rec.autos.simulators

by **Tim 'Sundown' Traylo** » Tue, 04 Apr 2000 04:00:00

Is there a sim that lets you drive the McDonald's Loop at
Watkins Glen? For that matter, is there any SERIES that uses the
McDonald's Loop besides the historic/vintage races? Perhaps Grand-Am
will use it when they race the Summerfest...

Sundown305

by **Mike Barlo** » Tue, 04 Apr 2000 04:00:00

Since that loop has been put in, it has been used by every series. The
guardrail that's in the NASCAR Sim is not there in real life. The old
strait is still open and paved.

What they did was to pave part of the infield x feet wide and left what
we call the duck pond to separate the old strait and the inner loop. A
grassy area. The innerloop was placed there to slow the cars down entering
the outer loop/chute turn by moving the brake point further back on the
track. I mentioned it in a previous post (I think to this NG) that doing
something to slow the cars down was being thought of for many years. It
wasn't till someone lost their brakes entering the outer loop and slamming
nose first at 200mph and dieing that the innerloop was no longer put off.
They started construction shortly after the same year.

**side note** unofficial fastest speed down the back strait was 244
mph. officially it was (if I remember right) 234 mph by a GTP car. I don't
remember specifically who made the records.

What the GTP cars used to do is to lift and blip the brake and back on
the gas in just under a second just to upset the car enough to turn in to
the outer loop. The slower SCCA cars (Ep, Fp, Gp, Hp,) used to do the same
but slow enough to down shift one gear. I heard stories that some of them
wouldn't downshift but where still slowed quite a bit. But then again, in
the seventies/eighties the slower SCCA cars didn't have anything but a front
air dam for down force where as the GTP of the mid eighties were one big
down force package with a big engine.

I wish the NASCAR Sims from Papy opened up that inner loop area *and*
added the boot section of the track :(

by **ymenar** » Tue, 04 Apr 2000 04:00:00

I think he was talking more about the loop and not the chicane on the
backstretch Mike. Whatever the situation, there is no sim that has the loop
except for GP2 from an user-created track.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.WeRace.net
-- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

by **Mike Barlo** » Tue, 04 Apr 2000 04:00:00

The chicane is also called the McDonalds Loop. Maybe he was thinking
about the boot but typed McDonalds loop by mistake(?) I don't know the
exact history but I believe McDonalds paid for most of the work in exchange
for the use of the name(?).

It is a shame the boot isn't used in racing sims. I'd like to see the
boot in GP2 though :)

--

>> Since that loop has been put in, it has been used by every series.
>The
>> guardrail that's in the NASCAR Sim is not there in real life. The old
>> strait is still open and paved.

>I think he was talking more about the loop and not the chicane on the
>backstretch Mike. Whatever the situation, there is no sim that has the
loop
>except for GP2 from an user-created track.

>--
>-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
>-- May the Downforce be with you...
>-- http://www.WeRace.net
>-- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
>how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

by **Don Jenning** » Tue, 04 Apr 2000 04:00:00

I've never heard of the McDonald's Loop, but it sounds like we're talking
about the "Boot", the section that goes straight down the hill off the outer
loop and rejoins the NASCAR track just before "Turn 10".

Not knowing the exact history of the track, I was surprised at the track
configuration in GPL. The boot had been installed by the fall of '71 when I
attended the CanAm races there. The hillside (now family camping on Cup
weekend) overlooking the Boot was the place you could see the most track,
from the entry to the outer loop all the way back to the start of the front
stretch, with only a few breaks.

> > Since that loop has been put in, it has been used by every series.
> The
> > guardrail that's in the NASCAR Sim is not there in real life. The old
> > strait is still open and paved.

> I think he was talking more about the loop and not the chicane on the
> backstretch Mike. Whatever the situation, there is no sim that has the
loop
> except for GP2 from an user-created track.

> --
> -- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
> -- May the Downforce be with you...
> -- http://www.WeRace.net
> -- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't
realise
> how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

by **Tim 'Sundown' Traylo** » Wed, 05 Apr 2000 04:00:00

Indeed I was speaking of the "boot" that the vintage cars use,
not the backstretch chicane...I thought that the boot was referred to as
"the McDonald's Loop" (I THOUGHT I read that in the original NASCAR
Racing manual). Yes, I meant the boot (does it have a name besides "the
boot") and not the chicane on the backstretch...

Sundown305

by **Mike Barlo** » Thu, 06 Apr 2000 04:00:00

oh, ok then.. The Vintage cars are not the only ones that use the boot.
NASCAR is the only one that will not use it. Shame because with the vintage
NASCAR cars, they put on a nice show there a couple years ago :)

In any case, Many Pro and amateur events use the Boot. Just not NASCAR.
(does it have a name besides "the

>boot") The other name the Boot goes by would be the Long course.

by **Dave Henri** » Thu, 06 Apr 2000 04:00:00

> oh, ok then.. The Vintage cars are not the only ones that use the boot.
> NASCAR is the only one that will not use it. Shame because with the vintage
> NASCAR cars, they put on a nice show there a couple years ago :)

> In any case, Many Pro and amateur events use the Boot. Just not NASCAR.
> (does it have a name besides "the
> >boot") The other name the Boot goes by would be the Long course.

Yes the FIA sportscars that ran there last summer used the boot. It
was really neat trying to figure it out from the Viper In car Camera,
you left the course at the carosel and join just before the S/f
straight. very interesting and worthwhile addition to the rather plain
winston cup track.
dave henrie

by **Mike Barlo** » Thu, 06 Apr 2000 04:00:00

While we're talking about it.. Every weekend there is an event of some
kind. Even during the week. During the week, Admission is free last I
knew. Although those are mostly tire tests and an occasional team renting
the track for other tests. Still, if you're in the area, take a trip up to
the track. The finger lakes area has many museums, historical sites, ect..
and is wine country with many wineries.

>> oh, ok then.. The Vintage cars are not the only ones that use the
boot.
>> NASCAR is the only one that will not use it. Shame because with the
vintage
>> NASCAR cars, they put on a nice show there a couple years ago :)

>> In any case, Many Pro and amateur events use the Boot. Just not
NASCAR.
>> (does it have a name besides "the
>> >boot") The other name the Boot goes by would be the Long course.

> Yes the FIA sportscars that ran there last summer used the boot. It
>was really neat trying to figure it out from the Viper In car Camera,
>you left the course at the carosel and join just before the S/f
>straight. very interesting and worthwhile addition to the rather plain
>winston cup track.
>dave henrie