Opening my archive

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Generally I like the sweeping nature of the circuit, though the lack of overtaking is a major issue.

The entry to the chicane is all wrong to my eye, in that the sweeping entry does not help overtaking, and the T2 kink does nothing to offer overtaking either.

* I would make T2 more of a corner, I've drwn it in as almost 90 degrees, it doesn't have to be that much but enough to allow overtaking.
* I've changed the chicane to a more conventional layout, again making for a better overtaking place
* I've also added a bus stop type chicane on the long back section, this would be optional but does add more overtaking.

The final thing isn't so much a change as an addition, namely completing the loop into a weird looking Tri-oval using a pitlane within a pitlane (think IndyF1) concept and the S/f straight being the the Ovals pit straight.

[Yannick]

Thanks for the replies and edits concerning the Chouchin Circuit.

@all: Turns 3, 4 and 5 is not really a chicane, but would be comparable to a steep hill like Eau Rouge but reversed in direction, with a sharp 90 degree left-hander at the bottom, so the size of the radius of Turn 3 should add some difficulty to the section. But maybe I've scaled it just plain wrong in the track map? When it comes to scaling - Do you think the straights on the right hand side, the s/f-straight and its opposite straight are long enough?
I'm thinking of adding a short track variation to Chouchin, beginning at around Turn 2 and rejoining the original somewhere on the backstraight, to make this track attractive for motorsports series which prefer a track to be shorter than 6.1 kilometers, so I was quite surprised to see your edits, which didn't take away from the original's length.

@Tathrim: Thanks for the edit. Somehow, I think your changes take away pretty much from the nature of the track, so I have to admit that I don't really like it.

@SBF: I like your redesign of Turn 2. It fits in there better than my own Turn 2, just as you outlined. But I'm afraid your 'chicane' in Turn 3 completely ruins that downhill section for me.
Your oval idea is a nice one, but I think it would be too long for an oval. Plus, one of the Turns would be significantly lower in altitude than the other, so I think Chouchin is not really suitable for a roval.
Anyway, thank you very much for your edit.

@V8_TURBO: Your edit is very welcome!

[Yannick]

Before I go into detail with the description of this track, this is a warning to those of you fellow MyTrackers, who don't like weird conceptual tracks, because this is one. But despite the weirdness of the concept, the track map of Nansentown looks like a 'usual' track with a tarmac surface that could be located in any nice region of the world. So if you like the design, but don't like conceptual tracks in general, feel free to place the track somewhere else in your imagination, and read on where it says 'track description'.

See the track map first please: http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...g/69873b9a.jpg

Concept:
Nansentown is usually only part of the OtherWorld(ly) Series' calendar in seasons, when there are more than one tyre manufacturer delivering their products to the teams, as a special challenge for these tyre manufacturers. Reasons for this are that the track is a) so far away from the civilised world and b) without competition from other tyre manufacturers it wouldn't make much sense (if it does have any) to finance a race with single seaters on spiked tyres.
Spiked tyres? Yes, you've read it correctly. Spiked tyres are required on the Nansentown Circuit, because the track is basically an ice skating rink in the shape of a Grand Prix track. Its location is on the Antarctic Peninsula near an outpost called Nansentown, where during the rest of the year, when there is no Grand Prix weekend, merely five scientists live there. As Antarctica is not a state in itself because of lack of population, this race is held under the UN banner, and is therefore the United Nations Grand Prix of the OtherWorld(ly) Series. Otherworldly indeed ;-)
Track length is 5.0 kilometers.

