Why don't they run tracks in reverse?

[E36GUY]

Just a thought. Why are tracks always the same way every time? Why are they never run in reverse? Seems like it would be a bit of fun and an added challenge. Run a circuit one way in the morning and in reverse in the afternoon. Why not.

Imagine the Nordschliefe in reverse

But why not?!

[telford_mike]

Pit entry/exit would be a bit of a laugh at some circuits ...

[E36GUY]

telford_mike said:

Pit entry/exit would be a bit of a laugh at some circuits ...

Agreed. But doable presumably?

[Raify]

Because the safety features (gravel traps etc) are designed to catch cars going in one direction?

[Raify]

Look at Brands and in particular Paddock Hill.

Imagine coming round that right to left and understeering into that wall behind the shops....

[HiRich]

Brands of course started out as an anti-clockwise circuit. always a good one for those trick question photos.

[xr287]

Mostly because gravel traps, tyre walls and marshalls access points are all set up to safely catch cars going in one direction.

You would have to add run off to some corners and build new barriers etc to make it safe to run most circuits the other way round.

Knockhill used to have a licence to run both ways about 10 years ago. Don't think it was ever raced but they ran quite a few reverse trackdays

[spyder dryver]

The red and white raised kerbs would likely be in the wrong places too.
However I can remember Mallory being run in reverse when they ran Eurocars.

[Size Nine Elm]

Kaimes sprint circuit is run in both directions... but its not exactly got a huge amount of gravel trap in either direction.

[fergus]

E36GUY said:

Just a thought. Why are tracks always the same way every time? Why are they never run in reverse? Seems like it would be a bit of fun and an added challenge. Run a circuit one way in the morning and in reverse in the afternoon. Why not.

Imagine the Nordschliefe in reverse

But why not?!

I've got a german DVD of Walter Rohrl driving an old 1971 911R in an oldtimer rally on a very wet NS backwards (i.e. anticlockwise, rather than Russ Swift style ). Makes very interesting viewing, especially the way Walter is on 100% attack mode . I think he thought he was in his old Gr. B S2 evo sport quattro!

[GreigM]

spyder dryver said:

The red and white raised kerbs would likely be in the wrong places too.
However I can remember Mallory being run in reverse when they ran Eurocars.

I believe a lot of kerbs have an "on" and "off" side also, meaning one is higher than the other....which disturbs things!

[sonny.j.h]

There is a driver training package in Germany where you drive the Northern Loop anti-clockwise as part of the training. I have not done this, but the guy who did, said it was really good and worth while.

Cant remember the name of the company

[Dog Star]

Cadwell Park would be, er, "interesting"

[tvrolet]

xr287 said:

Knockhill used to have a licence to run both ways about 10 years ago. Don't think it was ever raced but they ran quite a few reverse trackdays

Not sure about cars, but it was definitely raced in reverse for bikes.

I remember it well since my next-door neighbour of the time (maybe 25 years ago now) was killed coming out the pits on a reverse day pre-race practice; t-boned by a faster bike coming 'down' the main straight. I think that was the last reverse bike race they ran as the pit exit [entrance on normal days] was pretty dangerous in reverse.

IIRC it was far closer to the pits then, almost in line with the back of the grid, and without a raised marshall post anyone controlling entry to the track at the entrance [exit] couldn't see any oncoming traffic until they popped up over the blind crest. I'm not even sure if entry was controlled, but basically from the point a rider on-track could see joining traffic having crested the rise, or folks joining the circuit could see an oncoming bike over the rise it was maybe only a few hundred yards. Remember too that the pit wall now has a rasied 'step' (hey, it wasn't even a wall then!) so the crest on the straight looks far less 'blind'.

It would actually be a lot safer now with the entrance [or reverse exit] way down the straight and the raised marshalling post which has full visibility of the straight, but then we're back to gravel traps/tyres walls in the wrong place.

[MartinM]

Llandow apparently has a licence to run in reverse.

[majordad]

They ran Mondello Park here in Ireland ( no backward paddy jokes please ) between 2002-2005. Do'nt know they stopped doing so but they have. There is at least one corner where you were facing a solid barrier with no run off like a previous poster mentioned at Paddock at Brands. It was a good idea though, as my car is LHD I was now sat on the better side and all the rest were on the wrong side.

[wtdoom]

There is a race at the nordschleife that goes backwards . Can't remember the name .

[Mansell90]

MartinM said:

Llandow apparently has a licence to run in reverse.

They should try a trackday like that, im trying to imagine what it would be like.... probably rubbish actually thinking about it haha.... d'oh think i just answered/contradicted my own question!