Jun 25, 2011 11:28:21 AM
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Carrageous
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Jun 25, 2011 11:33:22 AM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
We were confined to an observation area at the top of Turn ONe, which is the highest part of the track. If you look above the sign, you'll see on the left an area of red dirt, which is the site of the pits and paddock. To the left of that, the main straight -- now an indentation --- and then the grandstand area to the left of that.
The track rises about 130 feet from a low spot just below the final turn to the home straight and then comes up this hill. You can see it to the right of the sign.
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 25, 2011 11:34:57 AM
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Carrageous
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Jun 25, 2011 11:38:42 AM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Turn one is a tight left dropping down to a fast turn two. You can see the two turns here. The track itself has been excavated down ten feet and will be filled with a 60 mil plastic liner and several layers of a variety of high tech substances for stability. A bit like building an airport runway.
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 25, 2011 11:44:35 AM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
An aerial view of the site itself, looking southwest. Turn one is the farthest left point of the earthmoving, you can just see the loop. It's about 5 minutes from the airport via that toll road that cuts left to right in the middle distance. That gives great access from airports in Austin, San Antonio, Houston and even Dallas. At least, until you get to the two little narrow country roads and a single exit. Traffic jam city.
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 25, 2011 11:45:14 AM
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Carrageous
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Jun 25, 2011 11:48:46 AM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Artist's rendering. Hmmm, don't remember seeing any trees. This is not on the gorgeous, hilly, oak trees and rivers side of Austin. This is the side with overgrazed prairies of mesquite and Mexican rodeos.
Still if they plant some oak trees, in a hundred years they'll have some nice ones.
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 25, 2011 11:50:40 AM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Another rendering, showing the elevation at the end of the straight. There are two long straights. If we still have DRS next year, there may be two DRS segments. We'll see.
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 25, 2011 11:56:45 AM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Here's driving simulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPAsQJrMFPw&feature=related
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 25, 2011 12:04:01 PM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Tried to take a picture of the sign but some big dope went and stood in front of it. I'd like to point out that I've had my doubts about them being able to pull this off in time -- but they seem to be confident that they'll be ready.
I'd also like to point out that we were there on June 17th, which is the same date the race is currently scheduled four next year. It was 104 degrees F. (40 Celsius). That's a hot day to sit on a hillside facing west, if you know what I mean. To be fair, that was an historic heatwave and the average for that day is 92 degrees (33C)
And there are still political problems. Some in the city don't want to spend the money they'll need to kick in, etc.
But if it runs, I'll be there. The organizers are really reaching out to the Porsche and Ferrari clubs, promising a Porsche Platz at the race. The track will also be available for club use. (We offered to come rubber it in before the first race.)
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 26, 2011 10:04:25 AM
- easy_rider911
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Jun 26, 2011 6:25:18 PM
- Heist
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Wow. First time I have seen pictures outside of the ground breaking. That elevation change is really massive. Too bad they did not design it as a flat out "test of courage" uphill curve like Eau Rouge, versus this typical Heman Tilke fast straight into a bus-stop 2-3rd gear hairpin nonsense.
It's a silly Tilke design trait that does nothing for the competition or visual excitement. Blah! They really need to stop designing these brake test narrowing hairpins at the end of fast long straights. All that ends up happening is a pile-up accident as they all they all try to funnel in and out brake one another, and you immediately lose 5% of the field or more. I would rather see a large wide sweeper with multiple line choices for entry and run off, and the turn narrows only after the exit.
I can see now in all likelihood what's going to happen is cars/motorcycles will go flying up the main straight, then instead of flying around the turn in dramatic fashion battling to stay flat out and take the optimal line, instead they're going to brake check up 100 ft before the turn and choo-choo train in single file or slightly staggered to make the hairpin @ T1.
Also doesn't hurt that weight bias will probably still be on the rear since they're going uphill, so initially turn-in the front ends will be light and cause some understeer.
Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
W8MM:How interesting! It goes around counter-clock-wise. Must be a first!
--Mike
2005 Carrera GT + 2008 Tesla Roadster +2010 Panamera Turbo + 2001 BMW Z8 + 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi +2009 Bentley Arnage T
Jun 27, 2011 5:47:26 AM
- Spyderidol
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Jun 27, 2011 9:14:07 AM
- easy_rider911
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Jun 27, 2011 2:01:10 PM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Heist:
That elevation change is really massive. Too bad they did not design it as a flat out "test of courage" uphill curve like Eau Rouge, versus this typical Heman Tilke fast straight into a bus-stop 2-3rd gear hairpin nonsense.
Look at the complex of turns 6-10, where you come up from the bottom of the ridge through a series of fast esses into a fast, sweeping left hander that appears to crest the hill in the middle of the turn. More like what you're describing.