Track history:
The first race on the Grand Prix track sized ice skating rink that is the Nansentown circuit was held during the southern spring in 1991, which is also when I first drew the circuit, so it is one of my very first designs, concept and all. As expected, it was not exactly a spectator magnet, but it was broadcast all over the world, and this race was the very first time that the OtherWorld(ly) Series had TV audience ratings as high as average Formula 1 races have today - that being the effect of novelty. As the continent of Antarctica is not a country, organisers brought in the UN with their message of world peace as formal hosts, who in turn gave the organisers a permission for this race on this continent and an option to host further races here, in case the event should become a success.
Nowadays, it is one of those overseas races in strange places that are nicknamed 'cruise ship events'. In fact, all of the teams' and stewards' material is shipped to the Antarctic Peninsula from Southern Argentina, because airplanes cannot land in Nansentown. Some see this as a logistical nightmare, but the event has proven to be ever so popular with TV spectators as when it was held for the first time.
As on every ice skating rink, there are those huge ice machines in use here as well, which clean up the ice surface after every session and again before the race - it's just that there are quite a number of them being used here at the same time. During the off-season, which is the whole rest of the year at this location, they are kept in the pitlane building.
After each race, the track falls into its long winter's sleep, with only the barriers and the pitlane remaining to be seen. As early as a month before the race, work begins again to reconstruct the track, with the layers of ice and snow having grown over last year's track surface, depending on the past year's weather conditions. Therefore, it is not unlikely that the track layout and altitude is being slightly altered in places from one season to another.
Changes over the years included the introduction of the section from Turn 3 to Turn 5, where the track had gone straight ahead in the 1st year; the construction and removal of the chicane in Turn 8; the construction of the new penultimate and final corners, where originally there had been a left-hand kink as final corner.
In 1994, people realized that lacking runoff is absolutely pointless on a track located in an ice desert, so portions were increased in size the very next year.
And last but not least, only one of the provisional grandstands that had been constructed here in the 1st year was built again the 2nd time around, since the spectators who really do come here are either members of the Paddock club, members of the Nansentown fan club, special guests of teams or organisers, UN officials, spies and/or a limited number of cruise ship passengers, and, well, penguins of course ;-) The cheapest way to see the race is to become a member of the Nansentown fan club, since there are no general admission areas at all, thanks to the freezing cold.

Since the conceptual nature of the circuit says that cars go around here on ice all the way around, teams use spiked tyres on all four wheels of each of their cars. Some teams tend to be even as daring as to replace the front wheels by skates, which bring along a special kind of front brake development that is kind of similar to what ice skaters do under braking. And the best lap times tend to be scored at the beginning of each session, when the ice surface is the smoothest, as opposed to on tarmac surface tracks, where they get scored at the end of each session, when the right amount of rubber is on the line.
Anyway, I can't really estimate the position of the average car's gearshift in any corner around this track, because of the ice surface concept. So the following track description will not include any of the kind of drivel you've read so far, which would place the track onto the Antarctic Peninsula. Instead, the gearshift settings are estimated for a 'usual' tarmac surface track in any region with enjoyable climate, so those of you who despise ice deserts can have something to enjoy as well.

Track description:
Nansentown runs anticlockwise. The whole circuit is relatively flat in track altitude, or undecided, if you'd like to call it that. Turn 1 at the end of the start-finish straight is a wide right-hand kink that goes full throttle. It is followed by a short straight piece of track, which ends at another kink, this time a left-hander. That kink is the 1st apex of Turn 2 (5th gear at the kink, accelerating again from the 2nd apex). Turn 2 widens again after the kink, only to close in again for its 2nd apex later on, after which it fades out gradually onto the next straight. That straight ends in a sharp left that goes around about 70 degrees, Turn 3 (3rd gear), one of the overtaking opportunities of Nansentown. It is followed by a short straight leading up to a right-hander of about 160 degrees that is relatively wide, Turn 4 (4th gear). Then there comes a straight bit about as long as the one leading up to Turn 4, leading down to some sharp Esse, consisting of the left-hander Turn 5 and the right-hander Turn 6, to be taken in 3rd gear. This is the place to counter a passing move that an opponent tried back in Turn 3. Next there follows another short straight which ends at a left-hander that is very similar to Imola's Tosa corner: Turn 7 (3rd gear, too).
Beginning on the exit of Turn 7, it's full throttle all the way through the kink Turn 8, where once there stood an unnecessary chicane, and along the backstraight through the speed trap. The backstraight ends at a sharp, tight right-hander, Turn 9 (4th gear, 3rd gear for some), obviously another overtaking opportunity. Next is a wide 180 degree left, Turn 10, through which cars accelerate again for the next straight. That straight leads up to the hairpin Turn 11 (2nd gear) that was only introduced to the track in later years. It is followed by another short straight bit, at the end of which is another almost 180 degree corner, the relatively tight right-hander Turn 12 (2nd gear too), which is the final corner.
Crossing the s/f-line across from the pits, that was a lap of Nansentown.

This is one of my oldest track designs. What I think about it today, is that the blot shape is nice, but many corners have boring shapes that could be improved. What do you think? Edits are welcome!

[V8_TURBO]

It's got a nice flow to it. I like the long corners.

