17 replies to this topic

[Graham Clayton]

On the 28th of September 1952, Herb Thomas won the NASCAR Grand National race held at the Wilson Speedway in North Carolina with an an average speed of just 35.39 mph, mainly due to the rough rutted surface of the track. This is the still the lowest winning average speed in NASCAR history.
Have there been any other events since World War 2 with a lower average winning speed than 35 mph?

[jcbc3]

Not quite there, but Canadian GP last year had Button winning at an average of 46.5283 mph according to Forix.

[ReWind]

Formula 3 Euroseries race at Brands Hatch on 5 September 2009:
15,894 km/h, i.e. less than 10 mph!

[D-Type]

Is that genuine or a misprint? I don't understand German so I can't make head or tail of the race report.

Farina in a Maserati won the 1948 Monaco GP at 59. 74 mph (96.154 kph) while Villoresi in a Ferrari won the 1951 Pau GP at 57.264 mph

Edited by D-Type, 06 March 2012 - 00:13.

[wenoopy]

The earlier the date in the post-war period, the slower the average winning speeds are likely to be.

Fangio won the 1949 Pau GP in a Maserati 4CLT at 84.923 Km/hr (52.77 mph) and the 1950 Angouleme GP des Remparts at 69.755 km/h (43.345 mph). The nature of the circuit is obviously a key factor, Angouleme being a mere 1.289 kms per lap, with a very steep climb with 3 successive hairpins to bring you back up to the cathedral and start/finish.

Stu

[ryan86]

Is that genuine or a misprint? I don't understand German so I can't make head or tail of the race report.

Farina in a Maserati won the 1948 Monaco GP at 59. 74 mph (96.154 kph) while Villoresi in a Ferrari won the 1951 Pau GP at 57.264 mph

Through a translator and the usual muddled forms that produces, there appears to have been an accident of some sort causing the race to be red flagged. Presumably so as to keep the schedule on schedule, the race was then restarted 4 hours later and completed. Typing Bianchi Geronimi into Google will let you see said accident.

If we use this logic though, haven't their been NASCAR, Indy Car races started on one day stopped and finished the following day.

Edited by ryan86, 06 March 2012 - 01:37.

[Rob Semmeling]

Exactly! What is the point of letting the clock run when the cars are sitting idle and not actually racing each other?

In the modern era, the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series held races on a hideously slow street circuit in Los Angeles from 1998-2000. The final two were won at average speeds of 46.943 and 46.272 mph, respectively.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Not quite there, but Canadian GP last year had Button winning at an average of 46.5283 mph according to Forix.

So despite the red flag they kept the race clock running.

In which case, how did it not exceed the 2 hour limit?

[D-Type]

Let's face it: it's just plain wrong (or if you prefer, unduly pedantic) to consider the clock as still running during red flag periods. It's misplaced mathematical logic, just like "A stopped watch is better than one that loses 5 minutes a day as it is 100% correct every 12 hours while the slow watch takes something like 144 days to get it right"

[Ross Stonefeld]

Well I think it's accurate to calculate average speed, within a race, as taking part in a race. So if a race is red flagged, run in aggregate, or any other stoppage system; then only active race time should contribute towards the total race time.

I find it more amusing than annoying that there is a two-hour time limit but a 4:04'39.537 result

[BRG]

Leaving aside these red flag cases, which are clearly specious, what about that wet CART race at Surfer's that was run entirely behind the pace car? Can't have been very fast?

Edited by BRG, 06 March 2012 - 16:54.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Indeed, 89.878km/h

vs a 179 average for pole in the dry.

[Collombin]

I think I'm right in saying that the first National Championship race win by an Unser would have been at an average of well under 50mph....

[D-Type]

I think I'm right in saying that the first National Championship race win by an Unser would have been at an average of well under 50mph....

Presumably an oblique reference to Pike's Peak.

1947 - Louis Unser - Maserati - 45.598 mph

But that's a hill climb - not a race!

Edited by D-Type, 07 March 2012 - 00:25.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by ryan86
.....haven't there been NASCAR, Indy Car races started on one day stopped and finished the following day.

I'm sure I recall one that spent two or three days happening...

Buford could tell us, of course, he would have been there. It's since the mid-sixties some time.

[ReWind]

Buford could tell us, of course, he would have been there.

No, that was Forrest Gump.

[Ray Bell]

Buford was there...

It was an Indy 500, not just any old Indycar race.

[LittleChris]

1973 Indy 500 took place over 3 days

http://en.wikipedia....ndianapolis_500