Road America has long been a track I think of as a Grand Prix-style course. Based in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA; this 14-turn, 4.048-mile (6.515-kilometer) race course has hosted racing since its opening in 1955. High speeds and technical corners make it an exceptional challenge. Road America is one of the longest race tracks in America. Today, it is second-longest only to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, USA. This blog post is another in my "Race Tracks" series of posts regarding race tracks. Welcome to my post regarding the Midwestern racing challenge known as Road America.
--- Road America ---
Here is a look at Road America:
^ from: bleacherreport.net - Road America is a very long course with several technical corners.
The Badger State's most difficult challenge lies in Road America. It hosts a variety of racing events ranging from cars to motorcycles. One of the premier events held at Road America include the Road America 500 run by the American Le Mans Series. There used to be races held on the roads of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA prior to races being held at Road America. It also has played host to various motorcycle races as well as even being host to the SCCA Runoffs. I personally feel this track would be a great Grand Prix-style course. If Road America were to be upgraded to maybe host Formula 1 or FIA GT or something (fancy garages connected to pit road and fancy grandstands), it would very much be a fabulous facility to host international-level racing. It already is a lovely place for racing as it is. Maybe the most memorable moment to me watching races at Road America on TV was in 2001 with Trans-Am. As many as 12 cars slid off the race track as heavy rain was pouring from the skies late! The race was later red flagged and called official. Sadly, Road America is also infamously known as the place where Katherine Legge suffered a serious crash in a Champ Car race. For all of you gamers, its challenge can be experienced virtually in a number of games. Among others: IndyCar Racing 2, ToCA Race Driver 2, the Forza Motorsport series, the Shift games, and other different racing games.
Talking Points of Road America.
I've played Road America in a number of games. The first three odd-number corners (Turns 1, 3, and 5) are all very tricky, especially Turn 5. You gain so much speed between Turn 3 and Turn 5, even through the kink at Turn 4. It can be very easy to overshoot Turn 5 and end up having to recover seriously. The most critical corners to me are Turns 1, 5, 8, 12 (Canada Corner), and Turn 14.
Between Turns 10 and 11 is a kink for motorcycle racing events.
Video Lap.
What does four miles of racing look like? This video will give you a nice indication of Road America and the challenge it provides:
(Lap record is as current as this post's initial date) The all-time lap record around Road America was set by Dario Franchitti in 2000. He took his (then) CART Champ Car to run a 1:39.866 around Road America. The fastest a motorcycle has gone around Road America (or one of them) was 2:11.913, set by Josh Hayes in 2011. To see more lap times and get more info on Road America, check out Road America's page on Trackpedia.
There's your look at Road America. To learn more about this fine racing facility, please visit www.roadamerica.com. Thank you for reading! You take care and have a great day/night.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife (North Loop) is the most torturous stretch of tarmac that can be raced on. Despite it being 12+ miles of automotive Heaven, it is affectionately named Green Hell. It is the ultimate test for many of the world's best auto makers and sports cars. It doesn't matter how fast, powerful, exotic, or feature-packed your car is- is it capable enough to take on the greatest challenge for almost any car and car company looking to prove itself on a world stage? Can it tame the many corners of the Nürburgring Nordschleife? Can it lay down a worthy-enough lap time that other auto makers want to try harder to post the fastest-possible time around this monster of a track? For all intents and purposes, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is the single biggest test of acumen and endurance for any auto maker and any car trying to become the best in the world, or even to be among the best in the world. Even if you aren't trying to conquer the 'Ring, you can still drive on these roads daily if you live in the area. This blog post takes a look at this course from my own perspective.
This blog post is one in a series regarding the Nürburgring and its tracks. The one you are reading here concerns only the Nordschleife.
--- Nürburgring Nordschleife ---
All 12+ miles of the Nürburgring Nordschleife can be found here:
^ from: www.xinu.nl (best I could find) - Can you tame the 12.9-mile (20.8-kilometer) Nürburgring Nordschleife and its 157 corners? If so, find yourself a car and prove it!
With hundreds of corners and 12 miles of narrow and unforgiving roads, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is a torture test well-revered by many racing fans. It is a very old track which history dates back to the 1920s. It was started in about 1925 and completed in 1927. Think of the Nürburgring Nordschleife as the massive (not big!) sibling of the Nürburgring Grand Prix course. The current Grand Prix course wouldn't see the light of day until 1984. And since 1984, both the Nordschleife and the Grand Prix course have been used together to form one of the world's longest motor racing circuits with a 170-turn, 16.12-mile (25.94-kilometer) course. Since the 1920s, the track many call "Green Hell" has tested the limits of car and driver alike. It has long been home to Formula One racing. Even I become stupefied as to how F1 racers back then were able to compete and consistently compete on this massive and narrow track. But... they did it. Today's Nürburgring Nordschleife remains a serious proving ground for some of the world's finest cars.
I deeply apologize if what I'm about to say isn't popular... but I loathe racing stupidly-long tracks (besides Circuit de la Sarthe). Every game I've played this track in, I've been terrible at racing it. You have many corners on a very long and narrow course. I cringe knowing I have to be forced to race this track, especially with some of the fastest racing cars. You name the game that this track has been included, and I've failed doing consistent laps and racing it as best as possible- Gran Turismo 4. Gran Turismo 5. Tourist Trophy (which is not offered as a race venue). Enthusia. rFactor. Shift 2 Unleashed. I don't even see how most people can even accurately and precisely clock great lap times around a track like this. My concentration and patience run VERY thin trying to master a 12-mile race course. One mistake ruins everything, and this course has MANY opportunities to do just that. How do most people even properly can keep up with and remember how to attack a track that is 12+ miles in length? I don't usually watch one-lap videos of people taking their cars around this track. Again- I am sorry if this isn't popular for me to say this, but I hate racing this track in games.
Having said all of this though, I greatly respect this course. I greatly appreciate the racers who take on this course and all of its corners. It is not easy at all to go on these long laps while being able to properly attack every last corner and section with precision. One thing I will say as a gamer is that Nürburgring Nordschleife has much more exciting views in Gran Turismo 4 than Circuit de la Sarthe in GT4 (which I was disappointed with in camera views). I think this is a course that makes you appreciate that you don't need a super-fast car for every race track in the world to dominate it. This would be a nightmare to tune for (for example) today's F1 cars. This track is about 2.5 times longer than the 4.352-mile long Spa-Francorchamps.
Breaking Down Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Breaking down this track can be done in quadrants because of its size. If you've read my blog posts on John's Gran Turismo Space where you do one lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in GT4, I've mentioned the track in quadrants. Here is one lap by quadrant:
• QUADRANT 1: (Start/Finish line) to Aremburg (westernmost corner) • QUADRANT 2: Aremburg to Bergwerk (northernmost corner) • QUADRANT 3: Bergwerk to Kleine-Karussell • QUADRANT 4: Kleine-Karussell to (Start/Finish line)
I think the most fun part of the track is Flugplatz, where some of the fastest cars make a jump into the air after going over the crest at Flugplatz. Trying to stay off the grass and keep the car within the white lines is a massive challenge. This is a place where fearlessly pushing you and your car to the limit are met with the uncontrollable urge to go fast. Doing so on narrow roads, however, is tremendously difficult. You also have to properly gauge your distance on the track to know how to go around without sliding off course or stuffing the car into a wall. The part of the track that gives me the most frustration are all the corners between Mutkurve and Pflanzgarten III. This makes up the northeastern end of the course, which feels more like a rally course. What's the easiest part of the track? That's simple- the super-long backstretch after Gaigenkopf. It's just straight road including a look of Nürburg Castle to your right in the distance. All that remains there is a proper set of corners designed to slow your car incredibly down by small increments. After you clear the final corner, it's back onto the Start/Finish straight to do another lap of this massive course. Or if you're doing the 24-hour course, back onto the Grand Prix circuit to start another lap from the GP course.
