How to be Fast at Watkins Glen on Assetto Corsa Competizione - Track Guide

It has been well over a year since our last Track Guide for Assetto Corsa Competizione was published, but with the release of the American Track Pack DLC last week, we finally have some new venues on the platform to compete on.
Watkins Glen, Circuit of the Americas and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are the three tracks included, but today, we’ll be looking at Watkins Glen in particular. Based in Upstate New York, the famed circuit has 11 corners, including the uphill ‘esses’, the ‘bus stop’, and the heel and toe of the ‘boot’.
As you’ll notice in today’s guide, it’s very momentum based around the circuit with a ton of run-off to maximise lap times. The car of choice for this guide might be a familiar one if you’ve seen our previous guides, it’s the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
While there are certainly some small tweaks that can be done to the default setups, which is gone over in the start of the video, it is basically the baseline as we’re just looking to learn the course today.
After giving it a whirl, here are our suggested lap times to aim for, depending on your skill level and knowledge of the venue:
Pro: 1:42.50
Pro/Am: 1:48.00
Am: 1:53.00
My Laptime: 1:44.05
Let us know in the comments how you did, and also if you have found our track guide helpful today. Continue to keep an eye on the Traxion.GG website and our Traxion.GG KZbin channel for future ACC content. Keep it pinned!
00:00 Intro
00:30 Setup Tweaks
00:55 Turn 1
01:42 Turn 2 - 3 - 4
01:59 Inner Loop
03:00 Outer Loop
03:46 Chute
04:28 Toe
05:10 Heel
06:01 Turn 9
06:41 Turn 10
06:59 Turn 11
07:37 Full Speed Lap
09:29 Thoughts and Lap Time Targets
10:08 10 Second Summary
10:22 Watch Next!
PC Spec: [Intel I9 10900X, RTX 3090, 128GB Ram, 2TB Nvme SSD]
------------------------
Join us on Discord: / discord
Read More on Traxion.gg: www.traxion.gg
Subscribe on KZbin: / traxiongg
Follow us on Twitch: / traxiongg
Follow us on Twitter: / traxiongg
Follow us on Instagram: / traxiongg
Like us on Facebook: / traxiongg
#Traxion #ACC #AssettoCorsaCompetizione

[@HowlerBikeVlogs]

just the singular fact that you can feel good about a lap and then see the pro's go 6 seconds faster with the same car/setup is infuriating but motivating at the same time. but i guess this guide will help me to get at least a small slice of my times.

[@MichaelJeffries]

The best track guides available. Thank you!

[@reginaldmitileni]

As always best track guide ever. I keep looking at the track guides all the time before racing. Good job guys.

[@petermartin5197]

Brilliant as always thank you,can't wait for COTA and Indy guides

[@colinboone9920]

This is fantastic! Thank you!

[@Zanthin8]

Nice guide, glad you left in some mistakes and how to rectify them

[@DJ_Racing27]

Thank you for being clear and concise. This should help me get out of rookie tonight in LFM.

[@TraxionGG]

No worries! Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

[@DJ_Racing27]

@@TraxionGG definitely got faster times. Was unable to get out of rookie due to the servers going down during the race. Still progress tho. Thank you!

[@retro_rusty]

Super helpful, thanks!

[@lukasbenjamin_]

Awesome trackguide!

[@TraxionGG]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Mainforce66]

good stuff, thanks again, Slange!

[@toadster1969]

Always love your guides - thank you for these new ones!

[@TraxionGG]

Great to hear!

[@diegobareagimeno2696]

My favorite track by far, pretty consistent at 1:51 and I just bought the DLC, really excited to get under 1:50.

[@friv7501]

whats ur lap time now? i am passing trough the same feeling as you my current best is 1:47:4

[@bareknuckleteam]

Great video as always guys! Would be awesome if you did any videos about the same tracks in wet conditions. Keep it up!

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks a lot! It's tricky with wet weather as the lines and braking points will depend entirely on the specific conditions at that moment, which will vary every lap. We do have a video to help you master wet conditions in general though, it was made a few years ago now but the fundamentals are still relevant! :) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXzPpGN4a6aNb8k

[@bareknuckleteam]

@TraxionGG Thanks a bunch man! Gonna check it out for sure!

[@godsson7779]

Very nice and informative. Please make more for different tracks!!

