Street Circuit Challenge

[Litchfield]

Being easy to make street circuits using Google Earth/Maps and other programs, I'd like to see what people could come up with. Here are the requirements for each track:

Tracks must be at least 3km but less than 8km
No straight may be longer than 1.5km
There must be an area for a pit lane and paddock/garages
There must be at least one defining landmark or charitaristic of the track making it easily recognizable as part of that city.

You can submit no more than TWO tracks to be considered in the final vote for the best street circuit. Tracks can be submitted for the next two weeks, after which there will be a nomination period of three days. After that there will be a vote opened up for three days, from the nominated tracks.

Have fun!

[ECW Dan Selby]

How do you measure the tracks...?

Selby

[bio]

Selby,
If youre asking about how to measure in gEarth, there is a measuring tool included. For gMaps there are various applets and sites, eg the one i use: www.gmap-pedometer.com

[Luke Kinsella]

FIRENZE - CIRCUITO DEL PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO

The lenght is around 4.090 kilometres.
Longest straight: 1110 metres

Street circuit set in Firenze, south of the river Arno, overlooking the historic city centre.
It combines fast straights with a hilly section.

The long start/finish straight is the famous Lungarno, the street along the river Arno. On the right, between the track and the river, there are the finish straight/first corner grandstands.
The straight is suddenly interrupted by a third gear corner, named Serristori, which is also the name of the street the cars are about to take. Overtaking could be difficult here, but the long straight line allows slipstreaming, so it's technically "more" than possible.
Then, there is a blind, sharp corner, called De Baldi. The track now enters in a narrow, curvy street, between old houses.
This corner leads to the fast-ish San Niccolò bend, which can be taken flat out on the dry. It's similar to the Massenet in Monaco, but more open.
Then, a uphill section begins.
A medium-lenght, slightly curvy straight through Via Monte Alle Croci leads to the slowest corner of the track, San Miniato Al Monte: a little-banked, uphill hairpin which takes the name from the Basilica (Important Church) of the same name, located on the hill after this part of the track.
Overtaking can be done here, although the track width is pretty narrow.
There are two granstands here, since the hairpin could provide good action during the races.
The uphill continues through the most technical section of the track, with the Esse Without Name.
Then comes the Piazzale Michelangelo, an increasing radius, quick corner, in front of one of the main landmarks of the city: this is the highest point of the track, on the top of the hill.
From this nice Renaissance square you can see the city centre, across the river.
From this point on, a gentle downhill begins.
There is a medium-lenght straight, then a gentle left bend introduces to the fast Viale Michelangelo corner. The radius of this one is tricky, because it gradually increases as you go through it. There is no runoff here, just a guardrail.
Then, there is a straight: at the end of it, you can see a little stadium on the left and a grandstand on the right. The Campo Sportivo bend is as fast as the previous one: it's a round corner and the exit is very important, since it leads to a long straight, which marks the end of the downhill: from this point on, the track returns flat.
At the end of this straight, surrounded by many trees, there is the slow (first gear) Incrocio Chicane, similar to the Nouvelle Chicane at Montecarlo. Perfect place for overtaking, for which the granstand provides excellent view.
Again, you have to have a quick exit from this chicane because, after it, there is the long Lungarno Cellini section, which is more like a straight than a corner.
You've reached the river again, and you're ready for another exciting lap.

I'm pretty satisfied of it. What to you think?

[werner]

Some of the streets are so narrow, that you are not even able to pas if the car in front of you wants you to. It would be a nice rallystage, but nothing else. And Mugello is not far away from Firenze. Most of the roads in Firenze are photographed in the streetviewmodus of Google maps. The S. Niccolo is the best example to see why this is imposible.

[Luke Kinsella]

f*ck.... I though nobody knew the real width of the track

[bio]

Well, all the Italian cities' streets are narrow - or very narrow - except for Rome

Otherwise its a nice track - unlike the real Rome street track plan which is simply hideous

bio

[Yannick]

The track shape of Firenze is a real beauty. Maybe the city council would agree to a scooter race, if the mayor could take part in the celebrity race? ;-)
That way, track width wouldn't be a problem.

[jab]

Cardiff (City Centre)

3 mile circuit that goes past the castle, the university, both railway stations and down St Mary's Street, one of the main streets in the city centre. Includes part of a proposed street circuit from a number of years ago (don't know exactly when - might have been BTCC-related)

[Tathrim]

I realise that Reading isn't necessarily imaginative, but I couldn't get a good route in Oxford below 8 km

The track is 6.2 km long (3.4 miles). Pit Road and start finish straight would be parallel to the straight with the 2km marker, as I drew the track before deciding the suitable place for the start. Track is clockwise.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2919796

[duke_toaster]

Having designed an overlength circuit in London, and torn my hair out looking at four or five other cities I then had a look at somewhere less prestigious ... Blackpool.

The circuit has the pits and paddock in what appears to be the carpark of a football stadium.

The track features a number of kinks and loose chicanes which are difficult to decide if they are counted or not. In addition to these high speed corners, there are chicanes and long straights. It's an unusal track - partially because it's anticlockwise. I propose that it is used for a night race.

