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Itsallicanafford
476 posts
28 months
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...did a track day at Rockingham at the weekend, it used a 1/4 of the banked circuit as well as the infield for the twisty stuff...squeeky bum time when you take a banked corner at 120mph, let alone 200mph with 10 cars up your jacksy....
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DavidCane
704 posts
110 months
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I got an hour into the race before I finally fell asleep this morning. When I woke up and looked up the result I couldn't believe what I read about JPM. Glad I fell asleep, I wouldn't have got ot bed till 5am if I'd tried to watch the whole thing!!!
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The Jolly Todger
1,162 posts
49 months
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ajprice said: Why was there a 'dryer truck' on the track anyway? I've looked around a few reports but I can't find anything to say what it was drying, I thought Indy, Nascar etc didn't run in the rain?? No, they don't. If it's wet, they dry the track before they race. No idea what the dryer truck is for though...;)
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DavidCane
704 posts
110 months
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It's also used to clear debris during caution periods. In this case I think it was clearning marbles from the racing line by the wall.
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Dr JonboyG
1,972 posts
108 months
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Dryer trucks are trucks with jet engines on the back that point their exhaust at the tarmac to dry it off so racing can take place again. Do they really not have these at all in the UK? They use them at airports ffs! And before people get all abloobloobloo Americans are pussies for not racing in the rain, on a banked oval with streaming water even F1 cars would be unable to complete a lap without ending up in a pile of carbon fibre shards in the infield, it's a simple matter of physics, just like how the Canadian GP started several hours late last year because there was so much standing water on the track. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending NASCAR as great racing - with the exception of Montoya setting the track ablaze that race was totally tedious, and it seems like every NASCAR event finishes under green-white-checker which makes me wonder why they don't just make all their races three laps long. Then again, they only managed one lap at the beginning before they f  ked it up and had to go to a caution, so maybe even that wouldn't work.
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Ninjajim76
42 posts
41 months
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I was glued to the screen on Saturday (at least until the rugrat claimed the remote for ceebeebies - who am I to argue - it's kids telly, and who can deny their inner child..... or the one looking at you with big eyes and a mildly trembling lower lip)..... the driving is insane! Yes, it is just going round in a circle, but I know all about the camber and chassis mods they've done, and that it's more about endurance in all aspects than anything else, but that drafting! I remember the good old days sat in nose to tail queues on the autobahn (remember the scrap trucks driving past with squashed cars onboard which all had good side panels!), staring sweaty palmed at the back of the car in front, from about 2 feet away, at over a ton.... I watched that race and thought - they're closer than I ever was, and they're doing almost twice the speed I ever did - how scary must that be!! 
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robmlufc
2,703 posts
55 months
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To be fair F1 cars couldnt even handle one turn on a banked oval...!
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tommy vercetti
3,282 posts
32 months
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I like the fact that the spectators are pretty much next to the cars when they go flying past. Seen that top gear episode when Hammond went to America and drove a Nascar car, much more than driving around in an oval. Love the early history of it too.
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Dr JonboyG
1,972 posts
108 months
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tommy vercetti said: I like the fact that the spectators are pretty much next to the cars when they go flying past. Seen that top gear episode when Hammond went to America and drove a Nascar car, much more than driving around in an oval. Love the early history of it too. Spectators are pretty much next to the cars at Monaco, and Singapore, and Montreal, and Le Mans too.
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lord summerisle
7,722 posts
94 months
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Dr JonboyG said: Dryer trucks are trucks with jet engines on the back that point their exhaust at the tarmac to dry it off so racing can take place again. Do they really not have these at all in the UK? They use them at airports ffs! Nope, we just fit wet weather tyres. (or are racing in a series which require road going tyres)
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Ninjajim76
42 posts
41 months
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Dr JonboyG said: Spectators are pretty much next to the cars at Monaco, and Singapore, and Montreal, and Le Mans too. yeah, but the layout of NASCAR means that you get to see most of the track all of the time.... F1 is nice and fast, and there are corners and braking, but if you want to see the actual race, arguably you should be watching the telly...
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Not Ideal
Original Poster
1,982 posts
57 months
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robmlufc said: To be fair F1 cars couldnt even handle one turn on a banked oval...! I could be wrong but didn't they race on part of the banking at Indianapolis..??
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vonuber
3,891 posts
34 months
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So is Danica Patrick any good? I've had a quick look but al I seem to find are 'she only gets it because of her sponsors/how she looks' or 'she needs to get back in the kitchen'.
She obviously has talent or she wouldn't be doing it, but does she have a chance of winning races/championships etc?
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sleep envy
59,309 posts
118 months
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Not Ideal said: robmlufc said: To be fair F1 cars couldnt even handle one turn on a banked oval...! I could be wrong but didn't they race on part of the banking at Indianapolis..?? I think the point he is making is that there was concern about the tyres making the race distance at race speeds when using a track that has a banked corner slightly missing the point when the cars aren't designed for banked turns
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Dr JonboyG
1,972 posts
108 months
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lord summerisle said: Nope, we just fit wet weather tyres. (or are racing in a series which require road going tyres) Sometimes conditions are too wet even for wet tyres - cf. Petit Le Mans 2009, Fuji 2009 (i think), Montreal 2011.
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Dr JonboyG
1,972 posts
108 months
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Not Ideal said: I could be wrong but didn't they race on part of the banking at Indianapolis..?? Yes, and it's not true to say F1 cars couldn't handle banking. The issue with banked ovals and rain is you get sheets of running water too deep to drive through without aquaplaning. The particular issue at Indy was Williams' rear suspension set up meant the inside sidewall was rubbing against their rear wing endplate.
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angelsguardian
14 posts
19 months
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Ah remembers Rockingham 10 years ago with CART and ASCAR and trying to be American. When it was being done properly the oval was more exciting than you could imagine. Believe me I was sceptical. Unfortunately the owners and the crowds didn't keep up and look at it now.
My favourite bit of Merican 'tech' was the nappies under the CART cars when they were lifted after a crash to keep everything as clean as possible. Working trackside with them remains one of my favourite motorsport memories.
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Kazlet
278 posts
40 months
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robmlufc said: To be fair F1 cars couldnt even handle one turn on a banked oval...! To be fair a Nascar couldnt handle one corner without banking.
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Not Ideal
Original Poster
1,982 posts
57 months
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Kazlet said: robmlufc said: To be fair F1 cars couldnt even handle one turn on a banked oval...! To be fair a Nascar couldnt handle one corner without banking. They race on non-ovals too. Watkins Glen and Road America for example.
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PATTERNPART
375 posts
70 months
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I drove a Petty car at Rockingham a few years ago. Bloomin brilliant fun. I can't remember getting out of the car through the window afterwards. It was a blur. I did 6 laps behind a real live racecar driver from Georgia. They tailor it so you can't get in a mess with gears and brakes you just soon get up to 130mph and hold it constantly all the way round. You think you are close to the wall but 2 metres doesn't look close when you stand and watch other Rookies. Oh and on the pitlane you have to steer right quite hard to go in a straight line!
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