95 replies to this topic

[NewMrMe]

I did a quick search about Egypt but neither the Pharoah's Rally or the earlier street race came up.

 

That Gezira circuit is actually very close to mine (no overlap though). If you take the bridge in the lower part of my circuit map you end up at the roundabout at the top end of the Gezira circuit.

[Alan Lewis]

Don't worry about it, the rules have always been more like guidelines. Down the years my entries have routinely violated the circuit length rule, and probably will again this time.

You've got a good track there.

[Anja]

As I was looking for some GSV I realised how impossible to realise this track would be with all the existing road infrastructure etc (not to mention closing the very center of the city) but whatever, I've been meaning to do this for previous contests and at this point just have to get it out of my system. As a local patriot I just had to make something with the capital of my region. 

 

 

When looking up Katowice on wiki you'd be forgiven for thinking it's just some random small city. But while by itself it really isn't the biggest, it's effectively a center of a metropolis that within Poland is rivaled in size only by Warsaw. And there is an environmental aspect to it - the entire region was always known as a major center of coal mining and other heavy industry. That's now gradually coming to a close and the city is in the middle of a major transformation into something new, so what better way to promote that change than with some electric racing. And Poland is not a very motorsport heavy country so that's another criteria fulfilled 

[cpbell]

http://www.silhouet....s/pyramids.html

Gezira is an island in the Nile in Cairo so presumably the track was there (or close by) - looks to be on the southern end of the island from that map.

Edit: A TNF thread from a few years back which gives the results...

https://forums.autos...n-the-fourties/

Thanks Alan.

[Alan Lewis]

 

The venues I've chosen for this competition down the years have all been places I'm familiar with in "real life", purely because I find it easier to visualise the "flow" of the circuit from memory rather than from lines on a Google Map, especially with regard to the elevation changes that I always like to feature. This year's stipulation that entries should highlight areas of the globe that have less of a motorsport heritage makes that a bit more difficult, but like Baldrick at the foot of a Somme trench in 1917, I have a cunning plan...

 

In May 1991, the newly married Mrs. Lewis and I spent two weeks honeymooning in the tropical Indian Ocean paradise of the Seychelles, taking full advantage of our employment as British Airways code monkeys to travel and stay there for considerably less than everyone else on the flight. Well, apart from all the other airline staff, anyway...

 

Motorsport in the Seychelles is in an embryonic state and the country does not have a member association affiliated to the FIA. There is a Seychelles Karting Association which runs meetings at the Champions Park Raceway, whilst last year saw the formation of the Motorsports and Classic Car Association which is looking to hold time trial events and is reportedly negotiating with the government to build a full size circuit. I may be able to help them there...

 

 

The Victoria Street Circuit is located in the nation's capital on Mahe, the largest of the 115 islands that make up the Seychelles archipelago. Measuring 5.2 kilometres (about three and a quarter miles), it's a bit shorter than my previous entries (though still longer than the distance laid down in the rules, thus proving that The Man will never grind me down).

 

With the news that Gen 3 may do away with Attack Mode, I haven't marked on the map an Attack Zone for the cars to gain their extra power boost, though several candidates do exist should it be necessary.

 

The winner of the inaugural Seychelles ePrix will receive the Vic Preston Jr Memorial Trophy. A name familiar to rally fans, Vic and his father were legends of Kenyan rallying, with multiple leading results on the Safari Rally and other events throughout Africa. Vic Senior won the Safari twice in the fifties, but by the time his son was competing it was a World Championship event and Vic Junior had to take on the Waldegaards and Mikkolas of this world. That he still finished on the podium of the Kenyan classic three times (two thirds and a second place) is testament to his driving abilities, not to mention his two Kenyan Rally Championship titles. In retirement, Vic Jr relocated to the Seychelles, serving for a time as a committee member of the Seychelles Karting Association, and he died there in March of this year, of pneumonia at the age of seventy one.