T1 is a slow chicane, followed by a short straight and the Bus Stop chicane. Moss is preceded by a little right-left. Then the cars are fed in to the two part Mansell sequence, and around the mini-roundabout near the chicane. There follows a two-part hairpin around the outside of the Blackpool tower.

Then there is the straight on the seafront, followed by a high-speed left hand kink and a similar right. There is then the Lytham straight, and the first or second gear Hunt left hander. This will be a great place for out-braking attempts, followed by a similar tight corner at Hawthorn followed by Clark and Surtees. All of these corners could see some outbraking attempts as well as drafting. Then that completes a lap, in to main straight.

[jab]

I'm sorry but Blackpool is a god awful place. I just can't...




...believe what a great idea that is. A few crashes into some of the night clubs and holidaymakers might improve the place no end

[werner]

I nominate my circuit in Vlissingen i proposed a while ago in this topic

Vlissingen is not a very large city, about 50.000 inhabitants, but it has the look and feel of a much larger city. The reasons are the large hotels along the boulevard, and the important seaport, including ferryservices to the UK. The amount of hotels, actually located inside of the circuit, make the city a good place to host a large event. A disadvantage is that the city is quite far away for most people, and the region itself had not got to much inhabitants. Alhough a lot of you from larger countries will laugh about what Dutch call large distances.

The clockwise track is located near the seafront. The paddock is located on a large parkinglot. The start is at the Spuitkomweg. The first corner is a kink to the left. The first sharp corner to the right, into the Coosje Buskenstreet is a difficult one, because of the small righthandkink in the brakingzone.
After a small straight, one of the most important corners follows: a 90 degree righthander with a twist in the exit leads onto the long straight over the boulevard. Thousends of people can watch the action here from the grandstands at the beach. At the end of the boulevard, just in front of the highest tower in the city, the drivers have to brake very hard for a very tight chicane that leads to a road at the back of the boulevardbuildings.
The scenery changes quite dramtically, as the road is surrounded here by the large trees of the Nollenbos (bos = forest). Fully accelerating the road changes from straight into a long lefthander into an even longer righthander. Although still going fast, maximum throttle is not possible anymore. Without ever getting straight again, this bend leads into the difficult breakingzone of a 90 degree righthander.
Then follows a long straight surrounded by nice villa's, long enought to bring the cars to very high speeds. It is with such speeds that the drivers approach the scariest corner of the tracks, or indeed the championship. As said, a very high speed approach, then a lefthand fast kink, with every centimeter that you leave between the barrier at the exit costing you a lot of time, but 1 cm to far out can cost you you car. And it is important going fast when you are under attack. Taking this corner to slow means you are a sitting duck at the next corner for the driver behind you if he manages to get a good exit. Luckily for the safety the barrier is at the passengers-side of the cars. On the picture you can see that corner. The picture looks back to the exit of the kink. In the background you can see the exit of the chicane at the end of the boulevard.
That next corner brings the drivers back to the start of this 3km long track.

[Litchfield]

My first submission to this is a New York City street circuit. These have probably been overdone, but it is still one of the best places to do a street layout.

The pit-straight is on Broadway between Amsterdam Ave and Columbus Ave. The pit and Paddock area would be built on Amsterdam Ave. A little bit fantastical, but still could be done.

You start with a .5km run down Broadway before a fast right hand kink onto Columbus. This takes you down a short straight and into a tight 90° left and then a slow right hand kink back onto Broadway. This is also the area where the pits meet back up with the track down 62nd St. Once back on Broadway you have a short straight which takes you around the right of a roundabout (Columbus Cir), and continuing on Broadway. The final run down Broadway is slightly kinked (not a perfect straight), but comes in at 1.37km and takes you straight through Times Square. The straight ends in a hard and tight left onto 42nd street, and then another tight left back onto 7th Ave, and down a long straight (back through Times Square). The 7th Ave Straight is 1.38km and ends in a hard 90° right onto Central Park S. Down a short straight, hard double apex left onto Center Dr, and into the windy sections of the track inside Central Park. Following Center Dr is a sweeping right-left chicane onto East Dr. East Dr. is a little windy, but it ends in a left hander onto Terrace Dr, followed by the tightest part of the track, a right hander into the Cherry Hill roundabout, then out back onto Terrace. Terrace finishes with a little left, right, left onto 72nd St which has a short straight into a hairpin onto Broadway.

The track comes out to a total of 7.263km (4.51mi) of which 37% are the long Broadway and 7th Ave straights and 30% is spent inside Central Park. I think the combination of the cavernous runs down Broadway/7th Ave and the tree lined streets of CP are unique. Broadway is going to be extremely loud, and intense especially with cars full out.

Here is a link to the course mapped out: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2926091

[duke_toaster]

Here is my second of two entries in to this, the London Grand Prix.

Pits could be installed at Horseguards Parade or on The Mall, I have marked the pits for Horseguards Parade but for this flythrough I will start it with Memorial being last rather than the first corner.

