cooleyjb

Updated photos showing what it looks like coming out of Canada. Still pretty blind but without the wall it's just not as intimidating.



And it would appear that the access road used by Barber is untouched but I imagine that if you are going wide and cutting the corner through the dirt that people often do you better not do something silly and loop it because I imagine there will be a BIG wall protecting the tunnel.

TheOtherEric

Why are they going thru all this effort and cost to take down that bridge while ignoring the elephant in the room - THE KINK!?!? You'd think that after Catherine Legg's accident in the Kink last year that maybe, just maybe, they'd finally realize that they need a freakin run-off area after the kink. Sorry, but seeing so many cars get wrecked there I can't understand why we put up with it. How much could a little sand pit possibly cost?!?! [/rant]

cooleyjb

I believe the area on the other side of the fence is protected wildlife area and can't be further developed. The do have the option of running "the bend" before the kink which is what they do for the motorcycle events. It makes the kink a non-issue straight. Noone chooses to do that in cars.

She also wasn't the only accident that weekend in the Kink. Jim Daniels in a MX-5 cup car broke his suspension going through the kink and smacke the wall pretty hard. I think he escaped with a few broken ribs and car that he had put up for sale the week before that noone now wanted.

skl

There are RR tracks right behind that wall- not sure they're even used anymore but they're still there... I hate that corner but it separates the men from the boys...

lipamax

Back in '99 I was running my 944TS at Memorial weekend DE. It was my first weekend in that car (just stepped up from 944NA) and first session of the weekend. I was going into the Kink and carrying more speed then I should, missed apex by 2-3 feet what cost me to drop two wheels on the grass. Rear end came around start spinning and pointing right into the inside wall (scary sh*t). We all know "if you spin, both feet in". I was on the brakes, but fighting the car to get it under control. Still came into the contact/impact with inside wall (loud noise, that none of us wants to hear), stall the engine and was "flying" back on the track, but at least in right direction. Using momentum I through in 2nd gear, fired back up and was on my way to paddock. Car seems drove OK. It was long ride to the paddock... Trying to figure out how much damage I just made, was swearing and screaming to myself for wracking the car,. How stupid I was to push it in first session of the first day (at that time I didn't know yet how big of a damage car had). When I pulled of the track, I jumped out of car and ran to my right rear q/panel and FREAKED OUT! What I saw, was the grinned paint spot about 2 inches on right side of bumperet. THAT'S ALL! I couldn't belive how lucky I was. I never fixed that spot, even after I turned that car into clubracer and then sold it. For me it was always reminder.
Since then I treat that corner with LOTS of respect!
Sorry for long post.
Mike

TonyN

[QUOTE=cooleyjb]I believe the area on the other side of the fence is protected wildlife area and can't be further developed. The do have the option of running "the bend" before the kink which is what they do for the motorcycle events. It makes the kink a non-issue straight. Noone chooses to do that in cars.
/QUOTE]

It looks like gravel pit to me (on the left outside of the kink).

cstreit

So let me see if I get this... They'll replace the Billy Mitchell Bridge with a huge wall protecting a tunnel that will sit almost perpendicular to the track?! Yeah, that does seem safer.. uh huh.

GG Allin

My favorite kink video. Here.

cooleyjb

Here is the one of Jim Daniels in 2006 at the kink with a broken suspension.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...78985356195848

cooleyjb

Here's another example of how not to take the kink.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...ica+kink&hl=en

cooleyjb

Just got back from a weekend up there.

The site picture out of Canada is REALLY weird the first few times going through it. Runout area after the 'bridge' has expanded greatly and they've put in a big gravel trap so mistakes through the turn won't be as costly. You can't see the outside wall until you're through the turn. The walls protecting the tunnel are a good ways from corner exit and shouldnt' be an issue unless you do something really bad. It doesn't look like they've setup the new corner station but it loooks like they had a bunch of stuff near where the bridge used to be. New pavement over the tunnel looked good.

They've expanded the rumble strips with some very aggressive new bumps at the exits of many of the corners. Turn 8, Canada and 14 are the bigger ones that come to mind.

They've taken away some of the gravel trap in turn five and paved it so if you do go off just a little you can get back on pretty easily.

DrJupeman

Thanks for the update. I was wondering about this the other day.

Charlie944

Having only been on the track once but spectated many times I always thought that was one of the most rememberable aspects of the track. I liked the hidden corner just after going under the bridge. Thanks for posting the update cooleyjb.