Home  
Site Partners: SpotterGuides Veloce Books  
Related Sites: Your Link Here  

Go Back   TenTenths Motorsport Forum > Road Car Forums > Road Car Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 23 May 2001, 22:54 (Ref:95741)   #1
Tristan
Veteran
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location:
In a secret location, unknown even to me
Posts: 2,946
Tristan should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
The greatest road

What's the greatest road you've driven on??

I know this topic must've come up by now a hundred times, but I'm usually wary of venturing outside the F1 and Gravel Trap forums!! (dunno why!)

Is there a great road near you down which you love to thrash?? Is there a particularly memorable drive from being on holiday, or something?? Have you ever driven to find a specific peice of road?? What makes it special?? The scenery?? The twists and turns?? The feeling of being FREE!!

Near me there's an absolutly cracking road between Norwich and Stoke Holy Cross. EVERY corner you could ever possibly want including the most amazing corner, a double apex left into a right through a compression, a bit like Eau Rouge with a kink over a bridge in the middle. Mad, as you can often take it on the wrondg side of the line.

In terms of scenery and ****-your-pants scary: the Furka pass Switzerland. At the end of one of the many hairpins is a glacier. You could literally stop, walk three paces, lean and TOUCH it!! On the way down the eastern side, there's a drop of many many hundereds of feet off to the right. Your crash protection. Every tenth meter... a stick. In a right hand drive car, UTTERLY terrifying! On locked brake on a bit of gravel and over you go!!
Tristan is offline  
Quote
Old 23 May 2001, 23:09 (Ref:95750)   #2
Ray Bell
Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location:
Various parts of Australia
Posts: 2,221
Ray Bell should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Ooh, there's lots of these!

First priority is that there's a low likelihood of there being police around, and other traffic, of course...

Harden-Jugiong isn't bad... 37km, lots of hills and bends of many types, but no particularly tricky ones.

Silverdale to The Oaks was always a corker for me, and a two-parter (in either direction by the way) that I took with four wheels on the dirt for both apexes... two made dives into dark holes, lots of nice stuff. Drove it all the time twenty to fifteen years ago. Sure I held the lap record... 19.5 minutes Silverdale to Picton in a 404.
Ray Bell is offline  
Quote
Old 23 May 2001, 23:25 (Ref:95756)   #3
Sharky
Veteran
 
Sharky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location:
London, UK
Posts: 963
Sharky should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSharky should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSharky should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
My favourite is the one I take every day. It's very exciting to drive. It's located in the mountains so it's full of up's and down's, fast corners slow corners, variable radius corners and the scenery is very nice. Also it's 2 lanes in one direction and no traffic lights or stop signs so you go very fast. Heavy traffic is prohibited so there aren't any trucks or such. It also demands a lot from the driver, especially if you're going fast. Some descents are very steep and if you don't use the gearbox you'll melt the brakes and you could be in for a nasty surprise. In most of the corners your tyres will screech (is that how you write it) and if you're shoks are in bad shape you can easily lose the back of the car (that almost happened to me once). Also, a lot of corners have the banking on "the wrong angle".

However it's also one of the most dangerous roads in the city. Everybody drives very fast there, well above the speed limit. I've seen quite a lot of hard wrecks there. However driving slowly could be even more dangerous as you could find yourself in the middle of 2 cars that could be doing twice your speed. A lot of people avoid it because of that. But it's very exciting to drive. However, if your a a passenger you'll be holding your breath most of the journey and if your scared enough you'll ask the driver to slow down for christ's sake!! (I've been told this a couple of times, once by a fellow board member ).
Sharky is offline  
__________________
In the long run, we're all dead. Keynes
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 04:49 (Ref:95796)   #4
Valve Bounce
Veteran
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Australia
Home :)
Posts: 7,491
Valve Bounce has been held in scrutiny for further testing
Without any doubt Schlinks Pass between Guthega Power Station and Geehi Dam. This Australian Alpine Road is locked at both ends, and you need to "know somebody" in the Snowy Mountains Authority to gain access to this road. It was Sir William Hudson's favourite drive and he used to take dignitaries through this road in his Rover 3000. Dirt road, going through Geehi Gorge at one end and the alpine highlands on the Guthega side. There was a huge alpine building with accomodation dubbed the Schlink Hilton that was used by the Australian Olympic team for high altitude training before the Mexico Olympics. This was where I learnt to drive with left foot braking on dirt roads. If Jimmy Robinson of the Transport Pool ever found out the times I posted over this road, he would have confiscated my Snowy Licence. Jimmy still lives in Jindabyne.
Valve Bounce is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 07:48 (Ref:95842)   #5
mtpanorama
Veteran
 
mtpanorama's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Australia
Bathurst (best racetrack in the world)
Posts: 2,485
mtpanorama should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Bells Line of road from Kurmond shops to the Fruit bowl at bilpin.About 30kms of ever peice of road imaginable. Conrners at 30km/h to straights as fast as you can go and everthing in between

For a good peice of twist road take the drive over yarramundi bridge and up the mountians to spingwood. There are some good corners there.

