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cameraman
07-30-05, 01:22 AM
The folks in charge must have had a whole lot of fun today.

The delays stemmed from a host of issues ranging from a crane operator walking off the job Thursday night around midnight and a last-minute reposition of a bleacher section at the Turn Three hairpin to a total overhaul of the Turn One-Two chicane, not to mention that more than sixty of the beefy support poles for the debris fencing seem to have been “liberated” by some enterprising locals.

Thanks to the crane operator’s disappearing act, only one of the two spectator bridges was operational most of the day. And as the result of the disappearance of the debris fence poles, the first few sessions went off with no debris fence atop the last few barriers separating the start/finish straightaway from the pit lane.

Although workers were busily completing the second bridge in the afternoon and new debris fence poles arrived during the day, several key issues regarding the layout of the racetrack itself are likely to be addressed tonight. The rest of the SpeedTV article (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/18535/)
chop456
07-30-05, 01:33 AM
Do the Minutemen still need something to do?
FCYTravis
07-30-05, 08:15 AM
Changing the layout of the racetrack in the middle of the weekend? :saywhat:
chop456
07-30-05, 08:27 AM
If they're adding runoff, it's a non-issue.
FCYTravis
07-30-05, 08:30 AM
Agreed.
fourrunner
07-30-05, 08:31 AM
The Crane operator was an IRL Fan ... Probably the only IRL Fan with Health Benefits ! ;)
spinner26
07-30-05, 10:47 AM
This all wouldn't be a move to show the allmighty F-1 Gods that yes, infact you can make changes to a course mid weekend and continue with the event would it? ;)
Steve99
07-30-05, 12:59 PM
I don't think track changes at a first year street race are that unusual.
cameraman
07-30-05, 01:00 PM
Changing the layout of the racetrack in the middle of the weekend? :saywhat:

Adding more tires here, moving a wall back there and tweaking the chicane to lessen the chances of crashing out a chunk of the field. The overall layout is the same.
NismoZ
07-30-05, 02:10 PM
But, if the overall layout sucked to begin with...? No, I understand the necessity for the changes and applaud the speed with which they are being accomplished, with a few nicks here and there. (think that crane guy figured working 'til midnight was just about long enough?) But it IS all a little scary. Proof that looking at a plan on paper often just doesn't look the same when you see it on the ground! Even computer graphics are a little too "pristine."
Tim
07-30-05, 02:26 PM
Looks like they added a chicane right before the hairpin. Bourdais is about 2 seconds slower today.
TorontoWorker
07-30-05, 02:35 PM
Care of Race Director comments:

Dominguez: "I'm getting a headache from going over those railroad tracks." Cars are coming as much as 6 inches off the ground with all four wheels as they fly through the front straight chicane.

Da Matta: "I feel like it's going to break the car in half over those railroad
tracks."

So far OWRS has done a lot right. But this event appears to be cluster **** from the get go.
nrc
07-30-05, 03:19 PM
The chicane is unfortunate because it removes the hairpin as a potential passing spot.

I'm surprised to see that the chicane before the tracks is more of a kink. I expected something to slow them down a bit more.
Jervis Tetch 1
07-30-05, 03:38 PM
This is all going to make for quite a Sunday.
FRANKY
07-30-05, 03:51 PM
I'm lost. :(
Which chicane are the tracks at?

http://www.sanjosegrandprix.com/images/Trackmap.700.jpg
Insomniac
07-30-05, 03:52 PM
This all wouldn't be a move to show the allmighty F-1 Gods that yes, infact you can make changes to a course mid weekend and continue with the event would it? ;)

They aren't changing the course because some teams can't race on the track. They're changing it for the safety of everyone.
Insomniac
07-30-05, 03:55 PM
Are some of you missing something? They tightened up the chicane because it was too fast and are returning it back to the way it was (and designed).
cameraman
07-30-05, 04:21 PM
The tracks run on San Carlos.
FRANKY
07-30-05, 04:23 PM
The tracks run on San Carlos.

So they cross them twice?
cameraman
07-30-05, 04:50 PM
So they cross them twice?

Yes. The second crossing (the upper one) is slower so it has not been as much of a problem.
FRANKY
07-30-05, 04:56 PM
Yes. The second crossing (the upper one) is slower so it has not been as much of a problem.

Thanks
pferrf1
07-30-05, 07:54 PM
Care of Race Director comments:

Dominguez: "I'm getting a headache from going over those railroad tracks." Cars are coming as much as 6 inches off the ground with all four wheels as they fly through the front straight chicane.

Da Matta: "I feel like it's going to break the car in half over those railroad
tracks."

So far OWRS has done a lot right. But this event appears to be cluster **** from the get go.

Since when are OWRS responsible for the circuit preparation? Having the track ready to race is the promoter's job.
Dr. Corkski
07-30-05, 10:46 PM
The light rail tracks are causing the Champ Cars and Atlantics at a lesser degree to literally get air going thru the kink. There were shots of Fabio with all 4 corners in the air going over the tracks.

The new chicane was placed at San Fernando/Almaden before T3, by moving back the barriers back a bit since there isn't an island at the intersection there. They have curbs up and the cars do get close to the wall as they come off of it.
TorontoWorker
07-31-05, 11:34 AM
Since when are OWRS responsible for the circuit preparation? Having the track ready to race is the promoter's job.

OWRS IS responsible. They APPROVE and INSPECT the circuit. They do this months in advance and they make many onsite visits BEFORE the weekend even happens.

Further: The promoter is responsible to make sure the tarck is built to pre-approved plans. Any changes have to be signed off by OWRS officials.
Items such as fencing not up in time or bridges built in time ARE the promoters fault. Track layout has to be approved by OWRS based on the promoters designs and with input of the insurance agent.

Your idea that I am having issues with track "preparation" is wrong. It's Not track preparation I have an issue with - it's the layout/design I have an issue with. This track should never have been layout the way it has been. This was all about marketing and fitting in a race track and everything else be damned.

This is exactly the way NOT to hold street races and it will not help Champ Car in their fight for market share or team owners budgets when they haul off all the broken bits to the transporters tonight.

Changing the track layout every day for three days running is not building up anyones confidence that this group (OWRS) knows what they are doing.

One mistake (approving this track layout) leads to more and more changes which result in others issues occuring and leading to more changes.

One hopes that Champ Car can learn from this and move on. I'm not against this race location - just the foolish layout. We can only deal with next year as it is too late right now to do much else - but they have to find a new race layout through this town that gives them a wider track, more runoff at the end of highspeed straights and no more tram tracks to fly over! :mad:

I think we are dealing with smart people at OWRS and I believe they see that changes will have to be made for next year. If people judge the success of an event solely on fan counts, then they may feel at home at the forum in Rome I guess.

I've worked bulls**t street events such as the one and only Buffalo race, the one and only Hamilton Atlantic race - not every city that asks to hold a race SHOULD in fact hold one. It all starts and ends with track layout - everything else is details.
fourrunner
07-31-05, 02:46 PM
Most Street Races are accused of being Parades anyway, so no matter what happens ... this too shall pass

The management has already stated that changes will be made for next year ...

This is a case of what looks OK on paper, doesn't translate to reality ...

the negatives of a new venue, that only becomes a real race track a day before the event starts, is what is the problem here !

Learn & Move On

It might even be an entertaining race ! ( please, please, please)
KLang
07-31-05, 03:32 PM
fourrunner :thumbup:

I am impressed that Champ Car seems to be doing everything they can to make the best of things. Can you imagine how the old CART board would have reacted?

I did thoroughly enjoy watching the in-car laps on Race Director yesterday. Not only are they battling each other but also the track.