[@TraxionGG]

Hey! All our other ACC track guides are available in this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PL1wiZ5YwTwHa-CI50lwL9LXhxX91IFfvR

[@godsson7779]

@@TraxionGG thank you!!! I'll check them ALL OUT! Keep up the good work!!

[@frafzn6745]

good job

[@DustySticks]

Appreciate these guides. I'm trying to get into ACC more and would like to get closer towards some real life pace, but I'm a solid 5+ seconds off on most tracks.

[@TraxionGG]

Glad you like them!

[@jarvisbinks7576]

Well having just got this track pack, this is by far my favorite track. So fast. Wonderful turns. Love it. I’m pretty consistent at 1:51’s but I can FEEL that I’ve got much more to give. Can’t wait to lay down some more laps later. Thanks for the guide!

[@TraxionGG]

Awesome, looking forward to hearing your progress!😄

[@cg-keuka]

Thanks for your videos. Has anyone ever mentioned that the pit stop crew in AC look similar to you.

[@TraxionGG]

You are welcome! And no, you are the first😂

[@reviewforthetube6485]

Didnt realize you were a coaster. I always thought you would go from trsil braking into the throttle hitting the turn perfeclty by trail braking and nailing it right on the throttle right after getting right onto the brakes. Should be able to do that on most corners if you get entry perfecr. I do brake into throtrle modulation on rvery corner i allow my trail braking to turn me in wirh less steering inout and thw throttle to help me create oversteer and being able to hold speed. I was very surpeised when i started this method to see how much faster i could go around corners then i ever thought was possible, found out the right ampunt of theottle helped me keep my turn on without going wide for much longer with more speed. Coasting imo leaves more guest work and usually you sre allowing your car to slow down deeper instead of coming out faster. Shouldbt have to slam on the throttl to 100% after each corner lol. Kne thing about acc that makes it unrealistic cant do that in a real car thats for sure. I used to do thay alot and the brakinf early to coast actually loses you time.

[@nathantw]

I spent close to 4 hours trying to get the Ferrari 488 under 1:50 and I just couldn’t do it. I found this video and you did it effortlessly. In fact you got 1:43. Now to spend another 4 hours trying to get it right. 😂

[@TraxionGG]

Great to hear! Good luck 😂

[@marcusberggren9241]

I hit a new PB at Watkins Glen today, a 1:44.635. Pro times seem to be around 42.5 like you said. fastest guys are doing 42 flat.

[@Luis7Vazquez7]

Had only raced on the Glen on Forza Motorsport 7. I'm 50 hours into ACC and managed a 1:45.4 From what I could find, this is the 1st track in the whole game where I'm actually within 3 secs off the aliens' pace

[@emrebirincioglu]

how could there is almost 6 secs pace difference between pro and pro-am? I am around 1:48 and have no idea how can I find another 6 secs :S

[@Gamezoneadi]

Thanks for the guide. It took me 21 laps to reach pro am level but 1.49 is my consistent laptime. I was using m6 gt3 with medium tyres. I wonder if it's possible to get 1.45 on a controller

[@thesnowdog4609]

Hi there. Would you say the gearing for the Aston Martin V8 GT3 could work similarly to the Merc 2020 evo here?

[@howl249]

2023 here Am time is now about 1:47-1:48.

[@neilemborgomusic8081]

I tried watkins glen for the first time today. I got around 1:49ish in a few laps

[@jondoe2k]

This guide has gotten me from +2:00 to 1:46.9. Thank you for all your help 👍❤

[@jannikwesterboer2347]

Hello, thanks again for nice guide again. I am just curious, why is there such a big difference between the pros and the pro-ams here? Is this because of the track characteristics or just because the track was new at that time? By the way, would you mind to share your lap time by now? Normally you're much closer to the pros 🤭

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks Jannik! These American Pack guides were made nearly 2 years after the original set (the first Traxion videos ever made!), so in that time we have taken onboard any feedback. One thing is adding the pedal inputs, the other is revising the target times slightly as they were very strong! The whole reason for them was just a bit of fun anyway to give people something to chase :) To be honest I have only done one online Watkins race and it was back in August, I was doing similar times in qualifying trim in the Bentley, but in much hotter conditions. Then again, I had a custom setup rather than default.... So it's very hard to tell! 😂

[@jannikwesterboer2347]

@@TraxionGG Thanks for the kind answer. The pedal inputs are very helpful indeed. I am still having fun with the bentley, too. Good luck for your next races. Always enjoying your content!

