137 replies to this topic

[MattK9]

Nordschleife

 

Cadwell park has a jump halfway around the lap. So do Knockhill, kind of.

 

Monaco as it is the only F1 track that doesnt meet FIA standards for safety. And it is the only race of the year which is not as interesting as the qualifing for the race.

 

Any of the FE tracks would be unusual if they werent all very similar to each other.

[Sheepmachine]

Surprised there's been no mention of this:


Portero de los Funes in Argentina, built in the middle of an extinct volcano.

I remember that, shame they haven't gone back there it was an awesome track.

[Anja]

No mention of Macau? It's well known but very unusual in my eyes. It's a bit like two completely different circuits joined together - the contrast between that twisty, narrow part and long, wide straights is huge. Sort of like Pescara Circuit (another worthy mention) in a smaller scale.

Edited by Anja, 14 August 2015 - 11:07.

[noikeee]

The truly unusual thing about Macau is the corner where it's so tight there's a permanent yellow flag being waved to forbid you from overtaking.

 

I wouldn't want to be the marshall standing in that corner. That job will certainly kill your wrists by the end of the race...

[Radoye]

Surprised there's been no mention of this:

 

 

Portero de los Funes in Argentina, built in the middle of an extinct volcano.

 

I wouldn't call this so much unusual as awesome. Easily the best race track in the world today.
 

[Radoye]

No mention of Macau? It's well known but very unusual in my eyes. It's a bit like two completely different circuits joined together - the contrast between that twisty, narrow part and long, wide straights is huge. Sort of like Pescara Circuit (another worthy mention) in a smaller scale.

 

From what i've seen, the new Azerbaijan GP track will be something similar. Long wide straights, and then a twisty narrow bit around the old fort.

[Kristian]

From what i've seen, the new Azerbaijan GP track will be something similar. Long wide straights, and then a twisty narrow bit around the old fort.

 

And the old bit is cobbled streets. 

 

I'm still wondering how they are going to surface that, given the whole area is a UNESCO site.... 

[Tardis40]

I don't know if you can label this a circuit, or even racing as we know it.  But it definitely is unusual.

[August]

I wouldn't call this so much unusual as awesome. Easily the best race track in the world today.

Are there any races at Potrero de los Funes nowadays? Recently I checked it and could find no series racing there this year, also couldn't find for last year.

[Radoye]

Are there any races at Potrero de los Funes nowadays? Recently I checked it and could find no series racing there this year, also couldn't find for last year.

 

TC2000 had a race there last November.

[Mila]

A couple of years back, Tom Jones played the Singapore Grand Prix, so, as far as that track goes, it's not unusual.

 

Edited by Mila, 14 August 2015 - 20:41.

[Risil]

I don't know if you can label this a circuit, or even racing as we know it.  But it definitely is unusual.

 

What the hell was that!

[PayasYouRace]

A couple of years back, Tom Jones played the Singapore Grand Prix, so, as far as that track goes, it's not unusual.

 

 

I thought he failed to qualify for the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix 

[alfista]

I was watching that for a while! It was so bizarre! At a point a car spun on the exit of a corner, and it was so narrow all the other cars just waited in a queue until the driver got the car going again.  No safety car or anything.

 

At another point a car went into the pits for fuel and it looked like he stopped at a regular gas station, except a couple mechanics came in to service him. 

Talking about Palanga 1000 kms in Lithuania, it is overstatement to call it a track. It is just a junction and a stretch of dual carriageway. I have been there a few years ago and can tell you it was "modified" for this year. The very same section where a car spun and blocked the traffic during the race is a new one. Previously they drove a little bit further and then basically did a U-turn, now it was more like two 90-degree turns. There were even some sections with double Armco, although mostly there was only a single guardrail. Highlights video showed Lexus IS-F crashing almost head-on into the guardrail on the "main" straight because of aquaplaning, fortunately the barrier held on and the car remained on its side of track. Plus they even didn't bother to take down traffic signs. And if you had seen the paddock area... Basically, if it rains (and it rains almost every year) the paddock turns into a big puddle of mud. And yes, the refuelling took place in a very regular gas station with very regular pumps. So all in all, very unusual track really. I wonder how on earth can they get licence to run race there and even attract some international entries (i.e. Team Bleekemolen this year).

Edited by alfista, 14 August 2015 - 21:51.

[racinggeek]

I don't know if you can label this a circuit, or even racing as we know it.  But it definitely is unusual.

 

What the hell was that!

