This is my NASCAR Heat 5 Cup setup for Kentucky Speedway. Every value below is read from the garage screen, so you can copy it line by line.
The target with this setup is a lap in the low 30s. To get there you need to cut the time you spend off the throttle. The setup is built for that.
The setup at a glance
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Left front camber | +4.5 deg |
| Right front camber | -3.5 deg |
| Front swaybar | 1.775 in |
| Wheel lock | 6 deg |
| Wedge | 52.5% |
| Rear end ratio | 3.45 |
| Grille tape | 45% |
| Brake bias | 68% |
Those eight numbers do most of the work. The full sheet is below.
Full setup sheet
Tyres
| Tyre | Pressure |
|---|---|
| Left front | 25.00 psi |
| Right front | 58.00 psi |
| Left rear | 25.25 psi |
| Right rear | 58.00 psi |
Springs
| Spring | Rate |
|---|---|
| Front left | 1,200 lbs/in |
| Front right | 1,200 lbs/in |
| Rear left | 600 lbs/in |
| Rear right | 600 lbs/in |
Shocks
| Shock | Bump | Rebound |
|---|---|---|
| Front left | 6 clicks | 5 clicks |
| Front right | 3 clicks | 5 clicks |
| Rear left | 5 clicks | 5 clicks |
| Rear right | 7 clicks | 5 clicks |
Weight and ride height
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Left weight | 54.2% |
| Front weight | 52.0% |
| Wedge | 52.5% |
| Front ride height | 4.000 in |
| Rear ride height | 4.000 in |
Misc
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Left front camber | +4.5 deg |
| Right front camber | -3.5 deg |
| Front swaybar | 1.775 in |
| Left track bar | 15.00 in |
| Right track bar | 15.00 in |
| Brake bias | 68% |
| Grille tape | 45% |
| Wheel lock | 6 deg |
| Steering offset | 0.125 |
Gears
| Gear | Ratio |
|---|---|
| 1st | 2.70 |
| 2nd | 1.80 |
| 3rd | 1.35 |
| Rear end ratio | 3.45 |
Two lines are covered on my screenshot and I will not guess them: the rear swaybar and 4th gear. Leave both at the value the game gives you.
Why the camber is set this way
Kentucky is an oval, so you only turn left. The load goes onto the right side tyres.
The right front runs -3.5. That keeps the tyre flat on the track in the middle of the corner, when it carries most of the car.
The left front runs +4.5. Positive camber on the inside wheel leans that tyre into the corner too, and it helps a lot at turn-in.
So both front tyres lean left. It is the same logic on every oval in the game, only the numbers change. Kentucky sits in the middle of my intermediate setups: more camber than Kansas, a touch less than Charlotte on the right front.
Why the front swaybar is 1.775
This is one of the stiffest front bars in my Cup setups. Only New Hampshire is higher.
A stiff front bar keeps the car flat on turn-in, and it keeps the rear planted while the car rotates. I would not go below 1.775 at this track.
The reason is confidence. If the rear moves on you in the middle of the corner, you lift. One lift at Kentucky costs more than any setup change gives back. Keep the oversteer down first, then look for speed.
The track, and why the two ends feel different
Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5 mile tri-oval in Sparta, Kentucky. It held Cup races from 2011 to 2020. NASCAR Heat 5 is built on the 2020 season, so this is the last version of the track the Cup Series raced on.
The numbers that matter for the setup, from the track's Wikipedia page:
| Part of the track | Banking |
|---|---|
| Turns 1 and 2 | 17 degrees |
| Turns 3 and 4 | 14 degrees |
| Frontstretch | 10 degrees |
| Backstretch | 4 degrees |
Turns 1 and 2 were rebuilt in 2016. The banking went from 14 to 17 degrees and the track there was narrowed from 74 feet to 56 feet. Turns 3 and 4 stayed at 14.
That is why one setup never feels perfect at both ends. Turns 1 and 2 hold the car with more banking but give you less room. Turns 3 and 4 are flatter and wider, so the car slides more and you wait longer for the throttle. I set the car up so it is safe in 3 and 4 and accept a little push in 1 and 2.
How I drive it
- Be smooth with the wheel. Six degrees of lock is low, so small inputs do a lot. Sawing at the wheel scrubs the front tyres.
- Lift early and short. A small lift before the corner beats a big lift in the middle of it.
- Get back to full throttle as early as you can in turns 3 and 4. The frontstretch after it is where the lap time shows.
- Use the draft. Start the lap in a good slipstream and it is worth 3 to 4 tenths.
How to tune it for your driving
Do not copy the sheet and stop there. Change one thing at a time and run five laps before you judge it. The directions below are standard stock car logic, so check each one on track.
| Problem | First change |
|---|---|
| Rear steps out on corner exit | Raise the wedge a little |
| Car will not turn in the middle of the corner | Lower the wedge a little, or soften the front swaybar one step |
| Engine hits the limiter before the corner | Lower the rear end ratio |
| Car feels slow off the corner | Raise the rear end ratio |
| Front end washes out late in a run | Take 1 psi out of the right front |
For long races I would also watch the engine temperature. Grille tape at 45% is a middle value. More tape gives front grip and speed but runs the engine hotter.
With the servers closed since 1 August 2025, this setup is for career mode, quick races and split-screen. Set the AI first with my NASCAR Heat 5 AI settings, then judge the setup against them.
More NASCAR Heat 5 setups
- All 20 tracks are in my NASCAR Heat 5 Cup setups database.
- Same track, other car: Kentucky Xfinity setup.
- The nearest tracks in feel: Kansas Cup setup and Charlotte Cup setup.
- Wheel not right yet? Start with my NASCAR Heat 5 FFB settings.
FAQ
What is the best camber for Kentucky in NASCAR Heat 5?
I run +4.5 degrees on the left front and -3.5 degrees on the right front in the Cup car. Both tyres lean into the left turn.
What lap time should I expect with this setup?
The target is the low 30s. If you are slower, look at your throttle trace first. Most of the time is lost by lifting too long in turns 3 and 4.
What wedge should I run at Kentucky?
52.5% in this setup. If the rear steps out on exit, go up a little. If the car pushes in the middle of the corner, go down a little.
What rear end ratio works at Kentucky?
3.45, with gears of 2.70, 1.80 and 1.35 for 1st to 3rd.
Why are the right side tyre pressures so high?
On an oval the right side tyres carry the load, so they run 58.00 psi against about 25 psi on the left. The gap between left and right also helps the car turn left.
Does this setup still work in 2026?
Yes. The game no longer gets patches, so the physics are the same as when I built it. The servers closed on 1 August 2025, so you will use it offline.
Can I use this setup on a controller?
Yes. The values are the same for wheel and controller. On a pad the low wheel lock of 6 degrees helps, because the car reacts less sharply to the stick.