38 replies to this topic

[jeze]

The two main rollercoaster rides when it comes to US road course racing are of course both wonderful creations, with fast sweeping corners and lots of gradient change. Anyway, I'd like to know who you find the better? I go for the Glen, because of the awesome bankings (unique for road courses), coupled with almsot only fast corners. Road America has to many long straights for my ultimate liking, whereas the Glen is even more technical, so that's why the Glen is so close to my heart!

[Ross Stonefeld]

I find the Glen completely uninteresting in modern race cars, even the long version, because it elimates so many corners. In a Formula Ford or a stock car it is probably a pretty cool track, but the IRL there doesn't seem terribly interesting.

Whereas Road America has good medium speed corners, interesting/scary high speed corners, and a few proper brake zones. Plus I think it's a more scenic race track. Though I'm not a fan of the 2009 version with sooooooo much runoff.

[teejay]

Road America for sure. Makes Watkins look like a run down carpark.

[ViMaMo]

F1 on Road America please !!!!!

[Atreiu]

Road America is just fantastic. Watkins seems very good too, but not as good.

[cheapracer]

FWIW Nicki Hayden rates turn 11 at RA as the most difficult/dangerous in the world.

RA is called America's Spa by many for good reason, well respected.

[Slowinfastout]

FWIW Nicki Hayden rates turn 11 at RA as the most difficult/dangerous in the world.

RA is called America's Spa by many for good reason, well respected.

if dangerous is what we are talking about then the Glen is all the way up there...

Apart from eau rouge, there is space at Spa nowadays... not necessarily true for those American tracks.. especially the Glen..

Watkins glen is completely outdated safety-wise.. end-off.

[Muz Bee]

Please don't ruin Road America, keep it intact. A true classic and from all appearances, USA's finest road course.

[FlatOverCrest]

Road America...

But I would also like to throw out there.......

Sears Point (Infineon Raceway now bleurrrghg)

or

Laguna Seca

To me....Laguna Seca is a fantastic course to drive with a truly awesome corner in "The cokscrew", but having driven it now many times, Sears Point is a truly classic race track that reminds me very much of Brands Hatch...

The start straight to long climbing left up the hill, to negative camber right over crest, leads to a couple of very technical corners before the small back straight that rises then falls into the "Carousel" a truly fantastic long sweeping downhill turn with camber that spits you out onto the back straight for turn 7 and 8, a great 90 right and 90 right into the long flowing Esses that run all the way down to the infamous "Turn 10" where the brave are happy to approach the run down the wall with the door just inches from the wall...to the final hairpin bend (geat for overtaking) back onto the start finish straight...
From adrivers perspective, this track has everything... it is HUGE fun!

Here is a clip from Jo Bonniers Mclaren M6B.... fr those of you that liked "Bullet" as a film, it was a "Can-Am" engine like this that was dubbed onto the film to give it this sound.... This is just the most incredible sounding beast! Enjoy some laps from some different perspectives from this great machine!



Same car going round Laguna...



and just for fun....

Ever seen a School bus do this?

Edited by FlatOverCrest, 19 August 2009 - 19:04.

[Direct Drive]

Road America.
Long straights unencumbered with chicanes, a wide combination of slow, fast and transitional corners, and Siebken's in downtown Elkhart Lake.
No choice here.

[Slyder]

Road America edges Watkins Glen by a few bit. Both tracks are the best.

But amongst them, One must include Road Atlanta. That track also ranks amongst the best in the US.

1. Road America
2. Watkins Glen
3. Road Atlanta

[Souffle]

The Glen long course is superb! the ascar short course is typical round-d-round micky mouse stuff that ruined 'The Mighty Glen' impression by many people. They would, of course, run the true long circuit.

[Dispenser89]

Road America.

[PNSD]

Flat, thanks for those links, that Mclaren is amazing. What a sound!

[nissan_gtp]

Road America edges Watkins Glen by a few bit. Both tracks are the best.

