rec.autos.simulators

Happened to have been hot lapping Mosport on GPL a lot lately when the American
Le Mans Series race was broadcast from there last week.  A pretty good
illustration of the science of aerodynamics.  I understand the GPL is a
simulation but I gotta believe that physics are pretty realistic and as close
to experiencing a '67 racer as we can get absent the real thing or***pit
footage.  Anyway... when you're driving your '67 F1 up the Andretti Straight
and and you approach the rise at the end just before turn 8, you'd better start
figuring out your course of action.  If you aren't slowing or coasting, you
will get light going over the crest with all attendent problems, suspension
squash, unequal corner loads, fore-aft balance, endos, barrel rolls, and sand
in your suit.  Watching the in-car shot from an Audi R8 however, we find the
the Audi accelerator flat all the way over crest and for some considerable
distance after the GPL recovery period.  Then the R8 slams on the brakes at the
very onset of the corner!  Mosport has been civilized from the past, no longer
peril from trees, creeks and bridge abutments and the track widened and
smoothed generally but I imagine the area I'm talking about is essentially the
same.  Shows to my mind what the effects of aero and downforce are in today's
race craft.  '67 was mostly just eyeball form with intuition a big factor.
Frontal area was probably the only hard numbers figured although some of the
sports car boys had been trying various shapes by trial and error.  Blah, blah
blah, no real end to this... so long!
A   V A S T  Right-Wing Conspirator

  Most of the HUMP at the end of the back straight has been leveled off.
What is an almost ski jump for GPL is just a mild rise in modern times.
dave henrie

There have been some major changes at Mosport, the hump is gone and pit lane
now exits after turn 1. Panoz poured alot of $$ into upgrading Mosport,
although the hump was gone before he took over. From Moses corner you can
now see back up to T4 and further up the straight than you could before.
FWIW

Edward

Yep, they reduced the crest/hump in 1997. I sat at the hump for last weeks
ALMS race.  The hump still makes the cars(GT/GTS) twitchy under braking. The
LMP's didn't start braking until way after the hump, maybe 200 meters
further. It is just a amazing sight watching the Panoz come up the hill
through the valley and roar past at 195mph.

The support race just before the ALMS race was the Panoz GT Pro series. They
were racing in very heavy rain and as the leader came up the straight(first
lap) he hit the hump and it turned him around. He looped 3 times before
hitting the wall and ending up in the grass. It looked like a classic GPL
Mosport crash. :)  Actually that was the first time I've ever seen a race
complete every lap and not one was under green. Every time they dropped the
green a wreck would happen and a full course yellow came out before they
completed a lap.
I'll be going to the ALMS race again next year at Mosport, it was a total
blast. Highly recommended. Mosport will be doing a lot more things this fall
and winter for spectator comfort as well.

BTW, you can get the 40th anniversary book about Mosport. It is a great book
about Mosport with lots of great info and photo's. It is only $10cnd. I
think you can get it at Mosport.com

"Mosport has been civilized from the past, no longer

It still scares the drivers.

The hump actually got worse over the years than it's depicted in GPL. Some
clubs even used to create a chicane at the hump using cones, haybales, etc
to prevent cars getting too airborne. It also would change with the weather
and the amount of ground water. A few years back, the track was rebuilt in
that area and seems to have eliminated the problem (for now).

Wayne Hutchison

Thanks for the info guys.  Last years ALMS race was a great one.  The lead
Audi's tires were gone and other problems forced the driver to nurse the car
the last several laps to get to the finish.  Meantime the 2nd place BMW
(LMR12?) on fresh tires was overcomeing earlier delays and was catching the
Audi by gobs every lap.  Best end of race action you could hope for with the
Audi first by mere feet.  I watch ALMS at Portland International Raceway, 20
mins. from my front door but watch any TV race from Mosport.

A   V A S T  Right-Wing Conspirator