The baseball stadium is el sucko!

Lee Janotta · 15 Nov 2002, 22:36 (Ref:429565)

Just like that damn parking lot in Miami... Right angles with no grip.

Understeer'll kill you at this circuit, but the grip is so low in that section that you can't keep the rear end under control with the setup you need the rest of the way around. The car just gets too squirrely for those panic stops.

I'd say a polite and respectful letter writing campaign to the offices of Mr. Pook and Mr. Forsythe, firstly praising the event overall, then asking that the Peraltada be restored for the 2003 race, would be in order.

macdaddy · 15 Nov 2002, 22:42 (Ref:429567)

Wouldn't the letters be better aimed at the promoters?

Jay · 15 Nov 2002, 22:42 (Ref:429568)

What did the fans sitting in the stadium think of their view?

Personally, I'd rather see cars slipping and sliding around through corners than one zoom by at 160mph.

Not saying they shouldn't restore in an altered form (obviously they'd have to remove the banking and tightening it would be good too), but I'd rather see cars negotiate tight corners than zoom by in fast ones. I've watch cars from both types of places on race tracks, and apart from the noise and rumble you get from a fast section, I'd rather watch from the tighter corner.

Jay · 15 Nov 2002, 22:43 (Ref:429571)

Yes macdaddy, that's right. Pook doesn't have any say in the layout of the track.

Actually, reading the interviews, it sounds like the the problem has more to do with the tarmac than the corners. Also, the transition to the banking of the old corner. They should really just level the banking of the old corner, and pave the stadium section (as opposed to concrete).

Lee Janotta · 15 Nov 2002, 22:51 (Ref:429581)

Jay, touch that banking and it'll be the last part of your body you can move.

(Only kidding, but some things _are_ sacred)

Jay · 15 Nov 2002, 22:54 (Ref:429583)

Well running the old corner with the banking is the part that is completely out of the question because of the risk of roll overs. without the banking, it may be feasible.

Although Dario actually said the stadium section was "fun". Doesn't sound to bad...

Anyway, sections aside, the drivers overall are all raving about the circuit. Lots of comparisons to Road America and Spa too... Looks like we have a real winner on our hands!

Lee Janotta · 15 Nov 2002, 23:09 (Ref:429601)

Dario's a damn dirty traitor, so I don't hold his opinions well.

Like I keep saying, Jay... We'd got two options for running that corner _with_ the banking... Push the wall back and add more runoff and tire barriers, or pave the turn wider, push the wall in, and use the Indianapolis "soft wall" technology.

Rollovers are what rollhoops are for! Watch the Senna video, he gets out just fine! There's nothing wrong with crashes if no one gets hurt. And with all the gravel and tires there, there's nothing hard for the drivers to hit and hurt themselves against.

The point is, Jay, you can get turns like that stadium section _anywhere_... But there's only one Peraltada.

Jordi · 15 Nov 2002, 23:40 (Ref:429617)

Ohh Lee. just shut up.

I won't see the new section until the race is on, 'cos I have no more coverage than that. So allow some time for me to see it!

Jay · 15 Nov 2002, 23:45 (Ref:429619)

I've seen that video of Senna, he was very lucky. As were a number of other drivers who crashed at that corner.

If you keep the banking and runoff, you essentially create a "car launch", which is why crashes there would be so likely to cause roll overs, which are by far the most dangerous type of accidents. Once a car starts rolling anything can happen...roll hoops collapse, the car contacts the barrier at a bad angle (what happened to Greg Moore). That is why in any track design these days, situations that might cause a car to become airborne are avoided at all costs. yes, unfortunately they can still happen, but that doesn't mean we should create more situations where they could.

If you made the turn like an oval turn(wall on the outside of the tarmac), you should understand that although it is a much sharper and narrow turn than most ovals like Chicago or Milwaukee, it is taken at similar speeds after briefly stepping on the brake. This means that if something goes wrong on the entry of the corner the car would most likely contact the outside wall at a much sharper angle and will have a lot less space to scrub off speed (ie head on at ~160mph)..like what happened to McNish at Suzuka, but front-first.

Anyway, that's the last I'll say on the subject of that corner. Lee comes from a different era of racing than I do. Although I accept that open-wheel racing is a dangerous sport (as is hockey) I do not accept that when I speak with drivers I have to wonder if they'll be around in 5 years. That's an era I'm glad is over.

Lee Janotta · 15 Nov 2002, 23:46 (Ref:429620)

Y'know, I've been wondering for months when someone was going to tell me to shut my mouth!

I suppose I can wait that long, Jordi, if it's that important to you.

Jordi · 15 Nov 2002, 23:53 (Ref:429625)

ROFL... It's not that important really, but hey I'm dying to see images of the last race of 2002

Jay · 16 Nov 2002, 00:07 (Ref:429632)

Yeah, this is going to be an awsome event! Probably the biggest on the Cart calendar if not North America that doesn't involve Formula 1.

Evilsenna · 16 Nov 2002, 03:51 (Ref:429710)

The solution to have the peraltada is to put armco
on the outside like in Grand Prix Legends!

Oh boy, that made great crashes! :-)