How do you master an extremely long course with many corners? The most important advice I'd suggest is- take your time and learn the course as you go. You are going to have to log lots of laps to actually examine what it is you have to do in order to master (or at least have a general understanding) of this course. You especially have to learn this course if you're going to play this in a game, especially if you're going to race this course at least once.
Video Lap.
Because I'm faced with the responsibility of providing the best content for a popular topic, it becomes a task in itself to find a video to best compliment what I am discussing. So I had to think hard about finding the best possible video to use in describing this course. Here is the best video I have selected in showing one lap around this course. This video is currently (as of March 12, 2012) the fastest time for a street-legal car around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. There are instances where the camera view gets choppy in trying to keep up with everything. Even still, this is a blindingly fast time.
WARNING- You may need to turn down the volume as you watch this video. If you can't see the video, you may visit the YouTube link I've supplemented to see this video on your own.
No one track is more fiercely-contested for lap times than the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Many of the world's top manufacturers try their hand at making the best lap time around Green Hell. There are many cars that have raced here, both production and competition. A lap around the Nordschleife in most of the fastest cars take about 6:40.000 to clear. Many cars usually average in the range of 7:20.000 to 7:40.000 around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
This is the all-time fastest time around the Nürburgring Nordschleife as of the date of this initial post (March 12, 2012):
• 6:11.13 - Stefan Bellof in a Porsche 956 (1983)
There are MANY more lap times that have been laid down at this track. So if you want to get an idea of more Nürburgring Nordschleife lap times, here are some sites you can visit:
I could go on and on about lap times, but I'll leave it up to you to learn more about lap times on this massive course. And remember that these times only pertain to the Nordschleife and not the combined course.
Maybe I'm not going to be popular for ripping this track, but who said I was supposed to make statements people agree with? Everything is all based on my own opinion. I have said that I hate racing this course in games, but I respect the drivers who take on all 12+ miles of this course, because I could never memorize or adapt to a very long track with narrow roads and many corners.
The Potrero de los Funes circuit in Argentina was created in 1987 and rebuilt in 2008. It is a 3.896-mile (6.27-km) course built around Lago Potrero de los Funes within an extinct volcano. It is a semi-permanent course that boasts 23 corners and offers some spectacular views from TV replays. The moment I saw FIA GT1 highlights from around this course, I instantly loved just how beautiful this track is. I honestly think this is a track Formula 1 should be racing. After all, F1 is thinking of returning to Argentina with a supposed venue to be planned in or near Buenos Aires. However, this track within distance of San Luis, Argentina is a track of great character and charm. This track is only a few miles/kilometers shorter than Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. This blog post is a look at the recently-rebuilt Potrero de los Funes Circuit.
--- Potrero de los Funes Circuit ---
Here is a look at Circuito de Potrero de los Funes:
^ from: www.automobilsport.com (best I could find) - Built around Lago Potrero de los Funes, this course boasts a configuration sure to make almost any F1 driver can dream racing around.
It was said that this track once held a Turismo Carretera race in 1987, and it was no longer raced because two spectators were killed during that race in 1987. The track was rebuilt and hosted racing again in 2008. TC2000, Turismo Carretera, FIA GT, and the FIA GT1 World Championship racing both have raced here before. This track is in a beautiful setting. Some people have likened this track to Argentina like Monte Carlo to Monaco. The roads are wide with various elevation changes and challenging corners. This track is more like the combination of a proper race track and a temporary course. It is a great-looking circuit that would be great for almost any kind of racing. Formula 1 would be great around here for an Argentinian Grand Prix. Strides would have to made to make this track just a bit more appealing to the likes of F1 to make a race there happen. Besides- can you imagine today's F1 cars running hot laps around this track? Heck, even Roush-Fenway Racing's NASCAR team took some exhibition laps around this track with some of their machines!
This course has a lot of corners that would greatly challenge the Grand Prix-type racer. I honestly think that when you challenge a course like this, you are racing a classic Formula 1-type race track. It has a variety of corners that will test you. Turns 3 and 4 are pretty sharp. It is around Turn 5 when you begin to view the lake itself (or at least be around it). After going uphill to Turn 9, you start to really see Lago Potrero de los Funes come into the horizon. The most decisive section is the complex of turns from Turn 15 to Turn 19. This is a track where you really need to think ahead in attacking each corner.
Here is a video lap of this fantastic course. This video was done in a NASCAR stock car and was uploaded in 2009:
How do you like it?
Lap Record.
The lap record here was set by Marcel Fassler in a Corvette C6.R in 2008. His time was 2:13.236 around this course.
Could F1 Race at Potrero de los Funes Someday?
There is a rumor going about that Formula 1 wants to return to Argentina. F1 previously raced around el Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez. I've read/heard that a track is to be built in the Buenos Aires area. However, I would really love to see Potrero de los Funes Circuit be used for F1 racing. This track just seems to have so much more character than most modern F1 courses. Why not race this course? I mean... it's a long-enough track, it has intense corners... this is an F1 Grand Prix track! Only that F1 has never raced at this track. Unless someone thinks this track isn't good enough to run a modern F1 race in Argentina, this track should definitely be used for Formula 1 racing.
From what I have read, Potrero de los Funes is an FIA B-Grade circuit. It means that almost any series can race there, except F1. A lot would have to be done to fully enhance this course to one A-Grade course. Maybe since this track is far from Buenos Aires, you don't really have that sort of attractive factor of being within distance of a major city. This track and this location (from what I've read) is being aggressively marketed so that Formula 1 could race this track). I'm sorry, people- this track has modern F1 written all over it. I couldn't care less about anything super-exotic or anything like that... this track would be great for Formula 1 racing. It has the character and charm of a classic F1 track. Or is today's F1 too good to be raced on a track like Potrero de los Funes? Even this track's long length is more than sufficient for a modern F1 race. F1 Argentinian Grand Prix at Potrero de los Funes... MAKE THIS HAPPEN, FORMULA ONE!!!
This track has a website, but every time I pull it up, I get nothing. If you want to see pictures of this course, here are some links you can check out:
The United Arab Emirates is home to two world-class racing circuits. The most recent of which is the futuristic Yas Marina Circuit. This is a modern racing facility with an air of Monte Carlo with its marina. It also has a drag strip incorporated in its design. Part of this drag strip is to try to provide an outreach for the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) to extend NHRA drag racing into the Middle East. This Middle Eastern collaboration was made complete with the Al-Anabi Racing team collaborating with Don Schumacher Racing. Besides F1, other series have raced at this course like the Australian V8 Supercar Series, and the Australian V8 Supercar Series races on a shorter configuration for their Desert 400 race. Races are usually run at night at this course (perhaps not to bear racing in the brutal Middle Eastern heat). No worries- this track has VERY sufficient lighting to light up the track at night. The track mostly has lots of lighting and palm trees. No matter how you look at it, this is one racing facility that will blow your mind with its futuristic appeal.