[@TraxionGG]

@@jannikwesterboer2347 Really appreciate it, thanks for your support!

[@SilverStoneFPV]

I think your target times are a little bit of... 1:45 should be easy possible for the pro-am drivers.

[@user-ny9ke4lf4f]

Can you race the “nascar” version without the boot

[@wontrememberneway]

I don't see your ABS or TC kicking in at all, is that just because it's a replay?

[@DunkdaHunk]

Did a 1:45.9 thinking I was slow. Maybe my friends are just really fast!

[@Nookiee89]

Is this better than Gran Turismo, like is it way much better or is it not even close

[@DanLMH]

GT is more sim-cade, like it simulates some things very well, but dedicated sims like ACC are way more realistic bc they cover a narrower selection of cars - and have a more niche audience that want the closest thing to real as possible

[@walterswdf2]

Have you (mercifully) revised your thinking about target lap times? At Brands Hatch (from about one year ago), for example, you had Pro at 1:22.0 and Am at 1:25.0, or 103% of the Pro time. Here, the Am time is a much more achievable 110.2% of the Pro time. Similarly, the older Imola guide has the Pro/Am delta at 104.5%, whereas the newer Indianapolis, with an identical Am lap target time of 1:44.00, is 110.6%.

[@TraxionGG]

The lap time targets were always just a bit of fun to try and set goals for people to achieve. But yes, in the recent batch of American DLC guides I was a little more kind for the targets as I know how tricky they can be to reach without optimal track conditions!

[@walterswdf2]

@@TraxionGG Based upon 80% of the several dozen regular sim racers I'm familiar with, your earlier (e.g. 105%) targets for "those just learning," are very discouraging.

[@lundiboy8]

Think my biggest issue if I'm basing it off of your video is that I should be manually shifting since you keep saying it helps with rotation. I'm hitting 1:47's automatic with a custom setup. Coming from oval racing games where shifting is not common after a restart, it is a bit intimidating to me as I focus on braking points and what not. Guess I should start learning road courses better since I know these American tracks at least. These 3 tracks have made me love acc more. Hard getting a grip on tracks that you know nothing about.

[@TraxionGG]

Definitely something worth trying to learn! Will make a big difference, gear change timing can be crucial to weight transfer and braking

[@ricwilki6254]

Stuck in the 1:48’s. 😢

[@idinfinity]

For now I'm stuck on 1:50 on a controller)

[@TraxionGG]

Not bad at all :)

[@sekaniserieux8934]

I'm an am and I can run 1 47. Only track were I'm good at🤣🤣🤣

[@mdutchy2582]

Bull. You will NOT get 43 with default aggressive and dont even try to lie. Every YT racer does the same thing, skip in the video or not a full unedited video. Or some other reason. Even with so called minor tweaks it aint happening. A closely guarded secret folks is that without paying for a set up, you will NOT compete in ACC. Other games you can skill your way to the top but not ACC. Period!

[@TraxionGG]

Hello! It is up to you whether to believe us or not, but I can assure you this was done with the aggressive default setup during the first few days of the track being available. Minor tweaks were fuel and tyre pressures to match the temps. Happy to send an email with a video link to the full unedited lap :) I can also assure you that the top ACC drivers will be able to go quicker than me in the same conditions! It's worth remembering that this was done it hotlap mode, with low fuel and ideal track conditions which does make you quicker.

[@mdutchy2582]

@@TraxionGG I owe you an apology. It IS doable. I was honestly frustrated beyond belief when I made that comment. Since then I have managed to study and focus and achieved 47.5 consistent. At the time I was anywhere from 50 to 52 and it just seemed so completely out of reach. I mean looking at videos, it seemed to me I was dead on the lines and braking points but I wasnt. I was pushing the car too fast INTO the corners, when I focused on exits my speed on the straights after those was the difference. I no longer doubt 3-4 seconds can be cut off of laps here and there with precision. Anyway, I decided to leave my comment up and put this apology so maybe others who are frustrated can see the outcome. Sorry bro.

[@alexandertrice3464]

Your Definitely on point👑🛞🏎