But amongst them, One must include Road Atlanta. That track also ranks amongst the best in the US.

1. Road America
2. Watkins Glen
3. Road Atlanta

I voted Unseparable, but I tend to agree with your ranking. Three very different tracks, all excellent.

One thing that isn't in dispute, Road America has MUCH better food !

[senna da silva]

Road America.

BTW it should be inseperable. There is no such word as unseperable.

[Madera]

As much as I love The Glen, been going there since the '70s I don't think it would be particularly suited to modern F1 racing.

Yes it would be cool to see them there, for nostalgic reasons, but I don't think the race would be that exciting or safe for that matter.

Having just watched the ALMS race at Road America I think this circuit would be more suited to modern F1.

One that seems to always get left off the list, and I'll say it again, MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK!

This place would be FANTASTIC for F1.

Close to a major city, Salt Lake, beautiful scenery, a nice undulating track with many configurations.

Wouldn't need any upgrades, pit lane is awesome, facilities first class.

Edited by Madera, 20 August 2009 - 01:28.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

Road America, definitely. Watkins Glen, especially the NASCAR version, is a dumbed down version of a road course.

[Blind Driver]

I have to jump on the Road America bandwagon. Just a great track in a scenic setting.

[Lazy Prodigy]

Road America no contest. Ive been there and its great. And Miller Motorsports park would be like a Tilke circuit in my opinion.

[jeze]

The Glen long course is superb! the ascar short course is typical round-d-round micky mouse stuff that ruined 'The Mighty Glen' impression by many people. They would, of course, run the true long circuit.

Actually, I fully agree with you! For me, the corners on the IndyCar section of the track, really makes it stand out as a proper race circuit. Since the Bus Stop chicane was started to be used, the infamous high-speed-sweeper is no longer a real challenge But I guess it spares us some trouble, since a crash there automatically leads to hospital! The thing I don't like about Road America is the lack of super high-speed-turns, to me it's just one heck of a racetrack among others, whereas the original Glen circuit is up amongst the likes of Suzuka and Spa!

[Ross Stonefeld]

What do you call the Carousel, the kink, or turn 13 then?

[jeze]

What do you call the Carousel, the kink, or turn 13 then?

The Carousel is a bit over medium speed corner, I think I took it (with very realistic F1 2008 physics) in 120 mph, which is more hard on the neck than anything. It's not like the kinks at Brands, alll of them tremendous reference points. The kink is easy flat in an F1 car, maybe a challenge with the CART's back in the days, when they weren't as suited to rad courses as the Panoz was in latter years. Turn 13 is the blind one, right? I really like that one, but still it feels like a corner where you only need to take the right line to go flat through there, perparing for the final corner and the vital launch up the hill. My personal favourite at Road America is turn 1, that is a really tough corner, which resembles the old Club corner at Silverstone, and gives no margin for error. Overall, RA is among my top 10 favourite circuits in the world, but I don't think it really matches Spa or Suzuka.

[Direct Drive]

BTW it should be inseperable. There is no such word as unseperable.

For all you dumb dipshits that think you know the English language....

Its inseparable!. Goddamnit.

Look: separate [with an A] , and desperate [with an E].

Jesus what a forum.

How about back to Watkins v. Road America and stop this off topic bullshit.

[Kaiser]

The two main rollercoaster rides when it comes to US road course racing are of course both wonderful creations, with fast sweeping corners and lots of gradient change. Anyway, I'd like to know who you find the better? I go for the Glen, because of the awesome bankings (unique for road courses), coupled with almsot only fast corners. Road America has to many long straights for my ultimate liking, whereas the Glen is even more technical, so that's why the Glen is so close to my heart!

Laguna Seca
Thunderhill
Sears Point

[ViMaMo]

Road Atlanta's esses, looks fantastic.

[Umpire]

Laguna Seca is pretty cool as well, but between the two I guess RA.

