Road Courses

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PushRodV8

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I got to thinking about NASCAR adding a third road course. Why not use an oval/road course?

Phoenix, Kansas, Homestead, etc? Would be a lot simpler to get one on the schedule. Plus, it would be interesting to see a cup car run on an oval road course hybrid.
 
Combined road courses are fairly generic and small. Look at Kansas - it's basically the oval with a long hairpin. The only reason that place even got a USCC race is because of ISC. I would imagine there would be some issues with building chassis and designing tires for both the road course and banking. Even if there weren't, I'd prefer to see a race run at a traditional road course first.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Combined road courses are fairly generic and small. Look at Kansas - it's basically the oval with a long hairpin. The only reason that place even got a USCC race is because of ISC. I would imagine there would be some issues with building chassis and designing tires for both the road course and banking. Even if there weren't, I'd prefer to see a race run at a traditional road course first.
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Agreed.

It'd be too costly. Specially for the small teams that can barely afford the trip to where ever they are racing next. Just keep it simple I say and just add a good old RC to start..
 
I'd love to see these cars race on the Daytona infield. No plates. 3/4 of the track is plate racing and the last 1/4 is technique road course racing. Not only would it be hell on the drivers, but also on the engine department. See who can rise to the challenge.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Combined road courses are fairly generic and small. Look at Kansas - it's basically the oval with a long hairpin. The only reason that place even got a USCC race is because of ISC. I would imagine there would be some issues with building chassis and designing tires for both the road course and banking. Even if there weren't, I'd prefer to see a race run at a traditional road course first.
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Perfectly said, amigo. Took the words out of my mouth.

The road courses inside ovals are basically crap, built so the track could make an extra buck renting the track to weekend warrior sports car clubs. As much as I hate to say it, Daytona and Indianapolis' road courses are the same way. They're nothing special, flat, boring, with the major appeal being that part of the circuit goes back onto the two most famous super speedways in North America (and yes, I will acknowledge that the 24 Hours of Daytona is a historic sports car racing event, but compare the circuit to say - Sebring. The entire appeal of the 24 Hours of Daytona is that you're racing at Daytona with sports cars and you go fast on the banked oval parts.).
 
ted@economy said:
Has anybody ever been to a road course race? I understand that the best place to watch one is at the Hooters down the street.:(
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No way, Teddy. I've been going to road racing at Road America since I was 3 or 4. You pick a hill to watch the race, bring a blanket, cooler and food and spent the day watching the racing and bull****ting with your family. Even better if you're a camper/RV type. Don't bother with the grandstands at a road course race. If you buy tickets expecting an oval-type experience you will be disappointed.
 
KevinWI said:
No way, Teddy. I've been going to road racing at Road America since I was 3 or 4. You pick a hill to watch the race, bring a blanket, cooler and food and spent the day watching the racing and bull****ting with your family. Even better if you're a camper/RV type. Don't bother with the grandstands at a road course race. If you buy tickets expecting an oval-type experience you will be disappointed.
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Yep, Sebring has viewing mounds located all around the track. Pop open a lawn chair, stand on the fence, watch from atop the RV; they're all a different experience from an oval race. Plus, you once you're in you're not tied down to one particular spot. Walking around the track and visiting different sections like deep braking zones, fast bends, corner exits is a lot of fun.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Yep, Sebring has viewing mounds located all around the track. Pop open a lawn chair, stand on the fence, watch from atop the RV; they're all a different experience from an oval race. Plus, you once you're in you're not tied down to one particular spot. Walking around the track and visiting different sections like deep braking zones, fast bends, corner exits is a lot of fun.
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Got a brother who lives near Sebring . Walking to different sections of a road course may be fun for you youngsters but they'd have to provide an access- a -bus for some of us . Plus you must have your back to the action most of the time .I get that it is a different experience than an oval , and I would love to try it , but I am still not convinced that you don't miss a lot of the action .
 
ted@economy said:
Got a brother who lives near Sebring . Walking to different sections of a road course may be fun for you youngsters but they'd have to provide an access- a -bus for some of us . Plus you must have your back to the action most of the time .I get that it is a different experience than an oval , and I would love to try it , but I am still not convinced that you don't miss a lot of the action .
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You don't have to walk to different sections. Just park it in a single spot and watch the whole race from there. Bring a scanner and listen to TV feed if you want.
 
ted@economy said:
Got a brother who lives near Sebring . Walking to different sections of a road course may be fun for you youngsters but they'd have to provide an access- a -bus for some of us . Plus you must have your back to the action most of the time .I get that it is a different experience than an oval , and I would love to try it , but I am still not convinced that you don't miss a lot of the action .
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They have cart rentals at the track.

I suppose it differs across venues, but I didn't have a problem with missing action. Sonoma is supposed to be another course where you can see a bunch even from the grandstands.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Combined road courses are fairly generic and small. Look at Kansas - it's basically the oval with a long hairpin. The only reason that place even got a USCC race is because of ISC. I would imagine there would be some issues with building chassis and designing tires for both the road course and banking. Even if there weren't, I'd prefer to see a race run at a traditional road course first.
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I would rather see a traditional road course race too. The drivers seemed to like Kansas though. But it is a different series.

