Racerrob

Just read the Driver's' death post and the excellent article. I agree that until the racers demand it, the tracks will not fix "dangerous" corners. Bad things can happen anywhere on a track but it got me thinking about what corners/runoff areas/barriers are present threats that need to be fixed. A few came to mind:

I love racing at the Glen but the infamous blue hedges are a a problem in several areas, especially in the esses and T11.

Nelson's Ledges is a very fast and fun layout but the runoff and tire barriers around the whole place are scary.

T9 at Beaverun is a disaster waiting to happen. I have seen many, many cars written off there.

I understand Mosport has modified the runoff in T2 and T8-9--that was a good call.

Roebling has runoff and tire barrier problems.

What do you folks see out there?

FullThrottle64

Road America - the Kink; I've seen a number of cars destroyed there, as there's no runoff room to speak of. T7 isn't far from that - I wrote a car off there a month ago.

Roebling's only real problem is the pit wall, if you go off driver's left and over-correct.

Portland - the last turn onto the straight. I haven't run there in years, but we used to almost brush "the point" as a track-out marker; in an open-wheel car, this was inches away from hooking the left rear and stuffing nose-first into the wall on the main straight. It's happened before...glad I wasn't there to see it.

Chads996

Turn 12 at Road Atlanta. Fast corner with some fun little changes in camber. Do it wrong - concrete in every direction. Over the years, there have been some very serious wrecks there.

C.

SoClose

Agree with Chads996- Turn 12 at Rd Atlanta. The Kink at Rd America. Top of the Esses at The Glen.

Sean F

Downhill at Lime Rock

tomburdge

No argument there but we could also probably add "west bend" .
I've seen numerous cars try to save two wheels off and hook it into the bridge abutment. Not much room for error.

Charles A. Toupin

That's it. I gotta race RA. Seems incredible.

I raced Mosport and VIR (my favorites), Mt-Tremblant, The Glen and some others less interesting tracks and after seeing that picture, I must go there!

c.

gbuff

I run there regularly and though T2 is much improved, that concrete wall is still pre-tty dayum close--be careful!

Gary

Charles A. Toupin

With the new asphalt on the outside of the turn, it is much more safer than it used to be. IMHO, it is not a dangerous corner anymore. I may be wrong though, but I don't see it as a threat. I think that corner 4 is more dangerous than 2. If you make a mistake in 4, you're done, alas in 2, you can try to save it (even before, although it was tough to save, but that was possible).

c.

gbuff

See, I feel just the opposite....I have a slow car but I have no problem taking Turn 4 flat, where that just ain't happenin' in T2!

But I do agree that you sure wouldn't want to get 4 wrong--god knows where you'd end up.

Gary

hacker-pschorr

How about places like Blackhawk where you end up in a swamp or wrapped around a tree?

pontifex4

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.

Doug007

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?"

The biggest differentiator is the angle of impact and the presence of immovable objects (concrete walls, large trees, etc.) This article from another thread gives great insights: http://blog.parathyroid.com/race-car...racing-deaths/

For example, I would be more worried about Canada corner than the kink. The kink will surely write-off many cars but it is tough to go head on into anything there. 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.

sbelles

Wait a minute. ^^^ I haven't been there in a few years but what happened to the bridge after Canada?

chartersb

to paraphrase Richard Spenard (google the name) about T4 at Mosport; "It doesn't really matter how fast you enter or where you turn in, you will always get to the bottom (T5)".