FP sessions

Dale
I didn't see a problem with the flaggers, just where they were placed and the obstacles to the drivers approaching the turn. One of the most obscuring features is a silver cyclone fence.
Signature element does not include my licenses
Senior Flagging and Communications is one
I started in 1963 (Bridgehampton, Lime Rock and Thompson).
 
The catch fencing was added after some of the CART incidents. The track is lined with un-forgiving k-walls. That's the biggest problem, besides the sand traps that were installed for the bike races.
 
I just watched the FP race again. What a battle for 2nd place. That must have been fun!
 
here is another video of a car clipping the red curbing at T-6 at Laguna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZElA5NFv2zo&feature=youtu.be
I've seen the red curbs called "Laguna's red monsters", "breadboxes" and "Silent Red Policeman". I have a few other words for them, but not appropriate on this family friendly site.

I guess the GT3 3rd place finisher clipped the same curb and and bent a wheel. Goddard wrote "We basically lost another second a lap during the race. I hit the BIG RED CURB in T6, on the first lap".

Misery loves company.
 
Brian, you just spun, I destroyed a hub, bearing, and entire 1/2 shaft after hitting the apex turn at 3.
 
So riddle me this... Why do tracks put these huge curbs there? I understand the point of them is to keep cars off. But the consequences of those curbs is truly catastrophic. How many hundreds of thousands of $$ did that curb write off at Runoffs alone?

I've seen the same big orange curbs at COTA take out an oil pan. the ensuing splatter mark on the track caused a couple other cars to spin and hit barriers. So in the end, 3 cars were severely damaged by the curb, 2 of them simply casualties of one other driver making a mistake.

Is there another way to accomplish the same goal without destroying cars in the process?
 
Matt93SE":20h62jx2 said:
So riddle me this... Why do tracks put these huge curbs there? I understand the point of them is to keep cars off. But the consequences of those curbs is truly catastrophic. How many hundreds of thousands of $$ did that curb write off at Runoffs alone?

I've seen the same big orange curbs at COTA take out an oil pan. the ensuing splatter mark on the track caused a couple other cars to spin and hit barriers. So in the end, 3 cars were severely damaged by the curb, 2 of them simply casualties of one other driver making a mistake.

Is there another way to accomplish the same goal without destroying cars in the process?
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Yeah, have the stewards penalize people for driving "off the course". I was talking to EFR a few weeks ago and he was astounded at the way people drive off the track and through the "out of bounds" areas, sometimes to gain an advantage. I don't think it a problem for people to drive in those areas while "rescuing" themselves from a mistake but particularly at COTA I have observed people driving across the "astroturf" and through the painted areas and nothing was done about it.
 
Rob":22jxpi6b said:
Matt93SE":22jxpi6b said:
So riddle me this... Why do tracks put these huge curbs there? I understand the point of them is to keep cars off. But the consequences of those curbs is truly catastrophic. How many hundreds of thousands of $$ did that curb write off at Runoffs alone?

I've seen the same big orange curbs at COTA take out an oil pan. the ensuing splatter mark on the track caused a couple other cars to spin and hit barriers. So in the end, 3 cars were severely damaged by the curb, 2 of them simply casualties of one other driver making a mistake.

Is there another way to accomplish the same goal without destroying cars in the process?
Click to expand...

Yeah, have the stewards penalize people for driving "off the course". I was talking to EFR a few weeks ago and he was astounded at the way people drive off the track and through the "out of bounds" areas, sometimes to gain an advantage. I don't think it a problem for people to drive in those areas while "rescuing" themselves from a mistake but particularly at COTA I have observed people driving across the "astroturf" and through the painted areas and nothing was done about it.
Click to expand...

When I ran the Super Tour/Majors thingy at COTA last year, we were told there were corner workers stationed in the T3-T7 complex watching for people shortcutting the esses and they would be penalized (forget how.) I goofed a couple times and went through one of the turns, but usually it's pretty obivous when you're out of shape on the one before and you're trying not to spin the car when you go through, then lose position on the way out.. I was never even shown a furled black, so my conclusion is they either weren't really watching, knew I made an unintentional booboo, or they didn't care.

After the last WEC race a month or two ago, the astroturf on the exits has pretty much been destroyed. I'm not sure if they're going to put it back in there or what, but I remember watching it come apart all through the race and corners around the track were having to go surface for the chunks of turf on the track.
 
Forgot to mention earlier, this behavior is most prevalent during "pro" races. There is still a high level of respect for the "sportsmanship" aspect of racing at any of the "club" races I have been to. The "pro" guys just don't care anymore-the thing has degenerated from a "sport" to a no-holds barred business.

When you get to they highest level the feign sportsmanship but only while anyone is looking.
 
I think it's always been an issue on the pro level. I've seen clips of Parnelli Jones, and the like etc. putting an entire side of the car / passing in the dirt on a corner. Check this out:
(IROC 1973 at Riverside) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIMEYv5-kgg
I see bump drafting, pushing another car wide, passing in the dirt, etc. Looks like a really expensive Spec Miata race (which goes to show you that style of racing isn't a Miata issue, it's an issue of having equal performing cars that close together... If FP was all MG Midgets, it'd be the same thing).



At least they don't use tires like they used in the '50s and '60s :shock:
VIR%20-%20Cooper%20BMW%20-P%20Rehl%204-67.jpg
 
Multiple reasons for the "big" turtles. First is to keep cars off the areas they aren't supposed to be on. Second is to make sure you stay off the areas that require costly maintenance. The track surface is designed for the wear and tear of the vehicles. Most verges aren't. The condition of the verge is a requirement for continued FIA level certification. The Pro track certification guys now would just as soon just put concrete at the edge all the way around the track. Solves all the issues with course cutting and worry about reentry points. As Lewis Hamilton so aptly put it, "All tracks are safe if you stay on the racing surface."

Street courses have the absolute best flag stations from my point of view as a driver. Modern courses that are designed for pro races and dash lights are the worst. COTA is one of those. In the pro cars the yellow light comes on in the no passing sector and you obey. No question about if you where you were when the flag came out. Light goes out in next sector. If you screw up they can pull your data to confirm if need be. I think we can adopt that system in club racing as well. A one time cost less than a set of tires.

I found the flagging at the runoffs very good and the stations were pretty easy to see in most cases. Since it is a wide racing area some of the stations were a long way away and it could have been easy to miss a newly put out flag.

James -r
 
FP Racer":2jrms2ow said:
And as for Mid Ohio, I had a corner worker blue flag me for most of a Runoff's race. I saw the worker at the social that evening and I asked him why he blue flagged my car every time I came by and his answer was--"The driver behind you was a friend of mine and I wanted to be sure you knew he was behind you & trying to pass." My response was that this was the Runoffs and every driver behind someone was trying to pass. No, I didn't tell him where he could put his blue flag!
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That's funny.

Sam
 
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