[jab]

Love the imagination (again)

As a normal design, it's quite good, but I'm not a big fan of the last complex or the one in the top right - too stop-start for me

[ScotsBrutesFan]

The top right hand corner doesn't need the chicane or "sharp Esses" as you describe them. Just straight line the exit from T4 into the double apex T7.

T10 could be left more open, runing down into a hairpin as shown, but the return straight would allow a more open final turn onto the pit straight.

And the Pit lane would move to the outside of the circuit.

[Yannick]

@all: Thanks for the comments and/or compliments.

@jab: Yes, I agree. Some of these corner shapes had me, too, thinking that they need updating of some kind.

@SBF: Your edit is a really inspiring one, fixing all the problems that I've seen that this old design has had. When I draw an update at a later point in time, I'll see what I can do. Thanks for your input.

And now here's the next one from the archive - this time another really old design.

[Yannick]

Camiria is a permanent racetrack in the eastern European country of Romania. Constructed in part on the site of a (ficticious) Transsylvanian Grand Prix in the 1930s, the track was built in 1990. Since then, it has hosted the Romanian Grand Prix of the OtherWorld(ly) Series on a on-again-off-again basis. Track length is 4.8 kilometers

Track history (some fiction for you):
Kind of envious of Bernie Ecclestone, whose series had had a race in eastern Europe even as far back as 1986, when the Iron Curtain was still down, organisers of the OtherWorld(ly) Series quickly accepted the offer by the 'new' Romanian government to host a race there, after the local longtime dictator had been removed from office. Big was the surprise when the teams arrived at the place for the 1st Grand Prix in 1990, because not only had the safety standards of the track not been up to date, (instead having been somewhat of early 1980s era, complete with tarmac walls close to the track and no gravel traps at all but merely grass wherever there was any runoff space), but the track didn't even have a tarmac surface all over, instead featuring cobblestone pavement in places because funds had been lacking during the construction phase as the government didn't really care. And worst of all, the goverment installed secret agents in all important positions, e.g. 'personal travel guides' to team bosses and the like, to make sure the race went along just as planned, and to make sure nobody pulled out of the race prematurely. When the series' organisers (all westerners) tried to complain to the track authorities about the dire state of the circuit, they didn't get very far at all. Instead, they were threatened by their secret-service-sponsored 'personal guides' and 'personal aidees' to go on as planned or they wouldn't be allowed to leave the country after the race. So the OtherWorld(ly) Series decided to give in, and the first Romanian Grand Prix went along, but obviously not as planned, in 1990. Luckily, there were no dangerous accidents to take place on that race weekend, because nobody wanted to risk having to stay in such a severe place for much longer than necessary.
Still, the OtherWorld(ly) Series was under contract to stage a race there a for 2nd time in the following year. The organisers really tried a lot to get out of their contract, with the help of lawyers and UN diplomates, but with the Series still in the process of expanding to faraway lands that no single-seater ever has seen before, the series' finances didn't allow paying out the sum that the other party required. So they made a settlement with the then-government of Romania instead: The Series would return if: -local authorities didn't interfere with any on- or off-track activities in any way related to racing; -the safety standards of the track were to be improved. Not all teams liked the idea of a return, even after the additional negotiations, but risking the existence of their worldwide series was a bit too much for them, so they went to Camiria anyway in 1991.
This time around, conditions were a whole lot better: The redesign of the circuit was done in agreement with the series' organisers. The stone-paved section was reduced to shortly before Turn 3 until shortly after Turn 3, as a special challenge for tyre manufacturers and race engineers, whilst the rest of the track was equipped with a new, smooth tarmac surface. And a new section was introduced to the track as well: the slow combination from Turn 4 to Turn 6.
Even though the 1991 race, around the time of which I first drew this circuit (but to be honest, didn't write this story yet), was both a major success with TV ratings and a championship decider, the OtherWorld(ly) Series chose not to return in the following year, mainly due to their previous bad experiences.
They did return, however, in 1995, and required that a chicane be set up in Turn 1, because of the closeness of the wall with the fencing and the spectator stands behind them on the outside of the corner. This time, the race stayed in the calendar for 3 years. The reason for leaving next time around was a major scale financial scandal in 1998, during which it was revealed that local bookmakers and organised crime gangs decided the OtherWorld(ly) Series' championship on that very track in their favour in 1997.
Nine years had to pass, until the series returned again in 2006, with the track having been used only by minor categories in the meantime, and no significant changes to the circuit, compared to last time around, well, except a little decay.

