Most Dangerous Corners in the US?
10-18-2013, 03:45 PM
#16
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Still an awesome corner! Seen many a car written off tracking out too wide and hooking back drivers left...
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10-18-2013, 03:48 PM
#17
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True danger is not so much a question of "where are you likely to wad up a car?" but more "where are you more likely to have a fatal or life-altering crash?"
A B-spec driver nearly died at Canada corner when he went full speed into the wall at the end of the straight and into the tire wall. Gravel traps really don't do jack when you have a brake failure and skate over them at >100 mph.
Any track that doesn't keep you from large trees is probably highest on the list of dangers.
A B-spec driver nearly died at Canada corner when he went full speed into the wall at the end of the straight and into the tire wall. Gravel traps really don't do jack when you have a brake failure and skate over them at >100 mph.
Any track that doesn't keep you from large trees is probably highest on the list of dangers.
It was actually a leading ST car (B-Spec's are much more tame) and Pombo is a very lucky boy! It was really touch and go there for awhile...
10-18-2013, 03:55 PM
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10-18-2013, 04:06 PM
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As of Saturday turn 7 a t Mid Ohio is tops on my list!
10-18-2013, 04:39 PM
#21
The biggest threat there is the wildlife; a few years ago, a Formula Ford right in front of me struck a wild turkey at speed. The end result was fatal for the driver.
10-18-2013, 04:52 PM
#22
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Once again, I'm glad you are going to be OK. Safety at that corner could be improved considerably. There is plenty of room beyond China Beach to move the tire wall back another 100 yards if they wanted to. It's not a viewing area so there's no down side besides cost.
10-18-2013, 05:08 PM
#23
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Yep! I can't take 2 flat. Nor 4, nearly but not, I have to lift, shift in 5th then gradually flooring the pedal. So it is not flat in a NA 944 race car with hoosiers R6. I once did it flat when the car was underpowered by 35-40hp. Not today. To me, 2 is easy and not scary. But that is me.
Agree with Charlie, Mosport is light years ahed now...
c.
I'm with Charles -- I think 4 is more dangerous. In his car, he's likely within 10 km/h of his top speed at the end of the back straight when he's coming out of 4, and the runoff definitely doesn't work in your favour. Add to that that it's a natural place for high power cars to catch low power ones, and you create quite a danger zone. I think the only reason that there aren't more wrecks there is that it's so scary.
Having said that, Mosport is now light years ahead of where it was even last year. There are almost no walls that you can hit square (except at 5, where they have also greatly improved runoff, and after 9).
And, as stated in the OP, Nelson Ledges should be condemned. Those tire piles are basically inflammable launching ramps.
Having said that, Mosport is now light years ahead of where it was even last year. There are almost no walls that you can hit square (except at 5, where they have also greatly improved runoff, and after 9).
And, as stated in the OP, Nelson Ledges should be condemned. Those tire piles are basically inflammable launching ramps.
Agree with Charlie, Mosport is light years ahed now...
c.
10-18-2013, 05:20 PM
#24
Burning Brakes
Der Professor, having regularly rattled cars off the tirewalls at the Ledges over the last few decades, begs to differ. While they are unattractive, filled with bug sperm / frog snot, and are a breeding ground for an assortment of flying /crawling / slithering pests, they do serve the racer well. A hit to the belted tire piles at the Glen / LRP / Mid-O / RA will be hard and likely tear something important off your car, a hit at Nelson is a more docile whack. Tires launch, frog snot flies, woodchucks are disrupted, but there is no sharp "impulse hit", as the energy is slowly dissipated. Result ? Willie and the tow crew pull you off the wall, and you're amazed how how little damage is actually done.
I contrast that with all the other tracks where I've had "big ones" (VIR, WGI, LRP, Summit, Mosport...jeezuz, is there any place I haven't hit something ?), where I needed a spatula and squeegee to put the remains of the car back in / on the trailer.
Mosport, aside from being on my short "favorite tracks" list, scares the **** out of me. T2, pre-moving the outside wall back (late 90's-ish ?) was soul-curdling pucker-fest all the way down the hill. That freakin Tarzwell guy from Ontario used to regularly tell me how much I sucked at T2. ("yeah, thanks for the encouragement, Bob..."). T4 was a hoot until that lone white birch died...now I got nowhere to aim...but as long as you got to the bottom pointed mostly forward, you weren't going to wad it up.
If you're going "fast enough", T2 at Mosport...still the scariest place on earth.
10-18-2013, 05:35 PM
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Or maybe it is the fact that I had to tow a badly crashed 930 out of corner 4 and broom the debries out of the track...
c.
10-18-2013, 06:47 PM
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10-18-2013, 07:19 PM
#28
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You missed one Kurt. 
I agree it's a great corner. My first time there was for a Nordstern advanced DE back in about 2002. Some of the locals volunteered to ride along with those who hadn't been there before. After three or four laps I hadn't "learned" the track but I wasn't getting lost and I'd learned that Canada was quite fun. When I came up to it on the last lap that the guy was going to ride with me, he started to say "slooOOOOW DOWN! This is the slowest corners on the track!" After the corner he said "I guess it's not as slow as I thought." I'll have to get back there to race, It seems like the bridge was part of what made it cool.
I agree it's a great corner. My first time there was for a Nordstern advanced DE back in about 2002. Some of the locals volunteered to ride along with those who hadn't been there before. After three or four laps I hadn't "learned" the track but I wasn't getting lost and I'd learned that Canada was quite fun. When I came up to it on the last lap that the guy was going to ride with me, he started to say "slooOOOOW DOWN! This is the slowest corners on the track!" After the corner he said "I guess it's not as slow as I thought."
I'll have to get back there to race, It seems like the bridge was part of what made it cool.
10-18-2013, 09:22 PM
#29
Gary
10-18-2013, 11:00 PM
#30
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Well, the next question is how many of these corners can be fixed? I suppose guardrails could be replaced with perhaps safer barrier but many of these corners have no room to increase runoff or have immovable objects. No room to widen the esses at the Glen. T11 walk could be moved but only by moving a grandstand--never gonna happen. Looks like no room to do anything with T12 at Atlanta. The beach at Mid Ohio could be paved.
Professor, I have seen more cars climb the tires and end up in the woods than repelled at Nelsons.
Professor, I have seen more cars climb the tires and end up in the woods than repelled at Nelsons.