artificial changes in elevation, the track is quite level and has few natural features to orientate yourself by,” adds Baumann. He also has some helpful advice for newcomers: “You should avoid the gravel on the track and next to it. The aggregate they have used is fairly coarse, and you can quickly find that you’ve got a puncture.”
The start-finish straight at the Slovakia Ring is highly unusual. It is not only very long at 900 metres but also exceptionally wide at 12 metres. “On the grid, you could easily fit five cars side by side. The start of the race is a lot of fun, but it’s also problematic. Because the home straight is so long and wide, it’s difficult to judge your position. It certainly is a difficult track to learn, but it’s a great addition to the ADAC GT Masters calendar.”
Classic layout: Fast turns and hard braking points
Baumann’s prior experience of the track could prove to be a trump card on this penultimate weekend of the season. ADAC GT Masters championship leader Diego Alessi (41), who partners Daniel Keilwitz (24) in a Callaway Competition Corvette, has never driven at the Slovakia Ring before. The Italian will attempt to compensate for this disadvantage by meticulous preparation: “I’ve been looking at some on-board recordings on the internet, trying to discover the gear shift and braking points. Also, I’ve been watching full race coverage to work out those points on the track where critical situations could arise. My team-mate Mike Parisy has already driven there on a number of occasions, so after the first practice session, I’ll certainly be examining his data. I am looking forward to the track. Even though it’s relatively new, the Slovakia Ring has what might be described as a classic layout, with fast corners and hard braking points. We racing drivers love that sort of thing, so I’m already keenly anticipating the first few laps.”