Track map: http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...a_clean_25.jpg

Lap description:
Camiria is a permanent racetrack that runs clockwise. It doesn't have much of an elevation change. Therefore, the start-finish straight is fairly flat, with the pitlane besides it on the outer side of the circuit and the infield covered by a general admission area. At the end of the s/f-straight, a right-left chicane (both in 2nd gear) awaits drivers and cars, offering the 1st overtaking opportunity, in a location that used to be merely a wide kink. But as there is no runoff there and merely a tarmac wall on the outside of the kink, with the main grandstands behind it, the chicane was introduced for the 1995 race. The chicane itself is of a similar format than the 1st chicane of Monza, making the start in Camiria about as crucial a moment as on the famous Italian circuit. Indeed, it's not easy to fit through the chicane on the first lap of a race. But as drivers are accelerating through what's left of the original kink, and the wide, almost 180 degree left hander Turn 2 (accelerating for the straight), problems like that are a thing of the past. The main grandstands continue all around the inside of Turn 2, from where you can see the track again a bit in the distance, as it comes back into view in the 3rd sector.
Going down the straight after Turn 2, the track is still flat. At two thirds into the straight, just after the 1st sector times are taken, there begins the section for which this track is special: suddenly, a surface change from tarmac to cobblestone pavement occurs.
Of course, these stones had been put into a concrete bed, to avoid them flying across the track. But there is still enough space between stones that should it rain, no puddles would appear. This paved section is a special challenge for tyre suppliers, as it requires hard compounds, whereas on the rest of the track, a softer compound might have been beneficial. Therefore, it's quite an interesting compromise in setup that race engineers and drivers have to find for there cars at Camiria. Braking for the wide 180 degree Turn 3 (4th gear) on the stone-paved section also evokes feelings in a driver that don't occur in many other places, because grip levels are much lower on the pavement than on tarmac. So basically, a driver needs to break a whole lot earlier than normal. Depending on car setup, there are always a few drivers here, who don't brake for Turn 3, but for the surface change instead, causing some dangerous confusion with those who follow right behind them. Then, there comes of course Turn 3, which has a grandstand on its exit and general admission area all around and in the infield. Accelerating out of Turn 3 is special again because of the low grip levels. Traction controls tend to be rather *****y here, causing many spins, even by drivers who you wouldn't normally expect to spin. And getting out of Turn 3 cleanly is also important, as at the end of the subsequent straight, there is the tight right-hander Turn 4 (3rd gear), which is the most popular overtaking opportunity under braking. But first, wheels return to the tarmac surface that they are used to, run along the straight slipstreaming, and bow only slightly to the right for the kink right in front of Turn 3, in which the 2nd sector times are taken. Then follows Turn 4, a corner which has seen many passing moves before. Next is a short straight bit, followed by a left-hander, Turn 5 (3rd gear, but for some in 2nd gear), on from the entry of which the track begins to descend moderately. Then, there is another short straight bit, which ends at a tight right-hander, Turn 6 (3rd gear accelerating), through which the track still leads moderately downhill and in which the slow infield section rejoins the original track. Right after that, there follows the long-winded Turn 7, through which cars accelerate out onto the longest straight of the circuit. Turn 7 is heavily cambered on entry and fades out into the straight in a moderately cambered way, with the overall lowpoint of the track being at the dip at the southernmost point of Turn 7. On from there, the track rises again in a moderate way all along that longest straight of the circuit, with general admission areas on both sides of it. Just before the speed trap at the end of that straight, the track has reached the same level of altitude again that the pit straight also has. Now there is only one more corner to go, the final 180 degree right-hander Turn 8, that looks almost like a carbon copy of Turn 3 on paper, just that the track surface here is made of tarmac. Turn 8 is taken either in 4th or 5th gear, and it is considered an overtaking opportunity for the brave. Having gone around it and along the s/f-straight, you have now successfully driven around Camiria, clocking in your 3rd sector times on the s/f-line.

[nickyf1]

COOL! brilliant

[Tathrim]

Intriguing corners. Nice, But I would like o point ou that turns 4 and 6 are a tad too shar for my liking.

[V8_TURBO]

I don't like turn 1 at all. It's more of a chicane actually. It's too stop start I think.