 

The lap begins (the black line on the map) on Constitution Avenue, alongside the Liberty Monument which marks the nation's independence from Britain in 1976. The People's Stadium behind the Monument will serve as the eVillage and FanZone. Parallel to Constitution Avenue is the prosaically named Diversion Road (red on the map) which will be the pitlane.

 

Constitution Avenue was previously named 5th June Avenue, marking the date in 1977 that a coup d'etat overthrew the country's inaugural president, James Mancham, and brought to power France-Albert Rene, Mancham's prime minister, who remained president until 2004. At the end of last year, with the coup more than four decades in the past and Rene dead since 2019, 5th June Avenue and several other roads commemorating people and events of 1977 were renamed - though not yet on Google Maps according to my laptop...

 

Running south from the startline, with the Port of Victoria and the Indian Ocean on their left, the drivers will reach the left-right chicane of the roundabout at the Unity Monument, followed by a short run along Mount Fleuri Road before a hairpin right onto French Chang-Him Road (formerly Liberation Avenue and renamed for the first Anglican bishop of the Seychelles). Anyone outbraking themselves and carrying on down Mount Fleuri Road will, in a couple of kilometres, pass the Champions Park kart track.

 

As a volcanic island, Mahe is basically a mountain in the sea and after the turn onto French Chang-Him Road, the field starts climbing up the hillside, gaining almost 65 metres (210 feet) of elevation by the time they reach the long left and right around the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Family headquarters. The ninety-degree right-hander onto Bel Air Road begins the descent back into central Victoria, with a Monaco-esque tight left hairpin and a more open right-hand one past the National Baha'i Centre followed by the run to the ninety-degree right onto Royal Street (a reversion to the pre-coup name of the former Revolution Avenue).

 

A ninety-left onto Quincy Street takes the track through the heart of downtown Victoria, centred on the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market, named for the rather remarkable man who was Governor of the Seychelles from 1947 to 1951. Sir Percy Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke KBE CMG MC MD FRCP DPH DTM&H CStJ was born in North Finchley, London in 1893. Qualifying as a doctor in 1916, he served in France during the First World War, being wounded twice and awarded the Military Cross. After the War he entered the Colonial Medical Service and was posted to the Gold Coast (now Ghana). By 1937 he was in Hong Kong as Director of Medical Services. When the Japanese invaded the colony in 1941, he continued caring for the local population but was arrested by the Japanese on espionage charges in 1943, tortured and sentenced to death. The sentence was later commuted and he was released on the Japanese surrender. After his spell in the Seychelles, he worked at the Ministry of Health until retirement and died in Hampstead in March 1976 (three and a half months before the Seychelles gained independence) at the age of eighty two.

 

The run up Quincy Street ends in a long right onto Olivier Maradan Street which takes the field past the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. A left onto Castor Road leads out of Victoria into the district of Riviere Anglais ("English River") - the name reflecting that the Seychelles were uninhabited before the French settled them in the 1770s (though Arab and Portuguese traders certainly knew of their existence as early as the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries), passing into British hands in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars.

 

The run up Castor Road ends at the roundabout that leads back onto Constitution Avenue and the run south to the line. A long left takes the track over the Riviere Anglais and a left-right chicane at the roundabout around the Bicentenary Monument is the final turn before the run to the line.

 

CIRCUIT PHOTOS

 

1) The startline, next to the Liberty Monument. On the other side of the trees is the pitlane on Diversion Road

 

 

2) The climb of French Chang-Him Road towards Bel Air

 

 

3) Looking uphill, against the flow of the circuit, on Bel Air Road

 

 

4) Olivier Maradan Street as the track passes the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

 

 

5) Ascending Castor Road, a narrower section with more than a hint of Targa Florio about it

 

 

6) In contrast, the wide open spaces of Constitution Avenue, approaching the English River as the circuit heads back to the startline

 

[cpbell]

I';ll write-up my entry this week.  No Google SV images, though.

