The Man Circuits

[kiteless]

Following on from the Man Car thread in GG, and reading the responses to Lord B's A1 Ring thread, I thought I'd start a Man Circuit thread for those tracks you consider would either require the biggest of cojones to lap quickly, or are not that fast but ultimately would be satisfying to drive.

I could have started a poll for this one, but my choices would - I suspect - omit some of the more obscure yet worthy choices (I don't profess to be an expert).

The only provisos I'll table is that i) it must be a circuit currently used in FIA or FIM motorsport and ii) is not limited to F1 racing. I suppose the best example is that it'll support a GT1 race (thus Cadwell Park wouldn't qualify).

My first offering is based purely on a race I completed on Gran Tursimo 5 earlier: Suzuka.

It's just a magnificent track. Every type of corner: fast (130R) / slow (Hairpin) / tightening corners (Degner 2) / opening corners (Spoon) / long straights and everything else in between apart from decent run-off areas.

So there you go.

MC1: Suzuka

[thunderbelmont]

kiteless said:

Following on from the Man Car thread in GG, and reading the responses to Lord B's A1 Ring thread, I thought I'd start a Man Circuit thread for those tracks you consider would either require the biggest of cojones to lap quickly, or are not that fast but ultimately would be satisfying to drive.

I could have started a poll for this one, but my choices would - I suspect - omit some of the more obscure yet worthy choices (I don't profess to be an expert).

The only provisos I'll table is that i) it must be a circuit currently used in FIA or FIM motorsport and ii) is not limited to F1 racing. I suppose the best example is that it'll support a GT1 race (thus Cadwell Park wouldn't qualify).

My first offering is based purely on a race I completed on Gran Tursimo 5 earlier: Suzuka.

It's just a magnificent track. Every type of corner: fast (130R) / slow (Hairpin) / tightening corners (Degner 2) / opening corners (Spoon) / long straights and everything else in between apart from decent run-off areas.

So there you go.

MC1: Suzuka

Sorry, Cadwell Park has to be in there. Suzuka is a fast flowing circuit with some big knackers corners, but it's wide, has a fair bit of run-off, and says "go on big boy, open up your throttle and let it go". Where Cadwell Park has "I'm gonna f*kk*n' bite yo ass" written all over those barriers.

I remember a very well to do gentleman racer once saying - Cadwell Park, oh yes, not a boys circuit. No, not a boys circuit.

I'm not going to include the Green Hell because I have yet to sample it's pleasures.

I will add Lydden Hill. Some will laugh, but to go fast around Lydden, in a proper fast car, you have to be smooth, you have to be precise, and you have to be fit - there is no rest - because it's only one mile long, it's a continuous effort. No nice long straights to roll your next ciggy, or send a text to your mate. People who don't like Lydden Hill are generally people who don't go well there, they prefer circuits like Santa Pod!

The old Castle Combe, with all of it's bumps, but no neutering chicanes, where you took Old Paddock totally flat with the inside front wheel just inside the kerb on the grass and held on!!!

Thruxton is a big proper powerful racing saloon (Thundersaloon) - fast, furious, and on the edge of oversteer most of the way around! Church..... oh yes.....

[Sam the Mut]

Goodwood

[Life Saab Itch]

Bloody hell, some people struggle to read.

Circuite San Luis.

The one around the edge of a defunct volcano in Argentina.

Road America.

A superb track with virtually every type of corner.


2 that should be included but are outside the rules ;

Talladega
Bathurst

[dudleybloke]

spa.

[GravelBen]

Life Saab Itch said:

2 that should be included but are outside the rules ;

Talladega
Bathurst

Mt Panorama should be included for sure! They run Aus GT3 there as well as V8 supertaxis so I'd think its well up to the standards the OP had in mind.

[mrmr96]

Nordschleife?

Seems like the Ultimate Man Circuit. (They do do racing there still, they did a Porsche race of some kind last month).

[Pwig]

Surely the mountain course on the isle of man is the ultimate?

[Use Psychology]

f1 karting in crawley.

[Scuffers]

GravelBen said:

Life Saab Itch said:

2 that should be included but are outside the rules ;

Talladega
Bathurst

Mt Panorama should be included for sure! They run Aus GT3 there as well as V8 supertaxis so I'd think its well up to the standards the OP had in mind.

Done Bathurst, definitely up there, make a mistake and it's going to hurt - a lot....drive like a girl, and your nowhere

Oulton is up there for UK ccts.

Spa used to be, but it';s been fubared these days...

[y2blade]

Pwig said:

Surely the mountain course on the isle of man is the ultimate?

[danposs86]

Scuffers said:

Done Bathurst, definitely up there, make a mistake and it's going to hurt - a lot....drive like a girl, and your nowhere

I have driven around Bathurst (granted it was as an open road and under the speed limit), but the rises and drops and complete lack of run off make it an exciting place.

[anonymous-user]

Well if you cant include bathurst and cadwell, then apart from the TT course, and maybe that new one in argentina, they are all fairly normal these days.

[Forbes82]

Oulton Park Pre-Chicanes.

[kiteless]

thunderbelmont said:

Suzuka is a fast flowing circuit with some big knackers corners, but it's wide, has a fair bit of run-off

Daijiro Katoh's widow may disagree with that

[KaraK]

The 'Ring certainly requires alot of MTFU (or WTFU, I'm not sexist) pills to drive it quickly, having driven both though I'd say the TT course requires even more.

[Coxyjunior]

You certainly get a tingle in that region when you get it right at Thruxton, does that count?

[FWDRacer]

Forbes82 said:

Oulton Park Pre-Chicanes.

I'd argue Post Chicanes too. Damp patches under the trees at off camber Druids when the circuit is basically dry?

I'd add Castle Combe both pre and post Chicanes. Cojones central that place.

[Life Saab Itch]

Forbes82 said:

Oulton Park Pre-Chicanes.

There's man circuits and then there are downright dangerous circuits.

Oulton - Pre-chicanes
Silverstone - 1973 spec
Nordschliefe - 1967 spec
Spa - 1970 spec
Clerrmont Ferrand - 1970 spec
Monza - pre-chicanes



All wonderful circuits, but downright dangerous, rather than a man circuit.

[freedman]

Life Saab Itch said:

There's man circuits and then there are downright dangerous circuits.

Oulton - Pre-chicanes
Silverstone - 1973 spec
Nordschliefe - 1967 spec
Spa - 1970 spec
Clerrmont Ferrand - 1970 spec
Monza - pre-chicanes



All wonderful circuits, but downright dangerous, rather than a man circuit.

Silverstone 73 dangerous?