I have also started to enjoy the drive from Bathurst across to Goulburn when i go to wakefield park. A bit of dirt, some tight corners, some quick corners and straights and not a lot of cops or other cars to worry about.

Ray also mentioned the run from silverdale to the oaks. That is also good fun. When i worked in penrith my boss lived at The oaks. It was probably better in your day Ray,less houses and traffic to worry about. I think I know the corner you are talking about, my boss tried it in the vs commodore work ute and we were veeeeerrrrryyyyy sideways!
mtpanorama is offline  
__________________
I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder

I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good, either
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 11:11 (Ref:95910)   #6
elephino
Veteran
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location:
Sydney, Australia
Posts: 2,058
elephino should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridelephino should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
Well as I haven't been the driver along Bell's Line of Road yet...yet...I cannot really comment other than it looks good as a passenger.

More locally, the Commenara Parkway is a nice little piece of road. There is also a good fast road going north out of Bathurst (don't ask me more, that's all I can remember). But my favourite would have to be the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Slow corners, fast corners, long straights, everything..and the speed limit is 100km/h most of the way so can't get booked for doing too much over the speed limit

Almost forgot, Wiseman's Ferry Road is very good too.
elephino is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 11:56 (Ref:95947)   #7
Ray Bell
Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location:
Various parts of Australia
Posts: 2,221
Ray Bell should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Yarramundi Bridge... that's at Agnes Banks, right?

Did you know that the main part of the climb on this road was the Hawkesbury Hillclimb in the early fifties, where Jack Brabham made his road racing debut, but got canned after winning because he didn't have four wheel brakes on his midget?

Lemme see... what other ones were there? Yes, I'm sure the corner you're talking about, Bald Hills, is the one I mentioned... Think theres two houses at that point, and the road has been eased more onto 'my line' in the past decade... other changes have taken place, but at a more distant time... you know how, heading south, just before Orangeville, where you dive down a hill and sweep right into one of the little 'foxholes' I mentioned? That used to be a 90 degree bend, but it was eased about 1978.

Really though, apart from through Silverdale itself, little has changed. Coming north, the two-part left past the Silverdale Progress hall used to be a real doosy, required a late, wide entry from a fairly blind position, but was no problem if you'd sussed it out looking ahead from up the hill further. Went through there once at about 90mph in an A9X...

Really, though, I think it's most worthwhile taking the drive well past Bilpin on Bell's Line of Road... lots of good territory there... and apart from the Wiseman's Ferry Road, there's the Old Northern Road out of Dural (up to Dural has been destroyed...), and the other side there's an interesting dirt road from the Ferry back to the Putty Road (another worth a drive!) near Blaxlands Ridge Rd...

The list goes on... Werombi through Theresa Pk and Cobbity used to be my way to Oran Pk.... as good as the day at the races, that drive...
Ray Bell is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 12:31 (Ref:95974)   #8
Wrex
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
 
Wrex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Australia
Melbourne - Home of the Australian GP
Posts: 7,643
Wrex is going for a new lap record!Wrex is going for a new lap record!Wrex is going for a new lap record!Wrex is going for a new lap record!Wrex is going for a new lap record!Wrex is going for a new lap record!
EASY !! "The Great Ocean Road" in Victoria. fantastic view, unbelievable corners one into the other (a dream for the bikes Moffat) and witha quick well handling car - FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC.
Wrex is offline  
__________________
#Keepfightingmichael
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 13:18 (Ref:96012)   #9
bella
Race Official
Veteran
 
bella's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 1998
France
Posts: 16,760
bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!

pipsqueak. the road from mandelieu la napoule to tanneron, about 10 miles from cannes in the south of france. so much fun. so much fun that they actually run hillclimb races on it.

and the a1 is a lot of fun from peterborough 4 lane bit to the wetherby turn-off. but in a very different way.

Last edited by bella; 24 May 2001 at 13:19.
bella is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 13:36 (Ref:96024)   #10
Ray Bell
Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location:
Various parts of Australia
Posts: 2,221
Ray Bell should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Agreed.. I drove some of those roads in 1981 in a puny 204, but they were good. No doubt about it...

