Circuit Vs Road Racing??

[mooneyda]

I have to say I love both.... BUT, with a gun to my head (well, with nothing to my head actually), It would be road racing for me everytime!

Its just a disagreement going on between a few mates of mine and thought i'd air it here to get the general feeling!

Ding ding.. Seconds out lads!

[Schummy]

Well, I doubt if this is going to fire a fight here or something remotely alike.

Circuits used to be normal roads and few "permanent" tracks existed. Le Mans is probably the prime example today, although today the balance is inverted, few roads remain in (major) racing. I have to say I prefer road circuits because I find the layout more interesting and appealing.

The old circuits used today usually have a road (or dusty, narrow lanes) ancestor in them, that's the reason they tends to be less "computerized" CAD/CAM designs. One of the first "modern", artificial designs was Paul Ricard, that comparatively looks today as a classic.

I dislike ultrasmooth unreal, pool table tracks, i.e., contemporary designs. It makes easy to setup bikes/cars by computer and use suspension setup too hard and less progresive, that in turn does less progressive drifts. Another "evil" is it's easier to introduce traction control in smooth surfaces, and I hate those riders/drivers helps, it's like doping in athletics

Ding, dong, end of post-round, draw mach

[mooneyda]

When I say road racing, I mean more like TT racing only on worse roads! Tight village complexes and open country roads! This can be done on a TT basis, such as at the Isle of Mann. However, were interested in straight out racing. Events such as the North-West in Ulster!

"Well, I doubt if this is going to fire a fight here or something remotely alike. "

Just looking for other opinions.....

[MagnetON]

From a marshaling position I would never do another road-race event again. In the end we were having to pay more attention to what the spectators were doing than the race action.

From a "spectacle" point of view, I guess there's the pure rush of seeing a race where the riders knees are almost touching telegraph poles, drain covers, walls, etc. that would make it very appealing.

Bottom line, it's not for me, but I understand why people do like it.

[mooneyda]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

From a marshaling position I would never do another road-race event again. In the end we were having to pay more attention to what the spectators were doing than the race action.

From a "spectacle" point of view, I guess there's the pure rush of seeing a race where the riders knees are almost touching telegraph poles, drain covers, walls, etc. that would make it very appealing.

Bottom line, it's not for me, but I understand why people do like it.

Well safety was one of the main parts of the arguement!! Driver ability was the other major dispute! Some for road racers others vice-versa!!

Personally i'd love to see Rossi do the Ulster GP..

Then again.. MSC in a Scuby at a WRC event would be another arguement!

[Dani Filth]

there is a small problem of terminology ..
MotoGP IS a road racing world championship ..
http://www.fim.ch/en/calendar/calDis...SeasonStatus=1

anyway .. everybody undestood the question ..

i'm with MagnetON on this one .. it's a bit too much for me

[mooneyda]

Originally Posted by Dani Filth

there is a small problem of terminology ..
MotoGP IS a road racing world championship ..
http://www.fim.ch/en/calendar/calDis...SeasonStatus=1

Good work! Never noticed this before! I think thats a flaw on the FIA's part! Considering all the closed "circuits" that are used!
Not like Isle of Mann, Tandragee and the likes!

[Dani Filth]

well .. no . i don't think so .. the circuits are still roads/asphalt .. just not public roads but purpose built ones

[Dani Filth]

as we recently have a hillclimb forum .. that made me thinking ..
it's strange .. my reticence for public road bike racing .. as Hillclimbing is just that .. but with cars .. and i love it and even hope of doing some in the near future

[nihil]

Love road racing... Should it be allowed to die then we will have lost something special. Circuits are fine, but in the same way that out-of-town supermarkets destroy local economies, moving the event spatially away people breaks a tie. I feel that the loss of a road event means the loss of a community.

You'll know what I mean, if you've been to Le Mans and waved at all the people having supper out on the street as you leave after race finish. A road event is a celebration... It requires public roads to closed, the normal running of things to be disrupted. It requires sacrifice.