[Tathrim]

I kinda have to disagree with you on that V8,, but I have to say that the challenge would be similar to monza, and therefore, turn 1 would be technically a chicane. But I still don't like the look of that blasted turns of 4 and 6.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I have a solution worked out for the First couple of corners, but I'm trying to come up with something for that bite out of the long curve before posting it.

[Yannick]

Thanks nickyf1, tathrim, V8 and SBF for your comments.

About the stop-start of the track: I don't think Turn 4 needs a change. But your suggestions have made me think about changing Turn 6 and the chicane. I will see what I can do to this old track at a later date.

@ScotsBrutesFan: I'm curious to see your edit. Thanks for your input in advance.

There is still the final two races left in the series, albeit still having more in the archive, but every season must end at a certain time.

It will probably take another few days until the next one in the series is online.
Bye.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

As requested my edit...

I've done away with the first chicane, instead turning making T1 a gentle right hand arc, with the pit lane joining on the outside of that arc. The racing line remains on the right hand side of the track so should be no problem.

The first real corner becomes, a 90 left, that is hard breaking and provides for overtaking, the exits onto a much more open left hander, that allows a build up of speed onto the next section of the circuit.

I've been too busy to come up with a possible solution for the T4,5 & 6.

[Yannick]

@SBF: Thanks for the edit. The bow with which you have replaced the chicane is in fact the one that was there before the chicane became necessary for safety reasons. But I like very much what you did with Turn 2.
As for the 'bite', I have change to Turn 6 in mind that would make it less sharp. That would enable cars to go round Turn 6 in one higher than they currently would.

@all: The next edition in /addition to the series will have to wait a little more, because I'm a bit busy at the time (and I had to redraw the forthcoming one for a little edit.) Bye until then.

[Yannick]

Bronxford is a semi-permanent road circuit, located in a rural area in the Northeast of the US of A. It can be reached from the New York/Boston area in about the same time as from the Chicago/Detroit area.
The track is embedded in a hilly woodlands region, with the highest point in the track infield being a hilltop quite some meters above the tunnel.
Yes, you've read this correctly: this is a road circuit that includes a tunnel. Track length is 8.8 kilometers, making this one the longest track in the OtherWorld(ly) Series calendar. It's the home of the Grand Prix of USA North.

Track map: http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...g/999f298c.jpg