This blog post is my post about the Yas Marina Circuit. A special hello to all of my readers from the United Arab Emirates who may be reading this post. I hope my post will be to your liking. After my post on the Bahrain International Circuit, I incorporated another label...
The "Middle East" label pertains to topics regarding or related to the Middle East. It is a way that I think I can get some more Middle East readers to John's Blog Space. Hello to all of my Middle Eastern readers and visitors to John's Blog Space.
--- Yas Marina Circuit ---
Here is a look at this circuit's two layouts:
^ from: http://f1singaporegp.wordpress.com - While not the first modern motor racing facility in the Middle East, Yas Marina Circuit is surely the most spectacular facility in the Middle East, even besting the Dubai Autodrome.
^ from: this article on www.speedcafe.com.au (best I could find) - This modified configuration of Yas Marina Circuit features a Corkscrew configuration and is usually raced on by the Australian V8 Supercar Series.
Over twenty corners and 3.451 miles (or 5.554 kilometers) define this course. It can be found on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is a very expensive facility with Ferrari World Abu Dhabi as part of the facility as well as a golf course and many other high-end recreational facilities. The area between Turns 7 and 8 make up the drag strip area of this course. After Turn 13 and before Turn 19, this complex of corners features the marina area of this course, where some boats and yachts are docked. This track was basically designed to give a Monte Carlo feel to the United Arab Emirates. Many people will immediately discredit this course as just another "Tilke-drome." It would easily be discredited as another modern racing facility with no character or personality unlike more popular or more intense Grand Prix courses. The Australian V8 Supercar Series races a 19-turn, 2.92-mile (or 4.7 kilometer) configuration for when they do the Desert 400 around Bahrain. This shorter configuration breaks off just after Turn 3 and uses about two-thirds of the long backstretch. At night, the track is definitely eye-catching with its lights around the whole course. It may not be the Marina Bay Street Course in Singapore, but it is certainly eye candy.
Just looking at the configuration, Turns 7, 8, and the entire complex between Turns 14 and 20 are the most complex. One of the biggest complaints about this course is the tunnel when exiting pit lane. Some have complained that there aren't as many high-speed corners at this track to make racing interesting. It does have a nice flow early on before the left-right complex that leads to the hairpin at Turn 7. The flow of the course almost seems like a temporary street course. And when you consider the marina section of the course, you begin to feel a bit more like you're on a street circuit rather than on a permanent course. There is not too much runoff road or off-road areas around most parts of the track, so a vicious crash or a pileup of cars can be pretty messy around a track like Yas Marina Circuit.
Video Lap.
This is the best video I could find and use in showing you the track as it is. It was taken from 2010. Watch this full speed video at night around the lovely Yas Marina Circuit's Grand Prix layout:
Lap Records.
Both are records as of (November 4, 2011): Sebastien Vettel holds the lap record around the Grand Prix configuration with a lap time of 1:40.279 from his Red Bull car. The V8 Supercar configuration lap record was set by Charles Pic in GP2 Asia, with a lap time of 1:37.656.
That concludes this blog post. You can visit yasmarinacircuit.com to learn more about this racing facility. This track even has its own YouTube channel. To see videos from this track's YouTube channel, check out YasMarinaCircuit on YouTube. Thank you for reading!
The Kingdom of Bahrain joined the map of international motorsport when the magnificent Bahrain International Circuit (also known as the Sakhir Circuit) opened in 2004. This small island nation northwest of Qatar is home to one of the finest race tracks in the Middle East. It can be found in the city of Sakhir, Bahrain; which is 12 miles (or 19.31 kilometers) south-southwest from Bahrain's capital city of Manama. It has a variety of configurations ranging from the Grand Prix layout to the interior and exterior tracks. The Endurance layout of Bahrain extended the track from 3.36 miles (5.407 kilometers) to 3.91 miles (or approx. 6.3 kilometers), and extending the number of corners from 15 to 24. This Endurance configuration was used by Formula 1 for 2010. Newer F1 rules and the lengthened track resulted in a race so disliked that rather than call it the "Grand Prix of Bahrain," it was called the "Grand Prix of Boring." There was no 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix because of civil unrest in Bahrain at the time. Assuring Bahrain would have its Grand Prix for 2011, it was ultimately canceled. Bahrain will be the place to kick off the 2012 F1 season. Bahrain and the Bahrain International Circuit are the first to host modern F1 races in the Middle East. Prior to this, there was once a Formula 2(?) exhibition race in Israel in the 1970s.
This blog post is about the Bahrain International Circuit and will be the first of a brief series of two different Race Track posts regarding Middle East tracks. If you are from Bahrain and you're reading this, I send you a special salute and special thanks for visiting John's Blog Space!
--- Bahrain International Circuit ---
Let's take a look at the Bahrain International Circuit:
^ from: brakebanzeen.wordpress.com (best I could find) - The Grand Prix circuit of Bahrain International Circuit is 3.36 miles (5.407 kilometers) long.
^ from: en.espnf1.com (best I could find) - Bahrain's Endurance layout adds ten more corners after Turn 4 of the Grand Prix course and rejoins at Turn 5 of the Grand Prix course. The total length of this layout equates to a 3.914-mile (6.299-kilometer) layout.
The Bahrain International Circuit was constructed by Hermann Tilke. Ground broke at the track in 2002 and was open for business two years later. This course features a number of different layouts. Its unveiling would help to bring some more circuit motor racing to the Middle East. The primary Grand Prix circuit is 3.36 miles (5.407 kilometers) with some sixteen or so corners. Besides the GP circuit layout, there are about four other layouts:
• The Endurance layout of Bahrain starts at Turn 4 of the Grand Prix circuit and includes ten extra corners leading back onto Turn 5 of the Grand Prix course (Turn 14 of the Endurance course). This was the configuration Formula One raced on in 2010 to lukewarm reception with the new rules that disallowed refueling pit stops.
• From Turn 4 of the Grand Prix course to Turn 14 of the Grand Prix course, four more corners are added to make up the exterior course. The length of this exterior Bahrain course is an estimated 2.20 miles (3.53 kilometers) in length.
• Turns 5 through 13 of the Grand Prix course make up most of the short interior course of Bahrain.
• Finally, this course has a six-turn clockwise oval configuration that is about 1.25 miles (or about 2.01 kilometers) in length.
So when it comes to racing at Bahrain International Circuit, it is very adaptable for many kinds of racing.
In a way, Bahrain has a flow kind of like the Shanghai International Circuit, except that it doesn't have as many offbeat corners like Shanghai has. Turns 1, 4, and 10 of the original layout are the trickiest to me. It is easy to deceive Turns 14 and 15, which seems like a sharp right that is accompanied by a kink. That section is nowhere near as deceptive as... say, the final chicane at Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve. It has a very good balance of top speed with decisive corners.
Video Lap.
This is a video lap around Bahrain from 2006:
Lap Records.
(record as of the initial blog post (November 4, 2011)) The lap record around the Grand Prix circuit was set by Michael Schumacher in 2004 with a time of 1:30.252. He was racing his Scuderia Ferrari to set this lap time. The lap record around the Bahrain Endurance layout was set by another Ferrari. This time, by Fernando Alonso in 2010 with a lap time of 1:58.287.
