11 replies to this topic

[Graham Clayton]

After practice and qualifying for the 1990 CART race at the Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, several cars were experiencing problems in a bumpy section after turns one and two. Prior to the start of the race, the track was slightly reconfigured, eliminating the left-right combination of turns one and two. The main straight was extended towards the location of what was turn three, which then became turn one. The segment eliminated became instead an extended exit to the pit road. The new layout was then adopted permanently. The changes can be seen here:

http://theformulaone...ont_airport.jpg

Have there been any other examples of where a track has been substantially changed after qualifying and before the actual race?

[Altitude]

A temporary chicane made from polystyrene blocks was installed at Rouen les Essarts in 1973 for the race following Gerry Birrell's death in qualifying for the F2 race.

Also, in 1994, the temporary tyre chicane at Barcelona was changed over the weekend, although I think this happened before Saturday qualifying - originally on the Friday it was too tight and narrow.

[Stephen W]

Temporary chicanes are often changed between practice and the event. The problem being that they are often set up differently year on year.

Unfortunately simple measures like photgraphing or mapping temporary chicanes rarely takes place.

[Rob Semmeling]

A couple of years ago the organisers of the Belgian Grand Prix were stupid enough to paint a large advertisement on the track surface at Kemmel. Obviously the drivers weren't happy with it as the paint would become slippery in the rain. I think it was removed after one session.

The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix also comes to mind, when the track surface at the hairpin broke up. Can't remember whether it was during practice or qualifying, but they had to make repairs overnight.


On a similar note: are there any examples where qualifying and race took place on completely different layouts? From 1961-1970, qualifying for the Daytona 200 motorcycle race took place on the high-speed oval, whilst the race itself was held on the road course. Is that unique or are they other examples?

[Michael Ferner]

The Galveston beach races in Texas in the early teens used different layouts for different races, even on the same day. I believe that was quite common for beach races in general, and I'm sure it was done also at Ormond Beach in Florida and Old Orchard Beach in Maine.

[Graham Clayton]

On a similar note: are there any examples where qualifying and race took place on completely different layouts? From 1961-1970, qualifying for the Daytona 200 motorcycle race took place on the high-speed oval, whilst the race itself was held on the road course. Is that unique or are they other examples?

 

Rob,

 

After Bob Anderson had a crash on the Monza banking during the first session of qualifying for the 1963 Italian Grand Prix, it was decided that the Saturday qualifying session and race would take place on the road course only.

 

http://www.grandprix.../gpe/rr118.html

[TimRTC]

Funny this thread should re-emerge. This past weekend, the Saturday Formula E race at Battersea Park had a temporary restriction installed at the first corner, covering over a bumpy section of track that had caused some car damage during morning practice. As a result the race started behind safety car to ensure a single file move into the first corner.

 

The track was fixed overnight so it was open for full racing on the Sunday.

[Michael Ferner]

On a similar note: are there any examples where qualifying and race took place on completely different layouts? From 1961-1970, qualifying for the Daytona 200 motorcycle race took place on the high-speed oval, whilst the race itself was held on the road course. Is that unique or are they other examples?

Qualifying for the Pikes Peak hill climb usually ran over a shorter distance of the 12.5-mile course. Something like five or six miles, maybe it even changed over the years.

[63Corvette]

The (temporary) track for the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix (F1) around the Cottonbowl and the Centenial building and their associated parking lots changed significantly in both course and texture as the surface broke up under days of (several different calsses of support racers) practice and qualifying. The "official" course map which I had memorized bore significant differences from the reality which we raced on (Historic class) and CanAM driver Juan Fangio II spent hours rememorizing the course. At the end of the race, Nigel Mansel passed out from heat exhaustion and there were several (5?) former world champions cars lined up nose to tail after they had  crashed on marbles while exiting the hairpin.

[GBarclay]

Qualifying for the Pikes Peak hill climb usually ran over a shorter distance of the 12.5-mile course. Something like five or six miles, maybe it even changed over the years.

Correct

 

qualifying is held from the start line to just below Glen Cove. Different classes qualify on different days. 

 

For 2015, the race was shortened due to weather on the summit and other factors (same as 2012), so a little over half of the field actually raced the course that they qualified on, start line to Glen Cove. 

[Collombin]

there were several (5?) former world champions cars lined up nose to tail after they had  crashed on marbles while exiting the hairpin.

The line of cars is an enduring image from that race, but I think the 5 might only actually be 1.

[Henri Greuter]

One that was planned but not carried out eventually:

 

Indy 2005: the extra chicane to avoid cars entering Turn One at full speed which the normally so durable Michelins couldn't cope with that year....

 

 

Henri