The circuit starts on The Mall, where the London Marathon finishes. Then, after this straight comes a moderate speed sub-90 degree right hander at Buckingham Palace. Then the cars will be fed down Constitution Hill in to a double apex right at Wellington Arch, and following un-named kinks down a ramp on to Piccadilly. The second real outbraking oppertunity is in to the first or second gear corner around the outside of the Portland Gallery, and after a short straight St James' Palace. Then follows Pall Mall, and then a right hand kink at Manor House, which feeds cars in to the stadium chicane at Trafalgar Square. A good exit from Hungerford is vital to get a good run down the Victoria Embankment, with the possibility of overtaking at Portcullis House. There will be short kinks part Horseguards Parade, and the cars will be fed back on to The Mall at the Police Memorial corner.

Whilst this sounds farfetched, supposedly a London GP with parts of this route nearly happened in the 60s. Also, parts of this circuit are used for the London Marathon, and this event could be ran at night with the roads open during the day.

[Litchfield]

I'm going to comment on some of the tracks.

CIRCUITO DEL PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO by Kinsella: Love the actual layout of the track, and it looks very fast (something I love). Ignoring the streets being too narrow, the only problem I see is that there isn't a road between the hairpin and the plazza (the Esse without Name is what you called it). Besides that, the track is awesome.

Cardiff City Center by Jab: My only real concern with this track is the cut in section right after the 2nd mile. I think that taking that out and continuing down that road to the second to last corner would create an additional fast section, but one with a little more character than just a straight. Like this: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2927680

Reading City Circuit by Tathrim: I really like the flow of the track from km6 to km2. I also like the final hairpin before the starting straight and the section between km3 and km4. My only change would be extending the start finish straight all the way down to where you actually started drawing the track to create a 1.4km straight.

Vlissingen City Circuit by Werner: I like how narrow this track is as compared to most city circuits (as in the back is close to the front), just like Monaco. The beach side location is great and that section of fast kinks is really great.

Blackpool City Circuit by Duke_Toaster: My biggest complaint about this track is the boxy final section of the track. I like the bottom straight, but looking at the map, it doesn't appear that the boxy section can be avoided.

[Tathrim]

I stated in my post that the 2km mark is where the sf line is, as I wasn't sure where a pit lane would've been placed otherwise, as the long straight is double sided with several blocks of housing (though it could go on the straight that's before the 3km marker).

As for extending the straight after the hairpin, I was thinking of doing so, but I didn't because of runoff concerns for the end of the track.

[jab]

I have been inside Portcullis House

I've done a few tracks in that area. It's an interesting place to design around

The 1969 proposal was from Hyde Park across, with a crossover. Mental

Cardiff City Center by Jab: My only real concern with this track is the cut in section right after the 2nd mile. I think that taking that out and continuing down that road to the second to last corner would create an additional fast section, but one with a little more character than just a straight. Like this: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2927680

Nah. The reason I took it that way is because it goes through the university past the civic centre and along a tree-lined avenue. How I've done it would definitely have a lot more character, and also avoids a few houses along there

[Chiefy]

I have gone for a Russian street circuit, based at the home of that nation's famous car manufacturer Lada: Togliatti.

Turn one takes the cars around a roundabout on this anti-clockwise track, as they complete 1km distance. The run to turn two is quite fast with only one braking zone, but the corners that follow are rather more technical, requiring driver precision between the 2km and 4km posts. Past the 4km post the track widens considerably, allowing overtaking at speed. All the way to the 6km post the track is fast, with few corners. The lap concludes following a left-right-left, a burst of gas round a right-hander past the 7km post and finally a tricky little chicane as cars come back onto the home straight but flick through the barriers and into the appropriate lane.

Overall length: 7.83km

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2943219

[Litchfield]

So to give this a bump, here is my second submission.

Cape Town Street Circuit, is probably the fastest circuit I've ever created.

The start finish straight runs close to a km, and ends in a fast left hand kink, which runs into a second fast left hand kink. Both of these could likely be taken full out, and bring you into the long 1.3km straight, through a right hand kink, down another .8km straight into the first slow corner on the track, a 90° right. This takes you up a slow straight into another 90° right.The run down beach road is windy and fast, and includes two fast chicanes switching sides of the road. Following the run down Beach Rd, and a fast sweeping right onto Western Blvd, in a combination double 90° turn from Western onto Main and the s/f straight.

The track runs 7.5km long.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2957996

[werner]

You should reverse the trackdirection. In your version the drivers will encounter a building right in the end of the regent street. You will reach that spot with top-speed. If you go the other way round, there is a runoff area possible at the ends of both the fast stretches.

[duke_toaster]

I think there are several straights that could be pushing it on the 2km flat out rule there.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Here's mine... North Weald Bassett:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2984999

Length: 3.5974km
Runs anti-clockwise.

Selby

[Quintin03]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

Here's mine... North Weald Bassett:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2984999

I wouldn't call that a street circuit. I'm not the one to judge that either.
I have designed a streetcircuit in rotterdam but that's similar to one of the circuits Werner posted although I didn't know of it.

[ECW Dan Selby]

It's half street, half airfield...

Selby