That's the end of this one. Learn more about the Bahrain International Circuit by visiting www.bahraingp.com.bh. Thank you for reading!
India will get to enjoy the experience of Formula 1 racing at the new Buddh International Circuit (formerly the Jaypee Group Circuit). While it is not the first motor racing track in India, it is certainly a modern facility worthy enough to host a modern F1 race. There have been racing talent to grace motorsport from India. The one that comes out to me right away is former F1 racer Narain Karthikeyan. If you're a fan of the Force India F1 race team, you know that Force India would have SERIOUS home field advantage when the first Indian Grand Prix kicks off proper. Prior to releasing this post, I forgot to mention Karun Chandhok as far as Indian racing talent is concerned.
This blog post is my own unique look at India's brand-new racing facility. Any long-time reader of my blog and my "Race Tracks" posts know that I offer video laps and lap record information. Since this track is brand-new, I will have to update it in the future with new content.
I have launched this blog label to discuss topics and issues regarding South Asia. I hope this will be a way to get more readers in places like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and places like that. I usually get a lot of readers mostly from India, but I hope this will improve that.
LATEST UPDATE(S):
OCT 31 2011 - added more information regarding the (recently completed) Indian Grand Prix; added extra sections
--- Buddh International Circuit ---
This is a look at the new circuit in India: ^ from: www.ausmotive.com - The Buddh International Circuit is told to produce some of the fastest average top speeds in today's Formula 1 racing.
Located in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India (around Delhi, India and not far from Agra, India); Buddh International Circuit is 5.14 km (about 3.19 miles) in length. The track boasts some 16 corners around this nearly 3.2-mile course. This course features a great deal of elevation changes to make the racing exciting. It is also designed to be a very safe facility. We'll have to see how safe this course can really be when races are finally run at this facility.
(NOTE: This lap description is based on an analytical view of how I think laps will play out.) Turns 1 through 3 tend to remind me of the modern Hockenheim. Racing machines will surely scream down the long backstretch before having to slow them all the way down for Turn 4. I can easily see Turn 4 as a good passing zone, but you'll need to be pretty clever in making your passes. Turns 5 through 9 can easily unnerve both the racing machine and the racer alike with an ill-prepared machine. Turns 5 through 9 can be as unnerving as some of the many corners of Shanghai International Circuit. I kind of like the balance with the decreasing-radius Turn 10 and Turn 11 complex going into Turns 12 through 15. If anything, the sharpness of Turn 16 reminds me a good deal of either the final corner at Shanghai International Circuit or the final corner of Sepang International Circuit. I could see Formula 1 allowing the DRS feature either on the front stretch or (especially) the backstretch the straight between Turn 3 and Turn 4.
If anything... Asia, let alone India, will have one amazing race track to see some great racing happen. It should be a very good track to compete on whether it's cars or motorcycles. It will be the finest race track in India to compliment other tracks in India like Coimbatore, Irungattukottai, and Kari Motor Speedway.
Video Preview.
This video provides a preview of this course. Have a look:
Excited? (ADDED: October 31, 2011) Let me give you lap time ideas here. Sebastien Vettel clocked a lap of 1:24.178. This was good enough to put Vettel in pole position for the inaugural F1 Grand Prix of India. During the race, Vettel had a lap time in the 1:27.700 range. So you know how fast these cars can go around this 3.1-mile race track in India. Or at least, F1 cars.
A Brief Report.
Sebastien Vettel won the F1 Indian Grand Prix and basically dominated the weekend. Rounding out the podium were 2nd place Jenson Button and 3rd place Fernando Alonso. Michael Schumacher finished 5th. In case you're wondering about Force India, both Force India cars finished one lap down. Adrian Sutil finished 9th while Paul di Resta finished 13th. India's own Narain Karthikeyan finished three laps down in 17th racing for Hispania Racing.
--- Thoughts on the Buddh International Circuit ---
I finally had a chance to see a lap around this track as well as watch a little racing around this course. This course has a very nice layout. It doesn't start getting interesting until after Turn 4. Turns 5 through 10 will unnerve the best drivers and cars. It is a great-looking course. Maybe not futuristic like the Yas Marina Circuit, but it is a great-looking track. Action should be insane for whatever series race on this track.
India has other racing facilities, but this new Buddh International Circuit is no doubt the new crown jewel of motorsport in India. It is a well-designed circuit that I think will be a great challenge to many forms of motorsport. I am not sure of any other series that raced at the course leading up to the F1 Grand Prix of India, but I'm sure various touring car series, perhaps motorcycle series, and maybe even GT/sportscar racing has or will grace this track in the future. It's great to see more motorsport and motorsport facilities in mainland Asia.
The first-ever Indian Grand Prix was hailed as a success by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Drivers noted that they loved the course. Next year's race could improve upon what this year's race brought. I can only hope this track becomes as much a formidable challenge as any other on the F1 calendar. I also hope other racing series that challenge this track will enjoy this track and its challenge as well.
In an effort to try to expand my content to more places worldwide, I value the support of all of my loyal audience. I am actually trying to come up with more posts to appeal to my audience in India audience as well as across South Asia. So bear with me as I try to come up with some more posts I hope you all will enjoy. Thank you for visiting John's Blog Space!
To learn more about this racing facility, please visit Buddh International Circuit's official website. The first-ever F1 Indian Grand Prix will be run on October 30, 2011. That will be consistent with how the later stages of the F1 season features some of the high-speed courses like Monza. Good luck to all of the teams competing in the first-ever Indian Grand Prix. What do you think about this course and what this track will have to offer for all racing that takes place here? Thank you for reading!
The compact circuit north of Tokyo in Ibaraki Prefecture is the Tsukuba Circuit. It has just 1.286 miles of tarmac and has been in existence since 1966 and first raced on in 1970. Its compact depths make it challenging for cars and bikes. The challenge to gain as much speed through such compact space. It has been featured in many video games including the Forza Motorsport series, Gran Turismo Series, Enthusia Professional Racing, D1 Grand Prix, and other games. This race track in Shimotsuma, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan may be the most challenging short race track in the world.
Here is a look at Tsukuba: ^ from: greasyblocks.com, by way of photobucket.com - Tsukuba Circuit and its almost 1.3-mile layout.
With all due respect, Tsukuba Circuit proves that you don't have to be some 12+ mile course to be an ultimate proving ground. Tsukuba is an intense proving ground despite its 1.287-mile length.
All of Tsukuba is really tough. The very first corner is absolutely one you must get right because it can set the tone for the rest of the lap. The two hairpins are both intense. The sharp corner leading to the Dunlop Bridge. is pretty sharp as well. Make sure to keep your racing machine stable after passing the Dunlop Bridge leading to the much sharper second hairpin. The outer portions of the track are high speed. That high speed, however, requires some braking on the very long final corner. Very fast cars can clear this course easily in less than a minute.
The motorcycle variation is a chicane that comes up as you cross under the Dunlop Bridge. That configuration extends the 1.271-mile length to 1.287 miles (2.070 km). This chicane is about as sharp as almost as blind as the chicane after the high-speed backstretch at Fuji Speedway (since its 2005 renovation).
Video Preview.
Here is a video lap around Tsukuba:
If you're a drifting fan, check out this demo from Team Orange at Tsukuba:
Lap Records.
