11 replies to this topic

[biercemountain]

While watching races from Road America I always notice at turn 3 there is a little fiddly bit infield section on the inside of the turn at the bottom of the hill before the long back straight. At first I thought it was chicane but when I zoom in on Google maps it appears way too skinny to be a useable part of the track. What the heck is it for?

[milestone 11]

While watching races from Road America I always notice at turn 3 there is a little fiddly bit infield section on the inside of the turn at the bottom of the hill before the long back straight. At first I thought it was chicane but when I zoom in on Google maps it appears way too skinny to be a useable part of the track. What the heck is it for?

I think it's a drive to a property.

[biercemountain]

I think it's a drive to a property.

I don't believe so. It circles around the marshal post. Almost looks like a little mini track. Perhaps a really old karting loop?

[milestone 11]

I don't believe so. It circles around the marshal post. Almost looks like a little mini track. Perhaps a really old karting loop?

I'm obviously looking at something other than you describe.

 

Edit.

On your page now, yes, looks like a Kart layout.

Edited by milestone 11, 16 September 2021 - 15:07.

[RA Historian]

Early karting loop before they built the big kart complex near turn eight.

[biercemountain]

Early karting loop before they built the big kart complex near turn eight.

Thank you. Mystery solved. Now I can get on with my life.

[BRG]

I've always bee puzzled about that too, so count another one with less to worry about!

 

Now I am worrying about "Turn 2" which appears to be the straight between Turns 1 and 3

[Joe Bosworth]

Worry not.  "Turn 2" is a flag marshall point placed to maintain continuity for drivers to always see flags.  I seem to remember that all other flag marshaling points are indeed

consistent to "real corners" and I suspect that it was easier to keep a numbering system consistent.

 

Regards

[RA Historian]

With respect to the corner numbering, it goes back to the start of the course in 1955. Strictly speaking there are not 14 true corners on the course. However, when the track opened, there were 14 numbered communications posts. (There also was an "11-A" but we will not get into that here!). From the start it became apparent that it was much easier for the race communications system and the track announcer to say "corner five" rather than "communications post five". That stuck, and it remains so to this day. 

 

Tom

[BRG]

Thanks, Tom & Joe.

 

Although why they needed to align marshal post numbering with corner numbering is a mystery to me.  Other tracks have both corners and marshal posts and manage not to confuse the two. 

[RA Historian]

Just a matter of convenience. It was this from the start and nobody saw any reason to change it. It has stood the test of time and bothers no one.  Everybody knows what is meant. 

[SKL]

And to confuse things more (though as noted those of going to RA since the mid '60's are used to it)  "turn" 4 is basically the Sargento bridge!!