When it comes to scenery, though, little beats two of my favourites... Crows Nest to Esk, inland from Brisbane, and through the Dandenongs to Healesville from Alexandra in Thicktoria. The trees there are magnificent..

Just like the trees in the Bulahdelah State Forest alongside the old Pacific Highway... now bypassed... hey! That would be good now it's virtually unused! O'Sullivan's Gap...
Ray Bell is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 17:38 (Ref:96112)   #11
Hans.ca
Racer
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location:
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 229
Hans.ca should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Tristan I have to go along with your selection, the Furka pass, I would like to add a couple more, the Grimsel is good also and the Lukmanier pass. All the above are in Switzerland and I have driven them in Cars and as a boy on my bicycle. Another good one is up from Wallenstadt up to Wallenstadt Berg, a two lane twister along the side of the mountain that is only wide enough for 1.5 cars. The only place to pass is in a corner. To increase the fun on all mountain roads in Switzerland the Postal Busses have the right of way and will drive on the mountain side and you have to pass them on the outside.
I like the Costa Brava road also, on the way to Monaco. Lots of fun and no guard rails.
In Ontario there is one road that fits the bill and it is called the Callabogy road, we usully drove it in the winter at night during the British Empire Motor Club Winter Rally. Very exiting. Just ask Pat Moss or Ann Wisdom they should remember it.
Hans.ca is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 17:53 (Ref:96123)   #12
bella
Race Official
Veteran
 
bella's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 1998
France
Posts: 16,760
bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!
hans - re the road you mention to monaco - which one?
bella is offline  
__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 18:02 (Ref:96126)   #13
KC
Veteran
 
Join Date: Sep 1998
United States
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Posts: 2,762
KC should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridKC should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
For me its got to be the old State Hwy 33 from Catoosa, Oklahoma to Siloam Springs Arkansas. thirty four miles of twisting and folding roads through the countryside of Eastern Oklahoma. With most traffic using the parallel and exceedingly boring and straight turnpike and the towns about 10 mile apart, it is a great drive with fairly smooth tarmac and trees leaning overhead in places. The only drawback is the occasional horse and buggy being driven by the local Mennonite community.
KC is offline  
__________________
Never forget #99
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 18:26 (Ref:96130)   #14
Craig
Race Official
Veteran
 
Craig's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1998
Denmark
Posts: 10,992
Craig has a real shot at the championship!Craig has a real shot at the championship!Craig has a real shot at the championship!Craig has a real shot at the championship!Craig has a real shot at the championship!Craig has a real shot at the championship!
Accomodation Road Seriously! It's the only road I know of that has it's own version of Paddock Hill Bend, but scaled UP! And I go that way every day...
Craig is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 22:20 (Ref:96254)   #15
Ross
Rookie
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location:
Lincoln
Posts: 75
Ross should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
No doubt about it in my books...the moutain section of the TT course, brilliant views, the same tarmac that Joey, Hizzy, Foggy have raced on, oh yeah no speed limits & cars that give way to bikes...nirvana
Ross is offline  
Quote
Old 24 May 2001, 22:26 (Ref:96257)   #16
Tristan
Veteran
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location:
In a secret location, unknown even to me
Posts: 2,946
Tristan should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Hans, isn't the costa brava in north eastern SPAIN?? Monaco is on the Franch Riviera.

Thought of anotherone, in my home town of Norwich, England (oh shut up!) me and my mates have are own "Molson Indy"!! Top track too. Of course, I live litterally a couple of hundered yards from the Birmingham Superprix track nowadays.

The southern side of the Col du Vars in Haute-Provence is stunning in summer.
Tristan is offline  
Quote
Old 25 May 2001, 03:46 (Ref:96345)   #17
mtpanorama
Veteran
 
mtpanorama's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Australia
Bathurst (best racetrack in the world)
Posts: 2,485
mtpanorama should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Quote:
Really, though, I think it's most worthwhile taking the drive well past Bilpin on Bell's Line of Road... lots of good territory there... and apart from the Wiseman's Ferry Road, there's the Old Northern Road out of Dural (up to Dural has been destroyed...), and the other side there's an interesting dirt road from the Ferry back to the Putty Road (another worth a drive!) near Blaxlands Ridge Rd...
Geez Ray,
I think i have followed every one of your roads, but probably about 30years latter. Growing up at north richmond and having friends all over the hawkesbury district meant i found some really good roads in the area. I have probably driven on just about every one of them at some time or another.

Another good one, although it is dirt is the drive down to wheeny creek (turn off Blaxlands ridge road) go down across the creek (the little wooden bridge washed away) and then follow the road along and you come out on the Putty road at the colo river, or if you turn right halfway along you come out at the NRMA depot at Bilpin(mountain lagoon road).