The current record of 51.875 was set by Keiichi Tsuchiya. The drifting god did this racing the ARTA Mugen-Dome NSX around Tsukuba. Tsukuba is very famous for its time attack sessions where many racers try to post the fastest lap around this short race track.
The city-state of Monaco is home to the most prestigious street course that has hosted the Grand Prix de Monaco since 1929. It is the shortest track on the F1 calendar at 2.075 miles in length. The track itself is a punishing grind on narrow city streets with many elevation changes. While it may be just over 2 miles in length, laps seemingly feel long enough as most proper F1 circuits considering the punishment that cars go through racing this course. It is commonly referred to as Monte Carlo since the majority of the course is through Monte Carlo. However, this track utilizes both Monte Carlo and La Condamine. Monte Carlo, though, is only part of The Principality of Monaco. This blog post is a continuation of my Race Tracks blog label as it's all about Circuit de Monaco.
Monaco is a playground for the rich, but it also makes for a great racing facility. Here is today's facility:
^ from: www.skysports.com - Monaco's rich and exotic appeal takes on a different character when it's Grand Prix weekend. It's been this way since 1929.
The original Circuit de Monaco was run between 1929 and 1972 and was 1.954 miles in length. The circuit has since gone through four different variations. Today's Circuit de Monaco is the fifth variation of this course. Circuit de Monaco is a 19-turn racing roller coaster ride with lots of stop-and-go action. The beauty of this course lies in all of the lovely urban scenery whizzing by while at speed. Many beautiful buildings and views make this track truly spectacular. Just the feeling of racing full speed in a very rich locale like Monte Carlo is enough to get any racing fan excited. The most iconic element of this course is the high-speed drive through the tunnel. As soon as you come out of the tunnel, it's like a light being turned on right in your face. I think that many tracks (especially fictional ones in video games) were certainly inspired to have tunnels because of Circuit de Monaco's tunnel. I think the coastal parts of the track (Turns 10 through Turn 17) that make up part of the Port of Monaco are iconic in the character of Monaco and this course. This watery view likely have been inspiration for the Yas Marina Circuit to have its own pier and harbor. So in a lot of ways, Circuit de Monaco is very much a godfather for inspiration for many different courses, both fictional and real.
Having played this track in a number of racing games including Gran Turismo games (where it is called Côte d'Azur), you need the best of EVERYTHING to make the most of lap times around Circuit de Monaco. That includes aerodynamics, tires, suspension, and especially brakes. You'll have to get up to speed quickly while also taking on the undulating roads and sharp corners. The very first corner is very abrupt and tight. Be thankful there's no guard rail to make this corner blind. Otherwise, crashing would be guaranteed! The parts of the track I've struggled the most with are Mirabeau Haute (Turn 5), the super-slow Grand Hotel Hairpin (Turn 6), and especially the Nouvelle Chicane (Turn 10- the first turn after the tunnel). The Nouvelle Chicane is too easy to overshoot. And sometimes, you can't help but overshoot the chicane. It just comes up too abruptly to where you wish this corner wasn't even there. La Rascasse (Turn 17) can be super-slow as well. There is not one easy section on this track except for maybe the deceptive kink in the tunnel. This is NOT a track for novices.
Video Preview.
It's now time for you to experience what many an F1 racer has experienced. The narrow and twisty streets of Monte Carlo are here for you to experience in this video lap. This is Mark Webber in 2010:
And here is a bonus video! Several games were inspired by, or feature Circuit de Monaco. One of them was "Super Monaco GP." This game features a fictional race track inspired by Circuit de Monaco. For some funny reason, you have to qualify on a shorter configuration, then take on the full track for three laps. To be able to complete the race, you must be placed higher than the Position Limit. You need to constantly improve your position to avoid having to retire. This is a video showcasing the arcade version of this 1989 Sega game:
The current lap record around the current Circuit de Monaco was set by Michael Schumacher in 2004. Racing for Scuderia Ferrari, he clocked a lap of 1:14.439 around Circuit de Monaco.
Thank you for reading this blog post! More info on the Monaco Grand Prix can be found at this link at www.yourmonaco.com. Thank you for reading!
Spa-Francorchamps is one of the world's greatest race tracks as well as one of my personal favorite tracks. It is one of the few remaining original Formula 1 tracks. This Belgian course has tested the likes of many a race car driver and motorcycle rider with its various elevation changes and challenging corners. Spa-Francorchamps has been raced on since 1924. Today's Spa-Francorchamps is the longest circuit Formula 1 races on all-year long at over 4.352 miles (7.004 km) in length. In its past, Spa-Francorchamps' length was more than double its current length with the original circuit being 9.31 miles (14.9 km) in length. This configuration existed between 1924 and 1939. For the better part of between 1946 and 1979, Spa-Francorchamps was 8.761 miles (14.1 km) in length. Today's Spa-Francorchamps has stood since 1979. This course challenges race car drivers and motorcycle racers alike. It is home to racing action ranging from F1 Grands Prix to the grueling Spa 24 Hours. The Le Mans Series even races for 1000 kilometers around Spa-Francorchamps. It was also home to the 24 Heures de Liège moto, which was a 24-hour motorcycle racing endurance run between 1971 through 2003. An old joke about Spa-Francorchamps is that if you ask, "what's the chances of rain?," the answer is "yes." Rain even plays a factor at Spa-Francorchamps (almost like any other F1 race).
This blog post is all about this wonderful Belgian race track.
--- Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps ---
I feel bad when people say that this track is very popular. Almost as if it's great, but not great enough to be legendary. Even if this track isn't as long as the Nürburgring 24 Hour course, it still doesn't mean even today's Spa-Francorchamps still isn't as fun to race now as it used to be with the previous two layouts. It is still one track you just don't mess with or take lightly. This track is for hardened and adept racers, not Sunday drivers or any small-time racers. This, then, is today's Spa-Francorchamps:
^ from: www.allf1.info - Spa-Francorchamps' current configuration has been around since 1979.
I was first introduced to this track from the Nintendo 64 game, "F-1 World Grand Prix." I would later see this track in various other games including the very first GTR, Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, and ToCA Race Driver 3 among many others. The track features two different starting points. Most tracks go down the true front stretch while F1 starts after the Bus Stop chicane. As you look around the track, you become enamored with the beauty of the Belgian countryside. This is a true and total Grand Prix racing facility. There are enough corners (20 in all) that will have you on edge all around. Only the truly adept can master this fantastic racing facility. A handful of elevation changes will really test you and prepare you for an intense racing challenge. Maybe one of the most infamous incidents around Spa-Francorchamps was in the 1998 F1 Belgian Grand Prix when a lot of cars wrecked heading into Eau Rouge on a wet track.
Because this is such a proper Grand Prix race track, its level of challenge is immense. Eau Rouge just flies right by. Eau Rouge is almost like the first corner at Silverstone or Tertre Rouge at Le Mans. You gain so much speed through the Kemmel Straight that it's easy to overshoot the first of the Les Combes corners. In games, I've often found myself off the road trying to recover. The rest of the course just challenges you and your patience like a charm between the final Les Combes corner through Turn 16 (after Stavelot). The only minor annoyance with the backstretch is that you have to let off the throttle just a little bit at Turn 18 since it's a sharp kink. Slow ALL THE WAY DOWN, however, heading into the chicane. A lap is complete if running the F1 course. Otherwise, La Source is just as slow as the chicane section. The road after La Source completes a lap around the other Start/Finish line.