Lap description:
Beginning on the slightly downhill leading start-finish straight, the track runs clockwise, but doesn't look like it on first impression, because said straight is located in what some might call the infield of the track.
Bowing a little to the left, where the pitlane exit is, the track altitude turns to moderately downhill and continues to do so until the overall lowpoint is reached later on.
Up next is Turn 1, a right-hander that's taken in 4th gear. It is not the original Turn 1 though, which used to be where the armco is located now. The left-hander Turn 2 follows right after, but you might not feel it at all, since there are lines that treat the Turn 1-2-3 combination as a double-apex right-hander, getting very close to the pointed kerb on the inside of Turn 2. It's fairly easy to mess up the correct line through this combination, and if you do, you hit the kerb in Turn 2 and need to shift down to 3rd gear gear here, costing valuable time.
The closeness of the armco on the outside of Turn 3 is basically due to the descending track, and it might make itself felt, when there was trouble in Turn 2.
After Turn 3, the braking zone for Turn 4 (2nd gear) appears under your wheels, the over 180 degree left-hander that replaced the old hairpin. This corner has a serpentine-ish character, descending downhill, making it a blind corner. On its exit, there is the apex of the right-hander Turn 5, through which you accelerate for the following straight. Towards its end, that straight is bowed to the right, making it somewhat difficult to overtake under braking into the left-hander Turn 6 (3rd gear) that's next. The apex of Turn 6 is the overall lowpoint of the track, so it's uphill on from here. Having gone around the 80 degrees of Turn 6, the big mouth of the tunnel opens up in front of you, awaiting to swallow your car, as you speed right into the tunnel with its different lighting conditions. In the tunnel, the track describes a slight bow to the left and goes slightly uphill. As soon as you are blinded by the daylight again, you're in the braking zone for the hairpin Turn 7 (1st gear), and the 1st sector times are being taken. It is here at the hairpin that the semi-permanent nature of this track is most obvious, because this is a corner with an escape road. It's also the place where the armco can be opened to enable a shorter track layout, bypassing the outer loop and rejoining in the chicane in Turn 21, but that hasn't been done since the late 1970s so never mind.
It also shows here at the hairpin that you are on public roads, because there are road signs and lines on the tarmac. And it is the access road to the paddock that is used as escape road for the hairpin (!)
Having turned around the whole 180 degrees to the right, you follow along the access road from the paddock leading away from the track, accelerating through two bowish sweepers, Turn 8 and Turn 9, going moderately uphill, reaching a local highpoint on the exit of Turn 9. It's also in Turn 9 where the access road splits from the track again. As you are on the side of that hill through which the tunnel had been drilled ages ago, the road hangs slightly to the left, morphing into flat when about half of the straight is through. As for altitude, on from the exit of Turn 9, the track is leading slightly downward. At the end of the straight, there is one of the 'courage corners' of this track: the fast right-hander Turn 10 (5th gear, 4th gear for some), that is positively cambered in various degrees, and at the apex of which the track begins to moderately rise again in altitude. That and the fact that the armco on the inside of the track is so close, makes Turn 10 a blind corner. Here, the track is surrounded by wood, but were it not, you could look down onto Turn 6 in the 'infield'.
Getting through Turn 10 cleanly is important, to take along speed for the next straight that has a slight bow in it (a result of a runoff increase from some 10 years back in Turn 10). The straight is leading you towards the 'Esses' section, with altitude shifting to flat during the first of those corners, the left-hander Turn 11 (5th gear). Immediately after that, there follows the right hander Turn 12 (5th gear too, but 4th gear for some), a straight bit and the right-hander Turn 13 (5th gear as well). The 'Esses' section is on the same average altitude level as the section besides it in the infield, which had only recently been reconstructed with an increase in runoff. Therefore the trees that used to block the view from the grandstands on the outside of the straight in the Esses section are gone now, and you can see Turn 4 from these seats as well.
About where the gravel trap of Turn 13 ends, the track begins to rise again moderately, and the wood on both sides of the track returns. You are on the track's longest straight now, at the end of which your car's speed is measured. After the speed trap, the straight fades into a left-hand bow, Turn 14 (7th gear lifting) that's a little positively cambered, which is followed by a fast, sudden, slight right-hand kink, Turn 15 (either still 7th or 6th)
retaining the angle of camber, which means it is negatively cambered. The camber fades to positive again, as the track's overall highpoint is reached at the noncambered level, and the most famous corner of Bronxford begins: the long-winded multi-apex right-hander Turn 16. I cannot name likely gearshifts through Turn 16, because of the high number of possible lines through it.
Anyway, track altitude varies through Turn 16 (and is describable, too ;-)
After having reached the overall highpoint at the northernmost part of the track, the track begins to descend with increasing gradient, being steepest at the track's easternmost point, and then fading into a moderate decrease again, as the 2nd sector times are taken, and on to flat, as the track leads through the flat-out left-hand bow Turn 17 (7th gear) onto the next straight, bypassing the old chicane there. Turn 17 is one of the most dangerous corners on this track, as the runoff space is limited, since on the outside of the corner, there is a 'natural grandstand' that had been carved from the rockface in the 1960s. That grandstand basically has two sides, and from the top rows of it, you can see both eastward towards Turn 17 and westward towards the chicane in Turn 21 and the hairpin at the tunnel exit, making these the best spectator spots on the whole track.
After having rushed through Turn 17, you find yourself on topspeed again on the subsequent straight, which is kinked (Turn 18) to the right at some point, with runoff severly lacking. The straight is again surrounded by woodland. Coming up in front of you is the quick right-hander Turn 19 (4th gear, but 3rd gear for some), leading you onto a short straight, nicknamed the shortcut. The Bronxford of the 1960s used to lead straight on in Turn 19 and further downhill, rejoining the track where there's now Turn 20. That corner is another right-hander that's taken in 4th gear, too. Up next is a medium length straight, which ends at the chicane that was built into Turn 21. Motorbikes still go through the original kink here, as the chicane is way too sharp for them.
Turning left into the chicane, you shift down to 2nd gear. The next part of the chicane is a 150 degree right (1st gear), which you can only take well, if you haven't drifted too far on the outside when entering the chicane.
And the 3rd part of the chicane is a tight 90 degree left hander that looks like it's been taken right out of a inner city street circuit, since you can see a tyre barrier equipped armco right in front of you and on the outside.
This chicane is not liked by most drivers, but there is no way of increasing runoff here.
After the chicane of Turn 21, there follows the 2nd half of the straight, ending at a light left-hand kink, Turn 22, on from the apex of which a sudden increase in altitude occurs, that continues until another local highpoint is reached on the exit of the final corner, Turn 23 (5th gear). Those two corners are usually taken as one double-apex turn. In the current version of Bronxford, that final corner is the most dangerous place for a driver on the track, because runoff is so limited and cannot be increased, since about the height of a 3 story house above it, there is the gravel trap of Turn 14. On a positive note, that from the grandstand on the inside of Turn 14, you can look down onto the final two corners, the s/f-straight and see the 2nd half of the pitlane as well. Going slightly downhill on the s/f-straight, you clock in your 3rd sector time on the line, having successfully finished a lap of Bronxford.