 

Oh, you young pups -- It was, as titled on the video, the Figure 8 World Championship from Islip Speedway, a 1/5-mile oval on Long island in New York State. This was an annual broadcast on ABC-TV's "Wide World of Sports," along with the "world championship" demolition derbies held at Islip each year. Figure 8 racing was pretty popular at the local, run-weekly short tracks in the US of A in the 1960s and '70s, and some tracks still have them, such as Wisconsin International Raceway, a 1/2-mile a short hop down the road from me. Good show for the fans, of course, and some drivers did take it rather seriously, from what I understand.

 

BTW, Islip was one of the best-known tracks for modified racing in the Northeast before it closed in 1984 and actually hosted the NASCAR Grand National/Cup series several times in the late '60s -- yes, the top dogs in the top series on a 1/5-mile oval.

[Myrvold]

Talking about Palanga 1000 kms in Lithuania, it is overstatement to call it a track. It is just a junction and a stretch of dual carriageway. I have been there a few years ago and can tell you it was "modified" for this year. The very same section where a car spun and blocked the traffic during the race is a new one. Previously they drove a little bit further and then basically did a U-turn, now it was more like two 90-degree turns. There were even some sections with double Armco, although mostly there was only a single guardrail. Highlights video showed Lexus IS-F crashing almost head-on into the guardrail on the "main" straight because of aquaplaning, fortunately the barrier held on and the car remained on its side of track. Plus they even didn't bother to take down traffic signs. And if you had seen the paddock area... Basically, if it rains (and it rains almost every year) the paddock turns into a big puddle of mud. And yes, the refuelling took place in a very regular gas station with very regular pumps. So all in all, very unusual track really. I wonder how on earth can they get licence to run race there and even attract some international entries (i.e. Team Bleekemolen this year).

I think it sounds awesome! I would seriously love to drive in that race! ^^,

[scolbourne]

 

Video of the 1937 Avus track.

[Bleu]

I think Enna-Pergusa fits here as it's built around the lake.

 

Edited by Bleu, 15 August 2015 - 12:39.

[Rob29]

I think Enna-Pergusa fits here as it's built around the lake.

 

Thats a great shot I had not seen before Anyone know if this circuit is still used? Last heard of for F3000 some years ago

[BRG]

Oh yes, but you just missed the big meeting of the year.

 

I always suspected that racing at Enna was in some way subsidised by the chaps that make you offers that you can't refuse.

[Rob29]

Oh yes, but you just missed the big meeting of the year.

 

I always suspected that racing at Enna was in some way subsidised by the chaps that make you offers that you can't refuse.

Thanks for that BRG-I remember those stories were common re.Sicilian racing-Targa Florio;Giro di Sicilia;Sirausa GP? Never been there-always wanted to go-no coverage of italian national racing here

[Rob Semmeling]

Unusual race tracks...

How about Asan Circuit in Japan? A quirky little collection of hairpins where the Japanese like to race mini mini-vans.

In terms of quirkiness, it's rivalled by good old Dover Raceway in Jamaica, man. It's tight, narrow, bumpy, and a little crazy.

Speaking of crazy, in Colombia they like to race motorbikes through rows of people.

Did you know there's Grand Prix racing in Angola?

On a serious note though, street circuits are dangerous. Especially in Peru. And Haiti.

Going back to just quirky, Brazil has the Autódromo Geraldo Backer. Little track, big fun.

But of course, sometimes bigger is just better.

[Peat]

Outstanding post, Rob.

[Jim Thurman]

Nice find.

 

I'm always surprised how many street(-ish) races they have in the US - given the size of the place you would have thought they would have more road courses.

 

Do you mean permanent road courses? ...or public roadways?  If it's the former, there are quite a few. If it's the latter, well, it hasn't really been allowed much since the 1950s.

 

Don't think they have any 'road courses' in the USA? Those that I know of are in Ireland & Isle of Man-nowdays for bikes only. Does a Trans Am series still exist?-I have been to rounds at Pheonix,Long Beach & Reno.

 

Aside from "street courses", none that I am aware of since the 1950s, aside from Bottomless Lakes Park (there were some temporary tracks using park roads in the 60s and 70s). Trans-Am was gone for a few years, but was revived around 2009.

 

In the US they call any purpose-built circuit (or any street circuit), a "road course". Basically anything that isn't an oval gets filed into that term.

 

No, we don't. Broadcasters and media folk began combining them into one, but us fans know the difference and refer to them separately

[Anja]

Speaking of crazy, in Colombia they like to race motorbikes through rows of people.
 

 

I don't know what would be scarier in this event - being one of the riders or spectators.

Edited by Anja, 16 August 2015 - 16:45.