Lap Times.
The lap record is as accurate as the date of this initial blog post. The current lap record around Spa-Francorchamps is 1:47.263 by Sebastian Vettel in 2009 for Red Bull Racing. GT cars and prototypes could easily lap this course in two minutes. I will try to find you more qualifying times in future edits. This is just to give you a further idea of lap times around this circuit.
Video Lap.
This video gives you an idea of what this track is like (video uploaded in September 2007):
No doubt, you have to be really on your game when you think about a track like this. Consider yourself a racing king/queen if you can win here.
The streets of Adelaide were once home to the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Australia. It even played host to the "Race of a Thousand Years" in 2000 for the American Le Mans Series. Adelaide is now best known for the Clipsal 500 of the Australian V8 Supercar Series. Regardless, one thing is for certain- Adelaide is NOT easy. This track is actually vastly respected among temporary courses. If you think of street courses are concrete walled nightmares with little or no speed thrills, you'd be dead wrong here. This track is actually quite fast and seems more like a proper racing track with high walls than a hot mess of city streets that somehow form a race track. I was two years old when this track was first raced in 1985. Many F1 Grands Prix have taken place at Adelaide before the honor of racing in Australia for F1 racing moved on to Melbourne.
This blog post is all about Adelaide's urban motor racing gem. By the way, I heard this track is also called the Adelaide Parklands Circuit.
--- Adelaide Street Course ---
This is the Adelaide Street course:
^ from: onlineracingacademy.com - Today's Adelaide along with the Adelaide long course (in gray).
Adelaide is really the only city I know best in the Australian state of South Australia. I still regret not being able to see that Race of a Thousand Years in the American Le Mans Series back in 2000, perhaps most notable for the crocodile-liveried Audi R8 that raced on the streets of Adelaide. That race on New Year's Eve was my first real taste of the Adelaide Street Circuit. Nowadays, the biggest race I know of around Adelaide is the Clipsal 500 with the Australian V8 Supercars. This track is a greatly unconventional street circuit with its many depths and details that make it every bit as challenging as any proper racing circuit. The V8 Supercar circuit comes in at 2 miles (3.219 kilometers), and the Grand Prix course comes in at 2.349 miles (3.780 kilometers).
Adelaide is a very technical course. The Senna Chicane comes up about as suddenly as Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps. The series of 90° corners that follow are pretty tough. Going full-speed down Bartels Road and the Brabham Straight is a big time thrill. After the Dequetteville Hairpin, the rest of the course heading to the Start/Finish line looks and feels even more like a proper race track. In fact, the roads after Dequetteville Hairpin is referred to as the Race Course. It is a punishing course. This configuration is the current configuration mostly used by the Australian V8 Supercars.
The long course doesn't use Bartels Road. Instead, the road after Turn 6 (after Flinders Street) is longer. Hutt Street and Rundle Road in Adelaide are used in making for a longer blast down Dequetteville Terrace. Adelaide's longer course was meant to suit series like Formula 1 and the ALMS among others.
Video Laps.
Here are two video laps to share. The first video is the current Adelaide, and the second video is a look at the Adelaide long course.
^ Adelaide (V8 Supercar Course)
^ Adelaide (Grand Prix course, 1993)
Lap Records.
The lap records are as accurate as the date of this blog post and from Wikipedia. Today's Adelaide (raced by the Australian V8 Supercar Series) is 1:18.601, set by Earl Bamber in 2008 racing a Dallara F307. The Grand Prix course lap record is 1:15.381, set by Damon Hill racing for Williams-Renault in 1993.
The 2011 Clipsal 500 wrapped up earlier this month. Congratulations to the winners of each race around Adelaide for the 2011 Clipsal 500. Thank you for reading!
Though still commonly called Interlagos, Autódromo José Carlos Pace in the cosmopolitan city of São Paulo, Brazil is my personal favorite race track in all of South America (or at least one of them). This track's history dates back to 1938, to be inaugurated in 1940. The original circuit was a very long 4.975 miles (7.960 km) in length. The track was dramatically shortened from 4.975 miles to 2.676 miles since 1990. Interlagos is a pure road course, but it has elements (to me) that makes it more like an oval. The track's configuration feels more like an oval with an infield road course than a road course. I don't mean this in disrespect. Maybe the craziest moment I'll never forget at Interlagos was seeing Felipe Massa win the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in 2008... but lose the 2008 F1 World Championship to Lewis Hamilton thanks to a storming drive by the McLaren racer. The McLaren team celebrated along with Lewis Hamilton's girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger (of Pussycat Dolls fame) wearing a lovely red cocktail dress. This circuit has a very nice setting as you can see the city of São Paulo in the distance at certain parts of the track. Interlagos basically means "between lakes," and it was built between two artificial lakes- Guarapiranga and Billings in São Paulo. The biggest event besides the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix is the 1000 Miles of Brazil (or the Mil Milhas Brazil) sportscar endurance race. It is also a major stop in the Stock Car Brasil series. Formula One's history at Interlagos dates back to 1972, but it was never a championship event until 1973. Interlagos was the most frequent host of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Only times Interlagos was NOT used for the Brazilian Grand Prix were in 1978 and 1981-1989, when the now-defunct Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro was used. The Brazilian Grand Prix has been held at Interlagos every year since 1990. This blog post is a look at Interlagos.
(source for my information: Wikipedia)
--- Interlagos ---
Take a look at today's Interlagos circuit below:
^ from: www.allf1.info - Though its history dates back to 1938, the current short configuration of Interlagos has been around since 1990. It has been the home of the Brazilian Grand Prix every year since 1990.
I am also providing this picture ONLY for comparison:
^ from: www.manipef1.com - the original Interlagos layout.
As I mentioned before, Interlagos seems more like an oval with an infield road course in terms of configuration. Turn 12 to the Start/Finish line and Turn 1 are like the front stretch an oval with an infield road course. Likewise, you can call the road between Turns 3 and 4 as the backstretch. There are a number of off-camber corners. The real challenge of the course lies between Turns 4 through Turn 12. It is a rather short (by F1 standards) course that still delivers a great deal of action.
Today's Interlagos is actually shorter by almost two miles and shorter in overall area than the classic circuit. One thing remains constant through it all- its high-speed character. It is also one of few counterclockwise/anti-clockwise tracks F1 currently races on.
Interlagos is a high-speed thrill ride. The real problem areas are Turn 1 (Senna "S"), Turns 4 and 5 (Descida do Lago), and Turn 10 (Bico de Pato). After Turn 12, the oval-like run to the Start/Finish line begins. This is a GREAT place to pick up speed before having to slow all the heck down Turn 1.
Video Lap.
Here is a video lap around the lovely Interlagos circuit (from 2007):
Lap Times.
The lap record around Interlagos is 1:11.473 set by Juan Pablo Montoya racing for Williams BMW in 2004. Here are more lap times:
Lap Times Around Interlagos (sources: Wikipedia and Trackpedia)
Car/Machine
Lap Time
Peugeot 908 HDI FAP
1:18.787
Formula 3
1:30.170
Stock Car Brazil V8
1:39.585
Formula Truck
2:04.616
Yamaha YZF-R1
1:59.000 (approx.)
Oh.... and in case you're wondering, the lap record around the original 4.975-mile Interlagos was 2:21.40, set by Jean-Pierre Jabouille in a Renault F1 car back in 1980.
