rec.autos.simulators

If any of you nascent track designers want to receive the plaudits of a
grateful planet, consider this: the Grand Prix of Central Park.  Within the
sylvan confines of this Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park is a
peanut-shaped ring-road , 5.34-miles long, with 6-lane-wide, off-camber,
85-mph turns and a couple of long straights (maps & sat fotos are readily
available), perfect for road racing.  Right now the speed limit is a giddy
25 mph...and there are timed traffic lights every few hundred yards to
enforce it.  As a GPL track, I'd expect the record to be well over 130 mph.

It should be feasible to construct: you race thru dense woods and open
fields like Bremgarten, with gentle elevation changes and rock facings like
the forthcoming Clermont.  The tricky part: in the background--the fabled
Manhattan skyline (Fifth Avenue, Central Park West, the Plaza Hotel, etc.,
but nothing more complicated than Monaco's urban surroundings).  If the
S/F line was at the Tavern on the Green, you could light up the night the
millions of tiny bulbs that festoon the surrounding trees.  'Easter Eggs'
could
include Penny Lane (a tribute near the Dakota, where John Lennon was
killed), the Nurburg-like castle near Central Park South, and other famous
landmarks like the General Motors Building, the Coliseum (the New York
Auto Show was staged there in '67), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Central Park has twice been seriously considered for racing: in the 1930s
(the Depression axed it) and again in the 1990s (environmental 'issues'
killed the idea).  Central Park is the not-so-fantasy track that could
easily become everybody's favorite.  Whaddaya say?

--Steve Smith

Screech off the start line while avoiding the broken glass of empty cider
bottles, heading towards T1 careful not to crash as you negotiate the broken
playground equipment. then full throttle up the slope where pensioners throw
bowls at you for "making such a ***y racket (these youngsters...always up
to no good!)". Sashay easily through the esses as shady drug dealers wave at
you from the embankment. (dont stop here! the wheels will be stolen and
youll be mugged). heading downslope now and picking up speed, past the duck
pond filled with realistic 3D rendered abandoned shopping trolleys ,slow for
the chicane and glimpse two ***agers shagging in the bushes. Through the
chicane and throttle full on now, avoidind the staggering glue sniffer ,
headind for the final last bend only to spin on a big slippery dog turd.

Local  Park has twice been seriously considered for racing: in the 1930s
 (the fact that no one owned cars in the north east of england at the time
axed it) and again in the 1990s (the council killed the idea).Local Park is
the not-so-fantasy track that could
 easily become everybody's favorite.  Whaddaya say?

I for one would love it. I was born and spent my first ten years two blocks
from the south end of Central Park on east 61st street, and was fortunate to
spent a lot of my childhood in the park. The subject has brought up a flood of
fond memories for me.

http://www.centralpark.org/

--
Don Scurlock
Vancouver,B.C.
GPLRank -12.11

Come see how you rank, at the GPLRank site
http://gplrank.ringlord.com/

| I for one would love it. I was born and spent my first ten years two
blocks
| from the south end of Central Park on east 61st street, and was fortunate
to
| spent a lot of my childhood in the park. The subject has brought up a
flood of
| fond memories for me.
| http://www.centralpark.org/
| --

I dunno, I'd only feel safe racing in the daytime.  :)
--
Peter Ives
Remove ALL_STRESS before replying
If you know what's good for you, don't listen to me

JensSchumi

<snip>
---------------------------------------------
LWFF Ball Bearing conversion at:
http://members.nbci.com/JensSchu/

GPLRank: -10.1
Monsters of GPL: sub 200