New Country Club Tracks

A growing trend in Motorsports is the building of multi-purpose race tracks often with several different available layouts. In the USA, there have been several of these venues built. Barber Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway are two. Wonderful examples of what is possible in regard to both racing and spectator comforts. I just got to test a new rF track by Alex Sawchuck that re-creates one of these Country Clubs from England. The Bedford Autopark has at least 4 layouts and the promise of possibly three more. The work by Alex is wondeful, he's still got an issue or two to resolve, but for the most part, I think he's captured Beford. The trouble is...Bedford shares many similarities with another new USA Club course...Miller Autosports park. The two tracks have so many turns that learning them may be tougher than remembering the Nordschliefe because they both are FLAT FLAT FLAT!!! The flatness may enhance spectator viewing, but it sure puts a crimp on the driver's ability to recognize a corner. Compared to Barber or VIR or even older US tracks like Mid Ohio and Road Atlanta, the huge sprawling Miller/Bedford circuits are almost like hedge mazes...Do I turn left or right after this paticular corner combination I think I've seen twice already this lap? Many of the newer F1 circuits also present this problem. Baharain and Shanghai and Istanbul have all been designed by the same guy(I beleive) and the first two are AWFUL tracks. The third, because it utilizes natural terrain, hides the very problems that creep into such flat tracks. (granted I doubt there is even a hill taller than a 1 story house in Bahrain) Malaysia and the A1ring are also modern tracks...Malay has some climbing that helps give corners some identity, but none of the rest of the new tracks compares with the character of A1ring. Even though you could argue that many of the corners are similar in all the tracks. The addition of hilly terrain 'makes' the track. I know some great and inspiring tracks have very little elevation change, Le Mans or Silverstone for example, but most tracks, like Spa or Rouen seem to be alive compared to most of these modern circuits. Drive the 3 layouts in the VIR package...each has a flavor that makes recognizing them easy...even tho many of the corners are shared. Then go try and find your way around Bedford. I also suspect that passing at Miller and Bedford will be tough. Both the ALMS and Grand Am series will be at Miller this summer, has Bedford lined up any major Euro races? It would be interesting to view a race broadcast from there. Dave Henrie

A very good read, Dave. Pretty hard to argue that elevation changes make a track. Bathurst anyone?

Dave Henrie wrote: > The flatness may enhance spectator viewing, but it sure puts a crimp on > the driver's ability to recognize a corner. Compared to Barber or VIR or > even older US tracks like Mid Ohio and Road Atlanta, the huge sprawling > Miller/Bedford circuits are almost like hedge mazes...Do I turn left or > right after this paticular corner combination I think I've seen twice > already this lap? Good points Dave. Though Donington Park's terrain certainly makes it great for spectators. From the hilly bank by the old hairpin you can see loads of the track thanks to its elevation changes. From a sim perspective simulating elevation changes seems to have moved on well with title like GT Legends (Donington is impressive). NKPro promises with these work in progress shots too: http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/1946/ring23tj.jpg http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/6339/ring36nc.jpg Cheers Tony

On Mon, 29 May 2006 11:17:55 GMT, Tony Rickard wrote:

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> (Donington is impressive). NKPro promises with these work in progress > shots too: > > http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/1946/ring23tj.jpg > > http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/6339/ring36nc.jpg >

where, oh where shall I send money to speed up the development of this beauty??? Thanks for sharing, Tony, this is promising to be a great track. Cheers, uwe -- GPG Fingerprint: 2E 13 20 22 9A 3F 63 7F 67 6F E9 B1 A8 36 A4 61

Motorsports Ranch, just west of Dallas/Ft Worth is another example, and it's also FLAT... But most of North Texas is as well, so there's not much to be done about that. As for the tracks Dave mentions, that were designed for F1 by the same person, count Malaysia in with Bahrain, Shanghai and Istanbul. Of the 4 only Istanbul, as Dave points out is any good, the others are like enormous go-cart tracks, built to attract the F1 circus with excellent garage, paddock and hospitality areas for the teams. "Dave Henrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> A growing trend in Motorsports is the building of multi-purpose race > tracks often with several different available layouts. In the USA, there > have been several of these venues built. Barber Motorsports Park and > Virginia International Raceway are two. Wonderful examples of what is > possible in regard to both racing and spectator comforts. > > I just got to test a new rF track by > Alex Sawchuck that re-creates one of these Country Clubs from England. > The > Bedford Autopark has at least 4 layouts and the promise of possibly three > more. The work by Alex is wondeful, he's still got an issue or two to > resolve, but for the most part, I think he's captured Beford. The > trouble is...Bedford shares many similarities with another new USA Club > course...Miller Autosports park. The two tracks have so many turns that > learning them may be tougher than remembering the Nordschliefe because > they > both are FLAT FLAT FLAT!!! > > The flatness may enhance spectator viewing, but it sure puts a crimp on > the driver's ability to recognize a corner. Compared to Barber or VIR or > even older US tracks like Mid Ohio and Road Atlanta, the huge sprawling > Miller/Bedford circuits are almost like hedge mazes...Do I turn left or > right after this paticular corner combination I think I've seen twice > already this lap? > > Many of the newer F1 circuits also present this problem. Baharain > and Shanghai and Istanbul have all been designed by the same guy(I > beleive) > and the first two are AWFUL tracks. The third, because it utilizes > natural terrain, hides the very problems that creep into such flat tracks. > (granted I doubt there is even a hill taller than a 1 story house in > Bahrain) Malaysia and the A1ring are also modern tracks...Malay has some > climbing that helps give corners some identity, but none of the rest of > the new tracks compares with the character of A1ring. Even though you > could argue that many of the corners are similar in all the tracks. The > addition of hilly terrain 'makes' the track. > > I know some great and inspiring tracks have very little elevation > change, Le Mans or Silverstone for example, but most tracks, like > Spa or Rouen seem to be alive compared to most of these modern circuits. > > Drive the 3 layouts in the VIR package...each has a flavor that makes > recognizing them easy...even tho many of the corners are shared. Then go > try and find your way around Bedford. I also suspect that passing at > Miller and Bedford will be tough. > > Both the ALMS and Grand Am series will be at Miller this summer, has > Bedford lined up any major Euro races? It would be interesting to view a > race broadcast from there. > > Dave Henrie >