Since the New Englands racing season is over, I figured I would get the off season talk going. So here it is: If you had all the money in the world what type of track would you build? I am working on a project and looking for racers opinions.

- Would it be a private track or public track to hold spectator events?
- How long should the track be?
- What type of elevation changes?
- What would the facilities be like? Camping? Showers? Wi-fi?
- RV Parking?

Please add any opinions on your ideal race track. Your info is very appreciated and will be used for a study I am performing. Thanks!

 

public track

<2 miles (spectators like to be together, and be able to see whats going on.

probably not too many elevation changes to allow for visability

Facilities would include room for NASCAR type rigs, motorhomes, tent camping, BBQs, a few competing race shops, a snack bar for spectators and racers. A hot pit with air and electricity. Showers for the campers, a dog run area and playground for kids. various garages (with various levels of improvements some with lights, air, electricity, lifts, etc) RV hookups are necessary.
Maybe even hotel style rooms or condos to be available to rent at an affordable rate.

Track lights for night events
classroom

 

I think it really depends on your point of view. If you're an amateur racer, then you don't want it built for spectator events, with lots of armco to protect the spectators; instead, you want lots of runoff room. If you're a pro racer, you want lots of spectators there so that sponsors pay big money for the marketing visibility. If you're a track owner, there's more money in spectator events (but some track owners buy a track for other reasons besides just making money). Same thing for a lot of the other questions.

As a racer, I care about a track with an interesting, fun layout. And it should include lots of all the elements that make a track fun - blind corners, on camber, off camber, increasing radius, decreasing radius, BIG elevation changes, lots of flow from one corner to the next to the next. And PLEASE, what the world does NOT need is yet ANOTHER Alan Wilson track. There are too many, they are too similar, and they're all sort of... boring.

I don't care about camping or wi-fi (who spends a day at the track browsing the internet? do that at home). But it ought to be within ten minutes of a cluster of hotels in various price ranges and some restaurants (at least fast food, and preferably some decent sit-down places). And there should be a concession stand that's big enough so that it's not just absolute crap that's cooked off site. Enclosed garages are nice too.

 

Even as an amateur wouldn't people like a professional track that will have additional mistique?

 

i'd love to drive the hungaroring.

doesn't even need to be in an open wheel racer. i'll go in a rental and treat it like a rental.

elevation changes are fun, but scary. i like tight technical tracks and lots of chicanes.

just make the whole track a series of chicanes! that would be rad.

 

lots of elevation changes, not the best to watch from but always makes racing more intresting. making it a spectator track is a plus imo and you dont need tons of armco right up on the track move it back 10-15 feet when your clear of the grand stands. It would have to be to fia spec and able to allow parking for pro racing you do wana make a living with the track. Id make a 2 mile version of the glen pretty much

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bad-monkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

just make the whole track a series of chicanes! that would be rad.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yuck!

I dunno, ideal track? Ever drive Mt Tremblant?

 

Thunderhill with Infineon facility's and PIR (Portland International Raceway) grass-runoff.

 

We need an American version of the Nurburgring!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jimi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">We need an American version of the Nurburgring! </TD></TR></TABLE>

I wonder if people in Germany say, "We need a German version of Mid-Ohio!"?

 

If I had all the money in the world... and was trying to make a little bit of an investment, it would have to be a Roval with multiple configurations (such as Texas World Speedway in College Station, etc.). Spectators on the oval section, limited seating (benches on hills on road course section) on road course.

Elevation changes would be of the PITA type, i.e. cresting hills in braking zones, or after the apex but before track-out. Any tight corners would be on-camber, and faster ones would be flatter or crowned/off camber. There would be one long scenic straightaway, with a couple minor bends in it to keep you concentrating on the road.

At least one full-throttle corner will be blind.

Facilities would have large steel building garages for paddock (Like the Glen), along with power/compressed air/water in each garage stall, and would have portable lifts available for rent. The gift shop would stock ITR distributors, wheel bearings and crate motors, and there would be a machine shop and welding equipment available for rent.

The track would be lit for use at night, and surrounded by tall walls and forest to cut down on the noise complaints. The track surface would also be heated to aid in drying time for rain, and assist cold weather traction. It would be available for rent 24 hours a day.

Video camera equipment would be scattered throughout. Using transponders, you could order a DVD/VHS video of video of you for an entire session/weekend (a computer would splice together the sections of video from each session depending on where/when your transponder was hitting). The video monitors would be available for viewing trackside (concession stand area).

The track would rent HPDE and Honda-Challenge/IT cars. It would also rent towing equipment. There would be an on-site Holiday Inn with Wi-Fi, Bar/restaurant, and soundproof windows. The Holiday-Inn Bar would play NFL games on Sunday.

Somewhere near the main seating areas and the road-course seating areas there would be gigantor scoreboards and jumbotrons that would keep up with the action from multiple angles.

That's my track.

-Chris

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by VTECAcuraGSR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Since the New Englands racing season is over, I figured I would get the off season talk going. So here it is: If you had all the money in the world what type of track would you build? I am working on a project and looking for racers opinions.

- Would it be a private track or public track to hold spectator events?
- How long should the track be?
- What type of elevation changes?
- What would the facilities be like? Camping? Showers? Wi-fi?
- RV Parking?

Please add any opinions on your ideal race track. Your info is very appreciated and will be used for a study I am performing. Thanks! </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

My ideal track would have a water hazard and a sand trap. That'd be sweet.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TeamSlowdotOrg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My ideal track would have a water hazard and a sand trap. That'd be sweet. </TD></TR></TABLE>

just one of each?

 

The perfect track...

Is wide
Has elevation changes
Is over 2 miles
Has no more than one turn over 90 to 110 degrees unless they are banked (see CMP for what not to do)
Has no more than 2 turns at 90 to 110 degrees unless they are banked.
Is technical AND fast (see Road Atlanta)
Has lots of runoff (don't see Road Atlanta)
Has at least one turn that requires big cold brass *****
Doesnt murder brakes
Can host anything from karts to trucks
Has a nice big flat paved paddock
Has nice, clean bathrooms
Is no farther than 30 minutes from a decent sized city

Barber is the only track I know of that pretty much meets all of the above, and we don't race there anymore... Dammit.

 

i've only driven at infineon, i really like it, it's a true road course with big elevation changes. i plan to drive at other tracks in the near future though, most likely thunderhill and laguna seca next.

 

My ideal track would be something that could capture the feeling of the classic European open road races like Le Mans, Targa Florio, Mila Nino, etc but have the safety of modern permanent circuits.