[Ben1445]

Ooh I need to get drawing 

[thegamer23]

My entry almost ready!

[Ben1445]

Same here 

[Teleriel]

I'd love to do one but I don't think I have the talent, these are all incredible so far. Any tips on what software y'all're using? 

 

[PayasYouRace]

All my previous entries have been done exclusively with MS Paint, so don’t worry too much about that sort of thing.

[thegamer23]

I'd love to do one but I don't think I have the talent, these are all incredible so far. Any tips on what software y'all're using? 

 

 

Just do it, it's for fun! 

 

I usually make the route with Google earth, you can create layouts there on the location's map.
It also tells you the track lenght ecc.

Than i screenshot it and make further edits on photoshop or paint, but that's optional.

Edited by thegamer23, 14 December 2022 - 12:17.

[Ben1445]

I use Google Earth and draw various lines and polygons

[NewMrMe]

I'd love to do one but I don't think I have the talent, these are all incredible so far. Any tips on what software y'all're using? 

 

 

All I did was use Google Earh and drew round the circuit using the distance marker. Clearly marks out the circuit and shows how long a lap is. I then copied it into Paint to add the pitlane and some annotations. It doesn't need anything fancy.

[Alan Lewis]

Not sure anyone's ever accused me of talent before. I can hear my old art teachers laughing their heads off right now.

Google Maps and Paint and lots of text full of obscure, nearly relevant, factoids to distract from the appalling artwork always does the trick for me.

[Teleriel]

Okay, okay - I've given it a go, thanks for the encouragement!

 

My circuit issss:
 

Briançon, Hautes Alpes. 

 

This city, one of the highest in Europe, is a place of particular significance to me personally but more interestingly is also the home of (or one of the homes of)  Luc Alphand (of the eponymous team). Far better known for its proximity to famous ski resorts such as Serre Chevalier and Vars than any racing exploits, it has at least had the Monte Carlo Rally come rather close to it in years past (Remember that exciting roll that Ott Tanak had down the hillside? Just down the valley!) and I think it'd be an interesting place to hold an ePrix. 

The city itself does have an old fortified town and while I ummed and ahhed over creating the route there, I eventually decided against it on account of it being mildly inconvenient for the restaurant owners to move their tables (and also the fact the cobbled streets have steps which might be too exciting for Formula E (but maybe now Fanboost is dead, we do need a new thing...?)). The city itself is very often seen on the Tour de France, too, and if they can get all those ridiculous team buses up the narrow roads then I don't see any reason we can't hold a race there. 

My track is as follows:

 

With a start/finish straight that is heavily downhill and a sharp turn 1, it's bound to be an exciting scramble to the first corner, after which the pack settles as they wind their way up the hill; past the Grand Boucle shopping centre / Hotel Suite-Home Serre-Chevalier (which will serve as one of the two Fan Zones! Shopping AND Cosy rooms! Fantastic!) to the turning onto the D202, a small road that heads back towards the Start/Finish, but not without a cheeky chicane at the Briancon Taxi rank. We follow the Avenue du Lautaret (named after the famous Col nearby) at high speed back towards the final corner, a 90 degree heavy braking zone that drops us down a 17% descent towards the Start line once more. 

The second Fan Zone is near the pits, which are built into a car park for the local shops. 

 

The race takes place over a 3.64 kilometre lap, with the following height map: 



As shown, the steepest part is a wicked 25%ish incline up the hill, while the altitude change is somewhere in the region of 60 metres. 

I highly recommend this city as a place to visit, both the cartography and the people in the area are fantastic and the food is excellent too. 



As an aside, the reason this city means so much to me is that while my family were on holiday here in 2021, my father was taken ill and we ended up taking him to the Centre Hospitalier in Briancon. He was diagnosed with a mitral valve leak in his heart, and thanks to the quick and precise work of the hospital here and the incredible university in Grenoble, two weeks later he was home, and a year later he's intact and going strong. I feel very much like I owe this city my dad's life, and as sentimental as it is, that's why. 