[Schummy]

The downside of it is we need to disturb other (majority) people with our hobbie. Frankly, I hate urban marathons, and things like those for this reason.

Another issue is nowadays racers are a lot more concerned about safety. In the old days, Ago, Nieto, etc ran in Isle of Man, but now I cannot imagine Rossi, Pedrosa,... going there just to have a chance to lose their lifes. However I could imagine some of the 125cc riders wanting to run there, probably they are not concious (yet) about all the consecuences.

It's the same in F1. They used to run in the glorious Nurburgring, but now it is not possible. I'd like to see the old "Nurby" again, with the unchanged layout, but with the off road scenery softened (sad but necessary if I want to see a F1 race there again), or better for me, reduce F1 perfomances and allow less changes to go there. Jacky Stewart and Alain Prost have been some of the advocates for safety in the sport.

About 35 years ago they still run 5 liters sport-prototypes in Nurburgring and Targa Florio! It was beautiful... in magazines, but I suppose I don't want to see Raikonnen or Button killed just because it is beautiful.

In the end, it is a decision about the balance between safety (i.e. life) and emotions, sensations. Riders are mainly who have to choose, it is their life, but in commercialized world of today sponsors have a word in it as well. An TV channels surely are not happy showing not politically correct events (except if it has big audience).

In all this state of things, I wonder why one mass media worldwide event of today escapes of this fate: Raid of Dakkar. It has its toll of deaths, even worse, some of those deaths are natives, children. Yet every year it is saluted by the greatest multimedia channels as if it was a cricket match. The same channels and federations who apparently abhor Isle of Man TT.

My personal opinion? "Road" racing is beautiful to watch, but I never would race it if I was a rider. And if I didn't like racing, I'd hate the disturbs of closing roads (and having motor fans doing all kind of "things" around )

[Hazza]

Yeah.

Roadraces are really something special, and people should be allowed to make the choice as to watch or compete in them.

As for what I prefer? Tie, I can watch both.

[KayBee]

According to the ACU, British version of FIA, I'm a Road Race marshal, however, their version of road racing is racing at a purpose built race circuit e.g. Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Imola etc.

For me it has to be any form of racing I don't like watching people racing against the clock and not each other.

[nihil]

Originally Posted by Schummy

And if I didn't like racing, I'd hate the disturbs of closing roads (and having motor fans doing all kind of "things" around )

You get the same problem at circuits anyway:

http://www.atlasf1.com/2000/jan12/glendenning.html

"In fact, the plans to demolish the banking are just the tip of the iceberg, for there are calls from certain groups to remove the entire Autodromo Nationale di Monza. Not surprisingly, the majority of the pressure is coming from environmental and political circles. Threats to end the Italian Grand Prix at Monza or close the circuit altogether are nothing new; indeed there have been several attempts in the last ten years alone. The wake of Senna's death in 1994, for example, saw the FIA make a number of demands upon Monza's administrators to modify the circuit in the interests of improving driver safety. "

The thing about road races is that they only continue because of the support of a local community. If that local support disappears, then so does the race.

[mooneyda]

Originally Posted by Schummy

In all this state of things, I wonder why one mass media worldwide event of today escapes of this fate: Raid of Dakkar. It has its toll of deaths, even worse, some of those deaths are natives, children. Yet every year it is saluted by the greatest multimedia channels as if it was a cricket match. The same channels and federations who apparently abhor Isle of Man TT.

A friend is actually a fairly well known and successful "road racer" here on the Irish circuit and this happens to be his main pet peeve over the last two years or so! He happens to blame this situation on sponsors and funding to the TV companies!

It cost him a hell of a lot more (and this with very very substantial sponsorship) to compete here, when he could probably fund himself in rally raid and get more TV exposure worldwide!

[mooneyda]

Originally Posted by KayBee

For me it has to be any form of racing I don't like watching people racing against the clock and not each other.

TT the only worthwhile event against the clock these days for "road racing"..

Grid formation is the norm! And for the better!