[Jim Thurman]

Oh, you young pups -- It was, as titled on the video, the Figure 8 World Championship from Islip Speedway, a 1/5-mile oval on Long island in New York State. This was an annual broadcast on ABC-TV's "Wide World of Sports," along with the "world championship" demolition derbies held at Islip each year. Figure 8 racing was pretty popular at the local, run-weekly short tracks in the US of A in the 1960s and '70s, and some tracks still have them, such as Wisconsin International Raceway, a 1/2-mile a short hop down the road from me. Good show for the fans, of course, and some drivers did take it rather seriously, from what I understand.

 

BTW, Islip was one of the best-known tracks for modified racing in the Northeast before it closed in 1984 and actually hosted the NASCAR Grand National/Cup series several times in the late '60s -- yes, the top dogs in the top series on a 1/5-mile oval.

 

It's not "young pups", it's more Euro pups    Yep, Figure 8 racing was quite common in the 60s and 70s in th U.S. and not only on pavement, but on dirt as well.

 

I know it will be difficult for some of the oval haters here to grasp, but of the thousands and thousands ovals, many were/are quite distinctive and had something to distinguish them from other ovals: different degrees of banking, different radius corners, odd shapes, etc. and with dirt ovals, different types of dirt/clay surface came into play. They weren't exactly alike. And that was/is the charm.

[johnmhinds]

We still have figure 8 racing in Europe.

 

Only we use Reliant Robins!

 

 

[chunder27]

John you are speaking to the converted!

 

Sadly a lot of the folk on here look down on short oval racing or have simply never experienced it much.

 

I have seen van bangers, caravan bangers, trucks, siamese cars, all sorts over the years.

 

Nothing beats a proper old 70's figure of 8 at Wimbledon though, pouring rain, no could see a thing and the pile ups were amazing.

 

it might not be for the purist, but my gosh it was usually good fun, interspersed of course with some great Hot Rods, or the like.

[BRG]

Sometimes, even I agree with you, chunder.

 

The first races I ever went to were at Wimbledon Stadium.  I was a fan of stockcar driver Aubrey 'Foxy' Dance - not for his driving but in admiration of anyone who could do well in that sort of - frankly, a little rough and ready - company whilst being called Aubrey!

[chunder27]

There were some awesome names in those days chap

 

The bst of all time and never to be beaten was Willy Wanklyn!

 

And  the best track ever,, Whip Chicken Farm, near Skegness

[Jim Thurman]

We still have figure 8 racing in Europe.

 

Only we use Reliant Robins!

 

 

Figures. It doesn't surprise me one bit. Is there anything that Reliant Robins can't be used for? (erm, that's a rhetorical question    )

 

Though I think the posters that were amazed by the existence of Figure 8 racing are actually from mainland Europe, which is what I was aiming at.

 

Another one that hasn't been mentioned, the pre-WWII Atlantic Stadium in Los Angeles at one time had a figure 8 layout for midgets that used an over/under pass.

[king_crud]

John you are speaking to the converted!

 

Sadly a lot of the folk on here look down on short oval racing or have simply never experienced it much.

 

I have seen van bangers, caravan bangers, trucks, siamese cars, all sorts over the years.

 

Nothing beats a proper old 70's figure of 8 at Wimbledon though, pouring rain, no could see a thing and the pile ups were amazing.

 

it might not be for the purist, but my gosh it was usually good fun, interspersed of course with some great Hot Rods, or the like.

 

 

[chunder27]

Yes crud!  More of this

 

Battenburg Basher and all that! 

 

Not a modern banger fan at all, but loved these days

 

And Nigel was one of the best commantators the sport has known!

[Volcano70]

While We're on the topic of figure 8's.....

https://www.youtube....h?v=MUuWWqRBpwc

[BRG]

Figures. It doesn't surprise me one bit. Is there anything that Reliant Robins can't be used for? (erm, that's a rhetorical question    )

 

Rhetorical answer is Nope. Top Gear's Reliant Robin Space Shuttle.  

 

Just hope that Richard Branson didn't see that episode.

[eirwal]

Back in the 1950's the 1000Km of Buenos Aires was run on a mix of the Autódromo (pupouse built track) and 4 lane public highways. There were a shorter and longer variations. Sorry, but I can't find the way to upload the images. If anyone feels it's worthwhile and knows how to do it, please feel free to do so

 

https://es.wikipedia...nstreetmap).png

 

https://es.wikipedia...nstreetmap).png

Edited by eirwal, 19 August 2015 - 00:48.

[Atreiu]

Norisring is unusual, I wish F1 tried it.

[Fulcrum]