Called the "Road Racing Center of the East," Lime Rock Park is more like a park with a race track built around it. That adds to the unique character of this beautiful race track. The scenic views of this Lakeview, Connecticut, USA race track are stunning. The track comes in at 1.53 miles in length and is a a seven-turn race track. Tack on one or two hundredths to the 1.53-mile length for one or both additional chicanes. This track's length and number of turns may not sound very interesting to most people, but this track is ANYTHING but boring. This track will test you whether you are in a low-powered formula car or a prototype in ALMS or Grand-Am. The track has been in existence since 1957. This blog post is about one of the most beautiful short courses in the world.
--- Lime Rock Park ---
Here is a look at Lime Rock Park:
^ from: forums.bimmerworld.com, by way of photobucket.com - Minuscule in length but big on action, Lime Rock Park is a 1.5-mile thrill ride in a beautiful American northeast setting.
The unique aspect of this track is just how much this track has a park atmosphere. That's why I said earlier that this course is like a park with a race track built around it. There are no grandstands. I would probably get caught up enjoying the sights too much around Lime Rock Park. Problem is... when you take in the sights too long, you might run the risk of having your car become part of the scenery after crashing! The view going into Turn 1 is spectacular with the big hill and all the trees on that hill. To me, Lime Rock Park is as beautiful on the East Coast as Portland International Raceway is on the West Coast. And if you're looking to better your racing skills, four words will tell you that you WILL become a better racer: Skip Barber Racing School. Skip Barber, in fact, owns Lime Rock Park.
There are only two concern parts of Lime Rock Park to me. The first is the tricky No Name Straight. It has a right-hand bend and a bit of undulation. The BIGGER issue, however, is when you head to the Uphill (Turn 5). If Lime Rock Park is run with the chicane, it can be almost extremely easy to overshoot the chicane because it's so blind heading uphill. This is a short course that is NOT short on action. In fact, this course is even raced on by the NASCAR Camping World East Series. I think I even remember the (then) NASCAR Busch Series racing this course once.
Lap Times.
The lap record around this track is 43.112 seconds. It was set by P.J. Jones in a GTP race car in 1993. Here are some more lap times around Lime Rock Park to give you an idea of lap times around this course:
Lime Rock Park Lap Times (source: Trackpedia)
Car/Machine
Lap Time Recorded
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
53.478
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R
50.170
Formula Atlantic
47.1
Audi R8 (LMP Race Car)
46.753
Video Lap.
You want a video around Lime Rock Park? Here is some video insight by one of my personal favorite race car drivers, Mr. Bill Auberlen:
Visit www.limerock.com to learn more about this course. You may also contribute to this track on Trackpedia by checking out Lime Rock Park on Trackpedia. Thank you for reading!
Qatar's Losail International Circuit is a very long and imposing racing facility mostly raced on by motorcycles. At 3.375 miles (5.380 km) in length with 16 corners, Losail History was made in 2008 as Losail hosted the first-ever MotoGP night race thanks to huge lights from Iowa-based Musco Lighting. With a lot of wide open spaces, this track is generally safe for the most part. This track plays host to lots of motorcycle racing. These range from Grand Prix events to even the 8 Hours of Doha in the FIM Endurance World Championship. The first MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar was held in 2004 with the event won by Sete Gibernau.
This blog posts concerns Qatar's racing jewel in the desert- Losail International Circuit.
--- Losail International Circuit ---
Here is a look at this Qatari roller coaster located just outside of the Qatari capital of Doha:
^ from: ridetrader.co.uk - Qatar's ultimate racing challenge- the Losail International Circuit.
Losail is basically in a desert setting. I mentioned this track has a lot of wide-open spaces. There are very few features to this course to give you any real indication of where you are on the track. Elevation changes are modest, at best. This track is almost like the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Spain in terms of being a mostly flat course. Like most desert road courses, there is artificial grass to limit the amount of sand that gets kicked around on the course. It is a real character circuit to me, devoid of any glitz and glam as with most modern Formula 1 tracks.
While the track is pretty safe for motorcycle racing, it doesn't mean this track is easy. This track is essentially in a mostly flat (some modest elevation changes), featureless setting. You don't have a whole lot of visual cues to help you carve a proper line around Losail except for the curbing on the outside and deep into the apexes of the 16 corners. The primary challenge lies in you being able to remember where you are on the track at all times. You have to really know where you are and understand what corner(s) is/are coming up. Because you don't have the luxury of a lot of environmental cues to help you determine where you are on the race track, and because the track is so long, you have to rely on your overall knowledge of the track to help get around it with great times. It is a very technical course. If you're going to win races here, you need to earn it. This track does NOT hold back or forgive easily.
Here is a video lap on a Yamaha R1 in 2007:
This is an extra video showing you what it is like for when the 8 Hours of Doha endurance race takes place around Losail International Circuit. This was from the 2009 race:
Lap Records and Times.
The lap records are as accurate as the date of this post. The lap record around this track is 1:38.699, set in 2009 by Davide Rigon in the GP2 Asia series. Jorge Lorenzo (2010 MotoGP World Champion) set a qualifying lap of 1:53.927 around Losail in 2008 (the first year MotoGP ran this track at night). Fastest in-race lap for MotoGP at Losail was set in 2008 by Australia's Casey Stoner with a time of 1:53.153. So there is some insight for you on lap times around Losail.
Since opening in 1991, Circuit de Catalunya is perhaps Spain's finest racing course. This was a track I was just never really good at in games. I fully respect Circuit de Catalunya. This course will challenge you on a variety of levels. You are never too far from the lovely city of Barcelona (or Barca) when talking about Catalunya. In fact, Circuit de Catalunya is located north of Barcelona in the city of Montmeló, Barcelona, Spain. Today's Catalunya is 2.875 miles in length with 16 turns. The only change is a modified configuration suited for F1 cars between Turns 12 and 16. Whether it's Formula One, MotoGP, DTM, or any other series that races at this track, victory will be tough to come by in an exciting and challenging track like Circuit de Catalunya. This track will celebrate 20 years of existence in 2011. Those 20 years have seen some amazing racing action on this intense course.
--- Circuit de Catalunya ---
Here is a look at Circuit de Catalunya, which is also called Circuit de Barcelona: ^ from: www.allf1.info - Circuit de Catalunya, including the modified F1 configuration.
Circuit de Catalunya is challenging no matter what kinds of cars or motorcycles are racing it. It has both tricky elevation changes and decisive corners. Only the most talented can race this track; only the truly adept can win. This track is tough to make passes on. It is a real mental challenge that will push you to the limit.
I don't even know where to begin describing how challenging this course is. The entire track offers you hardly any chance to stretch your legs a bit. Turn 1 (Elf) is easy to overshoot, and you need a good line to make that brief uphill trudge through Turn 2 (Renault) on into Turn 3. Turns 5 (Seat) ant especially Turn 10 (La Caixa) are absolutely crucial corners to get right. Catalunya really keeps you on your toes for all 2.8 miles of racing.
Care to see Catalunya in action? You can! Here is a video showcasing an F1 lap around Catalunya:
And this video on a motorcycle using the regular configuration:
Lap Times.
The all-time lap record around Catalunya [as of this blog post's date] is 1:21.670 by Kimi Raikkonen in 2008. A year later, however, Jensen Button of Brawn GP clocked in a lap time of about 1:19.127. The pole lap for the MotoGP race around Catalunya was 1:42.046 set by Jorge Lorenzo. So that's an idea of lap times around Catalunya.
