Winter is truly here in the deep south. Record breaking south and cold temperatures mean no one is out playing with their race cars. Its a good time to break out the sim and start working on learning some new tracks. The 2025 version of One Lap of America features all tracks that I’ve never attended, let alone been able to drive. That means I’m going to have to rely heavily on virtual learning methods. Thankfully Assetto Corsa modding community has most of the tracks covered.
First up is Hedge Hollow. Located in Missouri, just south of Kansas City, Hedge Hollow Raceway is a big and fast course. The full course is 3.4 miles long, featuring two fast “straights”, an increasing speed esses section, and a technical final couple corners.

First thing to do is get some expert advice on how to tackle this track. Since I’m lacking a personal expert, we’ll have to settle for One Lap Alum Tom O’Gorman… or at least his videos. TOMO posted a lap he did in a Porsche in 2024:
We can argue about how accurate or real any simulator is compared to actually driving, but whatever your opinion on the topic, you are probably right.
I use Assetto Corsa (the OG, not the newer ones) and have a modded car in the game that mirrors the weight, distribution, gear ratios, power curve, and suspension configuration of my real life Mini. It generally “feels” the same in game as it does in real life on a track. That may be my brain lying to me, but it is good enough for my needs.
My goal with the sim is almost exclusively to learn the track. Actual virtual laps times aren’t really important since I’m not racing other people or in some kind of competition. I do want to push the pace so that I have a good idea of the areas on the track to be concerned with, and where there are opportunities to improve/lose time. In my first session, most of my laps fell into the 2:35-2:45 time range. I’m still learning to use OBS, so most of my session I just recorded a blank screen. Here is one of the laps I did manage to capture:
Here are my driver notes:
- Fast entry to S/F straight, cross to the right.
- 3rd gear into 1 “Airport”, lots of run off but don’t be there
- Flat to A, brake at 150m. Tight exit, easy to understeer out and lose speed
- Short run to B, short shift to 4th
- 2nd gear into B, treat as double apex? (TOMO holds a tight line)
- Flat through the left kink heading to C
- Brake at 100m going into C, need to work on the line carrying too much speed and compromised exit
- Flat through the not straight, line seems to be path of least resistance, lining up on the left to be straight into the brake zone for turn 3
- Brake 200-175m into 3, 2nd gear for 3
- Exit 3 center track to setup for Esses
- Gradually increase speed through the Esses, up to 4th gear
- Out of the Esses to the left side of track, tricky setup and braking zone for turn 5
- Turn 5, 2nd gear, long corner with late exit
- Exit 5 point to right side of track for setup into 6
- Brake at 125m for 6, track drops and is off camber
- Back to the left to setup for 7, 3rd gear (gearing not ideal for this sequence of corners)
- Straighten the bends heading to the brake zone for 8
- Hard brake into 8, corner is tighter than it seems; easy to understeer late
- Brake at 100m for 9, 3rd gear, compromise 9 to setup for fast exit on 10
- Set the car for 10, accelerate in 3rd through 10 for fast exit and finish lap