But I agree that it might have been more interesting to crank a big fast sweeper up that rise and then have it plunge back down.
All together though, I think it will be an interesting track for the race. Still need the city to vote to sponsor it to get the state matching funds of $25 million. They say the track road surface will be done August 1, which I find very hard to believe. I mean, I've seen how long it takes to lay a mile of freeway. This is more like a runway, with construction 10 feet down.
But these are the same contractors who built the Dallas Cowboys stadium, so I guess they know what they're talking about.
Oh, one more technical statistic: 27 rattlesnakes killed to date.
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Jun 27, 2011 2:06:11 PM
- Heist
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Jun 27, 2011 2:23:21 PM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
I know. They DO have HUGE crew out there. There must have been twenty or 30 pieces of heavy equipment running back and forth across the site. But here's how I do the math: You've essentially got 11 months to build the equivalent of a small airport. They broke ground about six months ago so I guess they're saying they're done with the earth moving and site prep and can now start laying down pavement and building up structures.
They ARE a huge construction firm, used to doing huge sports projects, so I willing to suspend my disbelief. And they DO have a rather public deadline which would be embarrassing to miss. So I'm going to guess they're in it to win it, which I applaud.
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jun 27, 2011 2:53:44 PM
- Heist
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
We shall see. I know when they repaved Daytona last year it took the team about 30 days just to repave the 2.5 mile oval with the base limestone already in place from the original construction. Perhaps there is some new type of faster road laying machine.
Jun 28, 2011 8:46:57 AM
- Spyderidol
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
"There are going to be a lot of things that we're not going to be able to have finished by the first Grand Prix. I think I'd be misleading people by saying that we're going to have everything perfect. That won't be accurate. I think and hope that the fans understand that there will be some components that aren't exactly ironed-out. There are some things that will have to wait until 2013. " - Tavo Hellmund
www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2011/the_way_it_is_no291.html
Jun 28, 2011 1:24:42 PM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Spyderidol:
"There are going to be a lot of things that we're not going to be able to have finished by the first Grand Prix. I think I'd be misleading people by saying that we're going to have everything perfect. That won't be accurate. I think and hope that the fans understand that there will be some components that aren't exactly ironed-out. There are some things that will have to wait until 2013. " - Tavo Hellmund
www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2011/the_way_it_is_no291.html
Precisely. Just as long as we don't have tumbleweed blowing down the home straight...
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Jul 1, 2011 6:35:18 PM
- Gladstone
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
A little more than half the distance to Montreal! I'm looking forward to it.
Whose front air dam was taken out by a groundhog in Montreal? (Kubica, wasn't it?)
Tumbleweed might compete with the Cottonwood pollen for glogging radiator airflow, but you'll need an armadillo to match that groundhog!
Jul 1, 2011 6:43:34 PM
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Carrageous
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Jul 1, 2011 10:00:33 PM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Three bits of breaking news...
1. Austin's city council agreed to sponsor the race, making upt to $25 million in state funds available to the project.
2. Australian V8 Supercars have signed to race at COTA for the first North American race on their calendar. Apparently, they're planning to expand around the world.
More here: http://www.crash.net/V8+SUPERCARS/news/170791/1/v8_supercars_to_race_at_circuit_of_the_americas.html
3. ALMS is apparently considering adding the Austin track to their calendar, too.
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"We all love the music. What we hope is that the music loves us." -- Tom Waits
Nov 14, 2011 10:40:12 AM
- easy_rider911
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Some strange comments made by Bernie Ecclestone at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix regarding the chances of this race going ahead ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15711813.stm
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Nov 14, 2011 5:11:15 PM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
If it doesn't go through, we'll have the world's only Tilke designed Porsche Club track!
I fly over it every few weeks and as of two weeks ago, the progress is not very visible. Still laying down the ten-foot deep substrate for the track itself. No paving or building foundation work visible at this time, at least not from 5,000 feet up.
I hope they make it!
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Nov 14, 2011 5:36:45 PM
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Carrageous
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Carrageous:
They say the track road surface will be done August 1, which I find very hard to believe.
Skimming through the thread, I came across this, from my visit in late June. Now it's November and no road surface visible. So they can say they're on schedule, but they're not.
Bummer. No wonder Ecclestone is doubtful.
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Nov 16, 2011 2:56:58 AM
- JesseBank
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Hmmmm... and the legal wrangling begins. This doesn't look good.
http://www.pitpass.com/45249-Organizers-suspend-Austin-construction
http://www.pitpass.com/45250-Texas-official-pulls-plug-on-GP-funding
Nov 16, 2011 10:00:23 AM
- easy_rider911
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Re: Tour of Circuit of the Americas
Yeah, looks tricky. More on this story
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/11/texas-finance-chief-confirms-new-jersey-race-threatens-austin-event/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15750083.stm
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