To learn more about Catalunya, visit Circuit de Catalunya's website (Spanish link, but English also available). Want more Catalunya? Here's how to get social with Catalunya:
Central Florida's formidable race track is Sebring International Raceway. It began life as an Air Force base until it opened as a race track in 1950. I have seen some races where planes still use Sebring. There is a proper airplane runway adjacent to Sebring International Raceway. The venue is best known for the 12 Hours of Sebring, which brings many people out to the track. The race is usually run in the middle of March during Spring Break for most students. Therefore, you can imagine how much of a party atmosphere it can be. Sebring used to serve as the home of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix back in 1959 (though it was a financial disaster). The layout was much different then. Today's layout is a 17-turn thrill ride at over 3.7 miles (5.95 kilometers) in length. It is a mix of asphalt and concrete. I don't think anyone cares if this track is aging- Sebring has plenty of character even for a mostly flat track like Sebring. Maybe it's not as glamourous and pretty as any European track where F1 races are held, but this is still an ageless wonder of a race track. If anything, Sebring gets you ready for the big one at Le Mans because of its length and how abusive Sebring is to race on. Other than sportscar racing, it is a great race track for almost any other form of racing ranging from club racing to single-seaters. The only other major event I could think of at Sebring was the event called Sebring Octoberfest, a two-hour long race around Sebring featuring cars from the World Sportscar Championship. The only iteration of this was in 1997. There was also an FIA GT race around Sebring in 1997 that lasted for three hours. Other than that, there aren't too many other international races I can recall in Sebring's history. I doubt this track is even motorcycle racing friendly, so I am not sure this track has hosted any motorcycle racing (whether local or international).
This blog post concerns the track that has been kicking racers' butts for over sixty years- Sebring International Raceway.
--- Sebring International Raceway ---
Here is a map of Sebring International Raceway: ^ from: phors.locost7.info - the track map of the 6th generation of Sebring.
Sebring has gone through six different variations (counting the current one). I was first introduced to this track by playing "Sports Car GT" on both the PC and for the PlayStation 1. You can race this track in the Forza Motorsport series The fact this course is flat just about all around means you really have to judge your braking points well. The most joyous sight to see is four or five (sometimes six) cars wide down the front stretch. Four-wide sportscar racing. Who said sportscar racing doesn't know how to mix things up? Yeah! Take that, NASCAR! :) The toughest part of the track to me is when you head into Turn 7 after blasting down Big Bend (Turn 6). Heading into Turn 7 is where you start to see the Chateau Elan Lodge on the far left. Going full speed down Ullman Straight is always fun... as long as you're not battling the setting sun heading into the appropriately-named Sunset Bend that leads to the Start/Finish line. Nothing like this amazing racing facility.
Here is a video lap around Sebring (David Brabham for Highcroft Racing):
Bonus Video!
And here is a bonus video representing maybe one of the most epic racing moments this decade (2001-2010) at Sebring. Allow me to set it up, and you may know EXACTLY what I'm talking about if you're an ALMS fan- it was a battle in 2007 of [Houston's own] Risi Competizione vs. Flying Lizard. It was the best Ferrari team vs. the best Porsche team. The fireworks went off for Audi winning the 12 Hours of Sebring outright (to the surprise of absolutely nobody), but the REAL fireworks exploded when THIS happened (announcing crew: announcing crew for Speed Channel: Leigh Diffey, Dorsey Schroder, and Calvin Fish):
Lap Times.
The all-time record around Sebring's full course (as of the date of this blog post) is 1:43.274 by a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. Here are some other lap times to take note of:
* Spec Racer Ford - 2:35.100 * Spec Miata - 2:39.700 * Formula Mazda Pro - 1:58.989 * Audi R10 - 1:47.373 * Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a - 1:53.571 * Porsche 911 GT3 RSR - 2:04.547
To my knowledge, NASCAR has NEVER held a race around Sebring, especially not among the top three series. NASCAR desperately needs a road course as part of the Chase for the Cup. Don't give me that stuff about how road racing isn't "racing." NASCAR needs something different as far as tracks are concerned. Unless Sebring doesn't have enough pit space for 36 NASCAR Trucks or 43 NASCAR cars, Sebring is perfectly fine a race track. Its bumpy and abrasive nature shouldn't be too much a problem for a stock car or stock truck (though some would complain about the bumpiness of Daytona). NASCAR Cup could just get rid of some insignificant and boring track and put Sebring in its place. Or to make things interesting... make the Homestead race the next-to-last event and make Sebring the final race. Not good at road courses but contesting for a championship? You need to race this course to the best of your ability.
I think NASCAR would be great to see around Sebring. Look at the reception that was given for NASCAR Nationwide at Road America as it replaced the Milwaukee Mile this season. Imagine the battles that could take place on this intense racing facility with stock cars rumbling around. Also- more NASCAR racing in the great state of Florida!
--- What If: Formula 1 Returning to Sebring? ---
Okay, it's a far-fetched concept. However, what if Sebring had some kind of extended makeover just to make Sebring more appealing as a modern European-style F1 Grand Prix venue? The track is certainly long enough at 3.7 miles. I think of Sebring like I think of Road America- a Grand Prix-worthy race course. This track could consistently be good for clocking in laps of about 1:35.000 in today's F1 cars. A track like Sebring, however, doesn't have any grandstands. A total makeover of Sebring just to host an F1 race (and maybe some other forms of international racing) would make Sebring more modern and better as a whole. However, you take away what is missing from a lot of today's Formula 1 racing- character. Do you want to run the risk of ruining Sebring just to host something like a 21st Century F1 race? Also, would someone actually transform and renovate Sebring so much to actually allow this if given the money and time? Think about when the old Hockenheim was taken from that high-speed blast through the forest... to being just another boring European race track. You run the risk of destroying the character of a racing facility when you make such drastic changes. Then too, some are for the better.
I would be curious to see how F1 cars would take on Sebring in its current form. The first F1 race around Sebring was also the last time F1 raced here- 1959.
--- What If: The Return of Sebring Octoberfest? ---
Sebring Octoberfest was a one-time deal where the World Sportscar Championship and FIA GT raced on the same weekend around Sebring. The real problem would be about what cars would race around Sebring. October somewhat belongs to the Petit Le Mans these days. Maybe if it returned, it would be pretty cool as an ALMS All-Star race.
In this day and age, you may also open up Sebring for things like drifting and time attack. When I think of an event with a name like "Octoberfest," it has to be a (not to play on words) a festival of speed around one of America's oldest road racing facilities. What kind of racing could you introduce to Sebring to please racing fans? Just a lot of things to wonder...
I want to say hello to anybody at Sebring International Raceway if anyone there were to actually read this and if they enjoyed my commentary. I'm saying this because I am often surprised at who actually reads my blog and comments on it. Like when I did my blog post about the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, I unexpectedly got a tweet from their Twitter feed complimenting my work. If you produce quality and unique content, you WILL get noticed. You never know who actually will read and admire your work. So if anyone from Sebring International Raceway actually reads this and enjoys what I have posted, I salute you all. Sebring is still a great and formidable race track even sixty years later. Learn more about Sebring International Raceway by visiting their official website at sebringraceway.com.