Edited by Umpire, 21 August 2009 - 05:57.

[Captain Tightpants]

Road America wins it for me because the Glen has the fiddly little Bus Stop chicane. It was a blight on Spa-Francorchamps, and it's a blight here.

Also, I have to say: kudos to the owners of Miller for having a sense of humour in naming their corners.

[GeorgeTheCar]

The Glen long course is superb! the ascar short course is typical round-d-round micky mouse stuff that ruined 'The Mighty Glen' impression by many people. They would, of course, run the true long circuit.

I hate to pop your bubble but other than the bus stop the NASCAR short course is the F1 track of legend (except for the re-located pits and revised (now) turn one.

The addition that makes the long course was an attempt to regain the glory.

[Seanspeed]

Definitely Road America. Not a dull corner to speak of, its extremely fast, its scenic, and its got some great overtaking spots. One of the best tracks in the world, easily.

[Gemini]

If I would talk out of my simracing experience I have done well on both tracks, but Road America is more challenging.Amazing track! I can't think of any corner there that could be described as 'boring' Both are a 'flowing' tracks, but RA has more challenges, I think.

[Rosemayer]

The Carousel is a bit over medium speed corner, I think I took it (with very realistic F1 2008 physics) in 120 mph, which is more hard on the neck than anything. It's not like the kinks at Brands, alll of them tremendous reference points. The kink is easy flat in an F1 car, maybe a challenge with the CART's back in the days, when they weren't as suited to rad courses as the Panoz was in latter years. Turn 13 is the blind one, right? I really like that one, but still it feels like a corner where you only need to take the right line to go flat through there, perparing for the final corner and the vital launch up the hill. My personal favourite at Road America is turn 1, that is a really tough corner, which resembles the old Club corner at Silverstone, and gives no margin for error. Overall, RA is among my top 10 favourite circuits in the world, but I don't think it really matches Spa or Suzuka.

In 2005 the trans_Am cars were going 150 MPH around the carousel.

[Haddock]

Road America for me. They're both great circuits though. The US has some great road circuits (to use their terminology). All the more baffling, then, that F1 has gone to such awful circuits as Detroit and Phoenix, and more recently, the rather uninspiring Indianapolis infield circuit.

Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca also worthy of note

[Kaiser]

Definitely Road America. Not a dull corner to speak of, its extremely fast, its scenic, and its got some great overtaking spots. One of the best tracks in the world, easily.

Road America is ALL dull corners except the carousel, and the new t13 is fun. The rest are 90 degree nothing special corners.

[Seanspeed]

Road America is ALL dull corners except the carousel, and the new t13 is fun. The rest are 90 degree nothing special corners.

Oh ok, thanks for letting me know. I guess my opinion was wrong.

[Kaiser]

If I would talk out of my simracing experience I have done well on both tracks, but Road America is more challenging.Amazing track! I can't think of any corner there that could be described as 'boring' Both are a 'flowing' tracks, but RA has more challenges, I think.

Flowing? How is RA flowing? Not one corner exit is critical for the next corners entry. It's drag strips connected with 90 degree turns. It's fun, and safe but this love fest is over the top. Big Willow is more flowing than RA, at least there you have a few turns where you give up a bit of exit speed to set up for the next corner. RA has not one corner like that.

[Kaiser]

Oh ok, thanks for letting me know. I guess my opinion was wrong.

My pleasure. I though RA was some kind of wonder track too. Then I rode, and raced there a few times. I still love going to the place, and it's special, but the circuit itself isn't that great.

[Ross Stonefeld]

I like that the corners are stand-alone, it's more tricky to have to be fast on entry and exit.

[senna da silva]

For all you dumb dipshits that think you know the English language....

Its inseparable!. Goddamnit.

Look: separate [with an A] , and desperate [with an E].

Jesus what a forum.

How about back to Watkins v. Road America and stop this off topic bullshit.

Chill out as$hole!