I don't know about the rest of you, but Road America and Road Atlanta seem like the best choices for another road course for the Cup series.
 
sky said:
COTA is awesome but Emporer Eddie Gossage doesn't want any other race in Texas that ain't at his track. I don't think it would happen but I wish it did it's a world class facility
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I forgot about COTA. It's a shame V8 Supercars aren't returning this year.
 
At Sonoma you can see most of the track from anywhere. Depending where you are, you will miss turn 4 going downhill to the "chute", or the "Gilligan's Island", hairpin at turn 11. As for adding another road course, I'm all for it. Road America would be an excellent choice. It would be nice to recognize the fan base up there with a race at a great facility.
 
I think it's a pretty cool idea.. I think it'd be quite a challenge to set up these cars to run oval and road course in the same lap. I'd watch. Don't think it will ever happen though... for the same reason they don't run the boot at the Glen.. but who knows.
 
I think a purpose built road course is better than an oval/road course but I'd like to see a test with the big cars on an oval/road course (I think the cars are too big for the tight turns in an oval/road course).
 
I like turning left and right. A road course needs to be in the chase. We have a short track in there, lets put a road course in for good measure
 
JEB said:
I've always wanted to see NASCAR race at Laguna Seca. That would be awesome!
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Awesome.

2012-Chevrolet-Camaro-ZL1-2013-Ford-Shelby-GT500-Laguna-Seca-Lap-Map.jpg
 
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ted@economy said:
Has anybody ever been to a road course race? I understand that the best place to watch one is at the Hooters down the street.:(
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I don't see why a decent road coarse with a view couldn't be made. Take a track the width of say a Michigan and build the track on a hill. Then put the stands on top of that hill looking down on the track. I'd bet you could design a fairly decent road course that the fans could view most of the action.
 
Lazyking said:
Laguna Seca is too small for cup cars.
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Laguna Seca is a beautiful track but I don't see Cup cars racing well there.

I'm telling you guys, Road America and Road Atlanta have Sprint Cup written all over them. maybe even VIR
 
Jeffrey00 said:
I don't see why a decent road coarse with a view couldn't be made. Take a track the width of say a Michigan and build the track on a hill. Then put the stands on top of that hill looking down on the track. I'd bet you could design a fairly decent road course that the fans could view most of the action.
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I think you just described Pocono. :)
 
Road Atlanta is a bit too narrow?
Road America
Long Beach... Too narrow.
Canada - CGV
COTA
Mexico... Meh
Lime Rock
Sebring... Too bumpy for NASCAR?

So many of them...
 
PushRodV8 said:
I would rather see a traditional road course race too. The drivers seemed to like Kansas though. But it is a different series.

I don't know about the rest of you, but Road America and Road Atlanta seem like the best choices for another road course for the Cup series.
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I think Road America is well on its way to being included on the Cup schedule again; they've been making multiple facility upgrades. It could happen as early as next year, aligning with the new TV contracts.
 
ted@economy said:
Has anybody ever been to a road course race? I understand that the best place to watch one is at the Hooters down the street.:(
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Baltimore Indy was a glorified street party. The racing is great when you watch it on NBC Sports Network. Also went to the Inaugural ARCA race at New Jersey and you were lucky if you could find a spot where you could see half the track.
 
Sidewayz said:
agreed... check out this video of Kyle doing a solo run from a few years ago, the cars are way too heavy for this track

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-vid...petty-in-a-sprint-cup-car-video-1579140838001
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Wheel Hop City... ya know it wouldn't be very hard to get rid of wheel hop if cup cars used independent suspension and a more compact drive train pumpkin. They should allow teams to make something that doesn't destroy the rear gear or make the rear end too heavy specific for road courses and bumpy ovals.
 
Road America is the best road course in the country, if not the world. It's got natural breaking areas, hills, valleys. The scenery is beautiful and there's quite a bit of lodging in that area because of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I think Road America is well on its way to being included on the Cup schedule again; they've been making multiple facility upgrades. It could happen as early as next year, aligning with the new TV contracts.
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I see it happening this way: Road America picks up Sonoma's summer date and Sonoma picks up Dover's fall date as the first elimination race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.
 
Kiante said:
Road Atlanta is a bit too narrow?
Road America
Long Beach... Too narrow.
Canada - CGV
COTA
Mexico... Meh
Lime Rock
Sebring... Too bumpy for NASCAR?

So many of them...
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Montreal isn't a bad one either. The promoters of the Nationwide race wanted a Cup race added to the weekend or for the race to be run on Sunday morning before the Cup race at Michigan. NASCAR didn't want either.
 
Kiante said:
Road Atlanta is a bit too narrow?
Road America
Long Beach... Too narrow.
Canada - CGV
COTA
Mexico... Meh
Lime Rock
Sebring... Too bumpy for NASCAR?

So many of them...
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Road America's the most likely option. I'd love to see a NASCAR street race though. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on the old Baltimore Indy race course would be one epic crashfest. Or Watkins Glen at night under the lights - that would also be fun.
 
NASCAR Nationwide Series in Baltimore or any other city street course under the lights in primetime. Just imagine how visually appealing that would be. That's something that might even appeal to the "Fast and Furious" crowd.
 
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