Thanks for reading!


 

[BRG]

I highly recommend this city as a place to visit, both the cartography and the people in the area are fantastic and the food is excellent too. 

Seconded!  It is an underappreciated place as everyone is rushing for the ski-slopes. But I like it a lot, and the old citadel is wonderfully atmospheric.

 

Thank heaven you are running them DOWN the ridiculously steep Av de la Republique.  If it was uphill, they would all have flat battery packs after three or four laps!  But plenty of regen going downhill although it could be terrifyingly fast towards the bottom!  But a good track, I reckon.

[Teleriel]

Seconded!  It is an underappreciated place as everyone is rushing for the ski-slopes. But I like it a lot, and the old citadel is wonderfully atmospheric.

 

Thank heaven you are running them DOWN the ridiculously steep Av de la Republique.  If it was uphill, they would all have flat battery packs after three or four laps!  But plenty of regen going downhill although it could be terrifyingly fast towards the bottom!  But a good track, I reckon.

 

Thanks!! You're right about the old town; and the WW2 history in the area is absolutely incredible too (I don't work for the tourist board I swear...) 

I'm tempted to teach myself a new skill and try and create these tracks in a sim of some kind, people make such incredible tracks and have done for years and it's a crying shame we can't try them out... 

 

[cpbell]

All my previous entries have been done exclusively with MS Paint, so don’t worry too much about that sort of thing.

Same!

[Afterburner]

I'm bored as hell so may contribute, but I want to give a shoutout to that Jacksonville design—that's got Burnout written all over it. I've driven through that interchange and that race would be a sight to behold! Spaghetti Junction near Atlanta would make for another great track in a similar mold.

[Ben1445]

Ok, here's my go: 
 

 
I've gone for this design in Palma de Mallorca. I like to think it gives off flavours of Long Beach, Valencia and Surfers Paradise. A lap running from the pit straight next to the Palau De Congressos takes cars through a grass lined chicane, and then back out onto the Avinguda de Gabriel Roca and towards a right hander on the eastern edge of Palma's old town defensive walls. Spectators on this straight are right by the beach. The circuit then takes another right and weaves back on itself, skirting on the edge of the Foners district before taking a left hand turn on the other side of the Palau De Congressos. Another right hand turn before Parque Krekovic takes the lap onto a grandstand lined start straight, followed by a double right hander to take them back onto Carrer del Callao. From there it's a technical left right back to the pit straight.

 

Thought I'd up my graphics game a little this time with tarmac, track limits lines and walls for a little extra flavour. I had some fun doing this and hope others enjoy. Looking forward to seeing some more entries come in this week!
 
Side note: how are we at four years of this already?

[thegamer23]

Glamour location, this is going to challenge Monaco!   

Great entry, spot on graphic too, and perfectly plausible Formula E layout.

Could be a title conteder!

[thegamer23]

Introducing the E-Prix of ALASKA, welcome to Fairbanks!

 

 

 

A 3,8 km circuit, with long straights, hard braking zones and a more technical central section. 
Perfect for Gen 3 of Formula E, the car will stretch its legs in the fastest sections reaching speeds of 280 km/h, but will also be able to Re-Gen with a lot of braking zones.

 

Racing to be held in July, with better temperature conditions. But if you want to have some fun in the ice roads, you're free to host this in the winter. 

 

Fairbanks is the largest & coldest city in the interior of Alaska, with 32 k people living there, and home of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Turn 1, quite open, allowing multiple lines into the long back straight.
Tricky braking zone! 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the long, curvy run towards Turn 2. 
Speeds up to 280 km/h will be reached there, and a perfect passing opportunity is set to be located at Turn 2's braking zone. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Turn 4, a tricky curved braking zone with Attack Mode Activation Zone at the outside.

Crucial point of the track!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Racing with a Purpose: You may think that climate change doesn't affect Alaska, but you're very wrong. We race there to prove it, and sensibilize people!