Yes Agnes banks would be correct, and i had heard something about that hill. But it was alittle before my time
mtpanorama is offline  
__________________
I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder

I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good, either
Quote
Old 25 May 2001, 08:44 (Ref:96403)   #18
paul c
Rookie
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location:
bedford, UK
Posts: 36
paul c should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
I think for me it has to be the West Coast route from Fort William to Gairloch in Scotland. The first half, until you almost reach the Kyle of Lochalsh, has some of the most awe inspiring scenery in the UK. But it's the second half that's the most fun for the driver, when the Scottish A road comes into its own, ie fast, twisty, steep inclines and often single track. It can get frustrating if you get stuck behind a logging lorry, but most of the drivers move over if someone comes up behind them. Much better road manners than anywhere else I've driven! And if you feel like a detour, there's a route via Applecross with one of the highest mountain passes in the UK through the Bealach na Ba.
paul c is offline  
Quote
Old 25 May 2001, 14:23 (Ref:96501)   #19
Hans.ca
Racer
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location:
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 229
Hans.ca should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Bella and Tristan.
The Costa Brava road I'm talking about starts north east of Barcelona at Malgrat and follows the sea untill it swings inland at Palamos. The biggest town on this strech is San Feliu de Guixols. We drove it on the way from Gibraltar to Monaco. It is about 1.5 lanes wide, follows the sea shore up and down and in and out. About every 20 meters there is a rock 5 or 6 inches in dia. painted white. No guard rails no shoulder. Most of the time they don't bother to haul out the cars that miss the road. Sometimes there is a vertical drop of 200 meters and other times you are level with the sea. A wonderfull road, worth going to Spain for.
To my knowledge the Costa Brava is still located between Barcelona and Narbonne. Please let me know if they moved it.
Two of us are driving this road, I in a VW 1600 and my fellow photographer, Monty from Florida, in a Mini Cooper. Most of the time in first or second gear flat out. I was in front , Monty followed. As we raced along I drove into a blind corner hard in first gear and there was a Lincoln Continental parked in the middle. I managed to stop and so did Monty. The driver was a young women, she was crying because the corner was so tight she could not get the big car around it. We managed to back our cars into a passing spot, walked back and together we managed to get the Lincoln around the corner. The driver was the wife of and American that was wintering in the area and he had told her to go out and explore some of the roads. We recommended that she take the first road to the main highway and she agreed to do that.
Hans.ca is offline  
Quote
Old 25 May 2001, 18:34 (Ref:96583)   #20
Tristan
Veteran
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location:
In a secret location, unknown even to me
Posts: 2,946
Tristan should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Phew! I thought you were going mad!

Yeah, I know the Costa Brava; once you get the right side of evil Lloret de Mar it's gorgeous. I stayed for a whil in Tamariu nr. Pallafrugel, just a little fishing villiage in a pine forested cove with a few great fish restaurants on the waters edge. Thoroughly pleasant.

Really wiggly roads too!
Tristan is offline  
Quote
Old 27 May 2001, 15:04 (Ref:97301)   #21
Ray Bell
Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location:
Various parts of Australia
Posts: 2,221
Ray Bell should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Somewhere around here I have some nice slides of a picnic we had at Little Wheeny Creek! Lovely spot, but it's so long ago I don't remember the road...

You're right, there are just so many good roads in that area... and also around places like Maleny and Peachester in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and in the Adelaide Hills, the Dandenongs, the NSW South Coast, and all over the joint!

No shortage of places to play!
Ray Bell is offline  
Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
ultimate Road legal track dar car (basically the best car on the road) DanJR1 Track Day Forum 1 22 Nov 2003 22:53
Greatest weapons never to see the road StuiE Road Car Forum 22 11 May 2002 11:09
Hired guns, road racers being brought in for WC road course events. Good or bad? Joe Fan NASCAR & Stock Car Racing 6 30 Jun 2001 15:28
Road "america"? or road of brazilians. kuchi ChampCar World Series 13 21 Aug 2000 01:44
Sorry road race fans, the WC race at The Glen was the best road race this weekend. Joe Fan NASCAR & Stock Car Racing 22 15 Aug 2000 19:40


All times are GMT. The time now is 15:30.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Original Website Copyright © 1998-2003 Craig Antil. All Rights Reserved.
Ten-Tenths Motorsport Forums Copyright © 2004-2021 Royalridge Computing. All Rights Reserved.
Ten-Tenths Motorsport Forums Copyright © 2021-2022 Grant MacDonald. All Rights Reserved.