The rest follows in the next post, because this one has gotten too long. Something like this won't happen with the next track in the series, that's for sure

[Yannick]

To view the track map and read the lap description of Bronxford, scroll above to the previous post.

Here is just the rest. Thanks for the 10000 words limit. It shall now make sure that I don't waste too much time.

-----

As for overtaking opportunities, Turn 1 does not seem to be the best place to try a passing move, but it's possible to pass an opponent on this track in other places. Turn 6 in front of the tunnel entrance is one place you can try, but it's more likely to make it past at the exit of the tunnel under braking into the hairpin Turn 7. After that, you might feel invited for some slipstreaming, moving on towards the right-hander Turn 9 at the lower left side of the track diagram. If you don't make it past the other car here, or don't have the courage to try, you can always slipstream your way the whole way towards Turn 19 on the lower right side of the track, and try again under braking. The chicane in Turn 21, though, is not recommended for any racing action really.



Track history:
This is one of the old tracks on the calendar (though not one of my oldest designs) that existed way before the Series, but not necessarily in the same layout as it is now, since a large portion of the track to the south of the diagram had been chopped away in a rather unstylish manner by building a shortcut in the early 1980s because of safety concerns and lack of money. The Bronxford city council decided that they rather keep a shorter track than not being able to host races anymore on a circuit that was regarded as unsafe.
The initial version of the Bronxford speedway had been around as far back as the mid-1960s, when American single seater enthusiasts decided it would be cool to have a really long, Nürburgring-ish road circuit on home soil. It wasn't quite as long, but nevertheless, the circuit was a good try. The mid-1960s is also the time when the first Bronxford 24 Hours race was hosted - the longest-running event that's still held at the circuit.
Besides that, Bronxford has mainly hosted sportscar races from various series over the years, a motorbike event that is by now regarded a 'classic' on the American scene, many sportscar races, and events involving historical cars.
Among many other tracks, Bronxford was one of those that was considered as a replacement for Watkins Glen, when the Formula 1 World Championship moved away from there. History tells us that it didn't get the US Grand Prix, but Bronxford tried, and they updated the track with the 'Esses' section on the top left side of the map for their proposal.
Even after the shortening in the early 1980s, (the shortcut is the straight between Turn 19 and 20) it was still a mightily dangerous place to race around. The one and only CART race on the track in the mid-1980s ended in the disaster of a horrendous accident, when a car broke through the fence above the armco in what today would be Turn 21, and crashed into the natural rockface grandstand behind it, killing numerous people, including the driver, in the process. CART never returned.
At the location of the tragic accident, a chicane was built to be used by cars, but bikes still bypass it on the original track.
Further security updates were done to the track over the years, in many of which runoff space was increased. These shall not be mentioned in detail here, but instead, this focuses on the changes that altered the track layout:
Besides those already mentioned (the 'Esses' and the chicane in Turn 21), the 1st corner had been equipped with a combination of corners that is a variation on the theme of Monza's Variante Ascari, to generate runoff. Next, the current Turn 6, the corner before the tunnel entrance was moved away from the tunnel, thereby bowing the straight that comes before it. This was probably the most expensive reconstruction effort, as the tunnel entrance was also widened, making space for the gravel trap of Turn 6, half of which lies inside of the tunnel.
In 1998, when I first drew this track, indicating ;-) that the OtherWorld(ly) Series came to visit for the 1st time, a chicane was built into Turn 17 because of safety concerns. Anyhow, those concerns weren't as big the following year, when the chicane was abandoned again, and the Series chose to go the old motorcycle route through Turn 17. Anyway, the Series did use that chicane again later, like only in every 2nd year in average.
The latest change has been a stylistical one, though: the current section of Turn 4 and 5 was introduced only last year to replace a serpentine-ish hairpin that was considered too steep (and stop-start) by teams and drivers alike.
Still, the track has its safety issues, which appear in form of lacking runoff space, as those in the know will immediately see when looking at the track diagram, especially in the final corner. So whether the series will stay here, depends mostly on what can be done in that area.

