[the_calculator]

figure of 8 oval

Originally Posted by Yannick

However, what about the banking? At least one of the connecting straights would have to be flat, the lower one. And since the corners on both small ovals before and after the connection to that straight cannot rise abruptly, they also would have to be flat. It remains to be seen if having banking on the other 2 turns which connect the upper straight to the small ovals makes any sense. What do you think?

OK, only a tunnel wouldn't probably work.
How about a (less deep) tunnel and a (not so high) bridge to create an elevation change as small as possible on either straight. (ScotsBrutesFan post pointed out this idea)

Originally Posted by Yannick

I forgot to mention that bankings only make sense if a car gradually goes up into the banking. The original Fuji Speedway has tragically proven a banking into which cars need to drop down to be too dangerous. Hence, coming off of the bridge and diving down into the 18 track banking of your Turn 4 will not work.

The descent or rise on the connecting straights don't start before the banking has completely leveled out (this is also is the place where the connecting road for the single oval starts/ends); 18 -> 0 degrees, compared to Atlanta Motor Speedway 24 -> 5 degrees should be realistic.

Originally Posted by Yannick

Yet, it is not certain that the 8-shaped oval would provide better racing since in oval racing, some cars are set up to work better on the outside lane and some are set up to work better on the inside lane. And that promotes overtaking. But here, on the 8-shaped oval, both lanes are upper and lower lane in one of the corners, so there would always have to be a car setup compromise to accomodate both, because, as road circuit specialists might not know, in oval racing it can take a few laps to change from one lane to the other. And if your car works better on, say, the inside lane, you would be forced to change lanes twice every lap or risk losing positions when you cannot get out of the "wrong" lane.

So this design basicly kills ovalracing and make it more of a roadcourse.