Racing tracks: favourites

[West]

Everybody should download the GT4 lap of the 1989 Sauber C9 around the Nurburgring. Probably one of the coolest onboards, if a little fake. It's on F1 Racing World.

[teecof1fan]

Ah, I've been searching for this one! And let me know if there are any other related threads!

I just enjoyed some local twisty roads with long, sweeping bends and got to thinking about this topic. All the new tracks are very technical (the word 'sterilized' is often used), and they present a certain challenge. But I wish instead they just updated the safety standards on the classics because their corners challenge the size of your bollocks, not just your brake timing or steering angle! Plus it makes for great racing. In particular, I was thinking of the old Osterreichring. Check it out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pr5HG1J845Y -or-
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lTJZUNTMeZo

A quote from Wiki: "It is also known that four-times World Champion Alain Prost often said that all tracks can be changed but that the Österreichring should remain unchanged, just adding run-off areas would be fine"

As others pointed out, these old tracks and their surroundings are so full of character which enhances so many things over a grand prix weekend including the excitement. My F1 favorites, past and present: Spa, Suzuka, Osterreichring, Brands Hatch, old Kyalami, Monza, Interlagos, Dijon, old Hockenheim, Zandvoort, and of course the Green Hell.

I could go on and on about all this but I'll spare you all! Cheers!

[cerebraljl]

for me its Monza and the A-1 ring

[modbaraban]

I have to say straightaway that my point of view is one of the simracer overwhelming the point of view of the myself as a TV viewer. So my top 3 fav tracks to drive are:

1. Nordschleife
2. Silverstone
3. Spa

[RH1300S]

Donnington Park National - has a great flow & Craner

Nordschleife

Imola

Honourable mention - what about Barber Motorsports Park (Birmingham)

[Roland Ehnström]

Suzuka

Nordschleife

Spa

'nuff said.

[teecof1fan]

About the Nordschleife, some great footage from Heidfeld's run...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ceX5Wk-zSY

Notice how he has to back off the throttle over the humps and bumps. But he's always back on it straightaway Good boy, Nick!

[Ciro Pabón]

Not enough.

Laguna Seca
Brands Hatch
Paul Ricard
Daytona (heresy!)

[Ted68]

Spa--F1
Suzuka--F1
Paul Ricard--F1
Pocono--NASCAR
Monza, especially the old race on part of the oval--F1
Willow Springs--IMSA, SCCA
Pomona Dragstrip--NHRA
Road Atlanta--IMSA, SCCA
Virginia Internatinal Raceway--SCCA
Laguna Seca--F1, CART, SCCA, IMSA
Indianapolis--CART, IRL, NASCAR, F1
Portland--CART
Bristol--NASCAR

[donskar]

For recognized greatness:
Nurburgring
Spa

For unforgettable memories:
Elkhart Lake Can-Am (Wisconsin, USA)
Watkins Glen F1 (New York, USA - can you imagine a 3-liter Ferrari V12 screaming through the morning mist at 7:00 am? You can't forget it!)
Mid-Ohio (USA) Jim Hall holding a "FASTER" sign up to John Surtees!

[mariof1]

Some good old Interlagos for you:

http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=BZVaew_FbCQ
Fittipaldi drives a V8 Macerick and comments a full lap.

http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=p7JrQ4YGVFE
1980 Brazilian GP.

http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=DXPwM2xwX ... re=related
Interlagos back in... 1940.

[Belatti]

...
Pomona Dragstrip--NHRA
...

Ehhh Its a sentimental thing?
How can a Dragsters track be different to another?

My favourite tracks are all the old versions of new tracks:
OLD SPA, OLD NURBURGRING, OLD INTERLAGOS, OLD BUENOS AIRES... AND SO ON.
I HAVE TO ADD MONACO, HOCKENHEIM AND MONZA TO THAT. YOU CAN´T FORGET SUZUKA, TOO.
SO, BASICALLY, ONLY 2 AND A HALF ARE LEFT IN F1.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

The Old Nurburgring
Le Mans
Monaco
Silverstone
Brands Hatch
Watkins Glenn
Old Interlargos
Interlagos
Spa
Old Spa
Old Hockenheim
Imola (suprisingly)
Monza
Monza + Banking
Suzuka
Bathurst
Eastern Creek
The Osisterichring (probably spelt very wrong!)

and probably loads more that I've forgotten

[Ted68]

...
Pomona Dragstrip--NHRA
...

Ehhh Its a sentimental thing?
How can a Dragsters track be different to another?

My favourite tracks are all the old versions of new tracks:
OLD SPA, OLD NURBURGRING, OLD INTERLAGOS, OLD BUENOS AIRES... AND SO ON.
I HAVE TO ADD MONACO, HOCKENHEIM AND MONZA TO THAT. YOU CAN´T FORGET SUZUKA, TOO.
SO, BASICALLY, ONLY 2 AND A HALF ARE LEFT IN F1.

1. I believe sentiment is present in everyones list. Yes, it is the genisis of the NHRA, where Wally Sparks got the whole thing going. I grew up very near there and attended the Winternationals with my father as a boy. Years later, I ran my street cars there and even a few times was paid to drive others. Yeah, there's some sentiment there.

2. You've obviously never shot a car down a strip if you think they're all alike. Some go slightly uphill, some slightly down. Some have a grippy launch box, some not so much. The grippy ones send you straight down the track when the last red goes out, the slick ones send you squirreling left or right as one rear tire grips better than the other which will have you counter-steering as the engine almost immediately hits redline and you nail the first shift. None of them are flat and level. What seems like a mild rise and drop at 70 mph feels like a small hill at 140 which will bounce your already lightly loaded front suspension as you try to stay out of the wall or your opponent as the car bobs-and-weaves on 3.5 inch wide tires that are struggling to keep a cast iron 496-inch (8.1 litre) powered Chevy Vega pointed towards the finish line while you watch the tach and pull off lightning quick clutchless shifts without blowing up your transmission. It's all over in 9 seconds and it is un-Godly fun.

[Belatti]

Wow!
Thanks Ted.
Definitively there are tons of details beyond the simple straight line that people like me, who barely watched a couple of races in TV, can see. (1. Not too much TV coverage here 2. Our drag races are 1.000.000 times more modest )

I have noticed what you have mentioned "the slick ones send you squirreling left or right as one rear tire grips better than the other" but didn´t think to much about it. The thing is it must be hard to control a 8000HP "rear weight biased" and "frontless end" when it doesn´t point in the direction you want.

How much time does the Top Fuels and Funny cars take to cover the 1/4 mile ?
Do you know how much time does a F1 or CART car takes to cover the 1/4 mile ?
Just wandering...