[V8_TURBO]

Yeah I'm not too keen on this track. It's quite confusing.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Generally I like the highspeed flowing nature of the circuit.

I'm not sure about your T1-3 complex, the description of it being taken as a double apex right hander, doesn't appear to match the drawing. I think a simple hard braking, right hander would do the job perfectly well.

Straighten up the approach to the corner before the tunnel and that would make another good overtaking spot.

The hairpin looks untidy, but I think that's only because you try to show the escape road, and possible short cut.

Given the description of T10, I'd tighten up T11 making an overtaking position

T17 could be tightened into an overtaking place, even with the relatively small run off available.

The T21 chicane is awful in my opinion. If you insist on having it, then it can be smoother, and still allow for the short circuit.

Finally the Pit lane exits onto the racing line....other than move the pits there isn't much that can be done.

[Tathrim]

Hmmm..... not a great fan of this track, but SBF has basically siad everyhting. But I would scrap the chicane to give a faster entry in to 1.

[Tathrim]

EDIT: Sorry, Delete this

[Yannick]

Thanks SBF and Tathrim for the replies.

@SBF: Thanks for your edit. There are a few nice ideas for corrections in there.
I especially like your solution for the corner before the tunnel.
As the move of the pitlane is inevitable, I'll try to solve the problems in the final corner, in the first corner and in Turn 21 along with it - but later when the series is finished and I'm lucky to gain access to a color printer.
I have to admit that I don't enjoy your version of the Esses on the left side of the diagram because they were meant to be fast, just like Turn 17 on the right side of the diagram. But your suggestion for Turn 17 goes into a nice direction anyway.
And as far as Turn 21 goes, I must say that I was experimenting with different chicane shapes at the time that I first drew this circuit. I didn't like all my chicanes to be the same, so somehow, I came up on purpose with this particularly nasty one for this track.

@all: The series still continues (for a short while), log on whenever you feel like.

[Yannick]

Jimmy McBone Speedway, the home of the OtherWorld(ly) 500, located somewhere near the Mississippi River in the middle of the USA, is not your traditional oval course. It is 2 miles in length (3.2 kilometers) and has 4 left turns, but 4 right turns as well (which might make it a 'weird conceptual track' for some).

Here's the track diagram. The rectangular lines leading away from the outside of corners for a short bit are meant to symbolize the banking.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...g/323eadd1.jpg

Track history:
As the OtherWorld(ly) Series was founded, it came into being as an amalgamation of a few continental level predecessor series. One of them, the US American branch so to speak, raced on bone-shaped tracks and similar derivations of the oval theme exclusively. Jimmy McBone Speedway, named after a local wild west hero and former gunslinger, is one of two of these that are still left in the calendar, the other being the forthcoming 23rd and final entry to the Series (even though there's more in the archive).
I first drew this track at some time in the mid-90s, maybe in 1994. Today, I think that every track designer could come up with something like this ... and most likely, the idea has been there before.

Lap description:
As the track diagram is pretty self-explanatory, it's not difficult to keep the description short this time around. As opposed to other ovals, the pitlane and paddock are not located in the infield of the circuit, but instead on the outside of one of the straights. On the outside of the other straight, there are the main grandstands. As is common with ovals, the corners are banked, with banking building up as high as 15 degrees, which is moderate. The straights are not banked. As is also common with ovals, the track is framed by concrete walls and fences on the high side of the banking. Turns 1, 4, 5 and 8 are right-handers, Turns 2, 3, 6 and 7 are left-handers. The circuit runs anticlockwise, like ovals normally do. All left-handers are framed with differently priced grandstands as well, but not all right-handers are: There are tickets available both for Turn 1 and Turn 8 in the infield, but neither in Turn 4 nor Turn 5 on the backstraight. To setup your car for this circuit, a speedway kit is required, but it must be one that allows you to steer in both directions. From the grandstands on the backstraight, the main straight with the pitlane is visible very well, making these some of the best seats in the 'house'.

[Tathrim]

Hmmm, simple. but I love this, and I am strangely envisaging a crest in each of the straights for some reason.