 

Every new day brings with it new evidence of climate change in Alaskan communities – warmer, record breaking temperatures have resulted in thawing permafrost, thinning sea ice, and increasing wildfires.

These changes have resulted in a reduction of subsistence harvests, an increase in flooding and erosion, concerns about water and food safety and major impacts to infrastructure: including damage to buildings, roads and airports. 

 

2018 report: Alaska had its warmest December on record with a statewide average temperature of 19.4°F, 15.7°F above the 20th century average and 2.1°F warmer than the previous record set in 1985. Numerous locations including Barrow, McGrath, and Bettles were all record warm.
 

4 years after, it's getting worse. We need to change the future.

 

 

Broken Permafrost

 

 

Edited by thegamer23, 19 December 2022 - 16:28.

[BRG]

2018 report: Alaska had its warmest December on record with a statewide average temperature of 19.4°F, 15.7°F above the 20th century average and 2.1°F warmer than the previous record set in 1985. Numerous locations including Barrow, McGrath, and Bettles were all record warm.

 

4 years after, it's getting worse. We need to change the future.

 

Apparently already achieved, so no need to worry!

 

Nice track though.  Has there ever been any organised racing in Alaska?

[Frood]

Apparently already achieved, so no need to worry!

Nice track though. Has there ever been any organised racing in Alaska?

Nothing big, but I believe there used to be something called the Fur Rondy Grand Prix in Anchorage. There is an Alaskan Sports Car Club that organises autocross and ice racing, by the looks of it.

[thegamer23]

Nothing big, but I believe there used to be something called the Fur Rondy Grand Prix in Anchorage. There is an Alaskan Sports Car Club that organises autocross and ice racing, by the looks of it.

 

Think you're right!

But seems to have stopped in 2009

 

 

Edited by thegamer23, 20 December 2022 - 13:49.

[Frood]

I think FE would definitely have problems getting heat into the new tyres there.

[Dara]

*opens Google maps*

looks at the other entries

*closes Google maps*

*leaves*

[thegamer23]

*opens Google maps*

looks at the other entries

*closes Google maps*

*leaves*

 

 

 

Cmon!    

not always the fanciest entry wins, what really matter is an interesting, original location and a decent layout!

[PayasYouRace]

I've been so slow this year. Hoping to get an entry in by the deadline.

 

Edit: Just had a flash of divine inspiration.

[Dara]

OK here I go. All made on my android phone so it's a bit... cheaply made

Presenting the Dublin E-prix. How much more green do you want it then a race on the Emarald Isle.



We start the race on Omond Quay Upper.
We then go into Turn 1, a 90°corner wich leads us over the Liffey





Over the bridge we go hard left at city hall.



After that we have a fast left right corner, after wich we pass Christ Church Cathedral and Dublinia






We keep right through an very fast, long, cambered corner wich brings us back to the Liffey River.



We now are on the 2nd longest straights. The drivers might have a stop for a Guinness here.



We follow the road through a fast left corner, preparing to brake hard for a 180° corner past Heuston train station.





We once again cross the Liffey and a fast right hander takes us through the gates of Phoenix Parc.




We follow the road at the roundabout to the right and exit the Parc and drive back towards the Liffey. A fast downhill right hand corner might once again be a challenge for the drivers



We now are back on the Start Finish straight and start another lap of the long 6km track.

[Alan Lewis]

Excellent, and a nice link to "real world" racing with Phoenix Park.

I will have walked a fair bit of this track during my several visits to that lovely city down the years (though it has been quite a while now).

[PayasYouRace]

Presenting...

 

The Most Holy E-Prix of the Vatican City

brought to you by the Roman Catholic Church.

 

It's finally time to bring motorsport to the world's smallest state, with a challenging 3.1 km circuit that takes in the entire country. The pits, paddock and fan zone are located within the sacred St. Peter's square, under the watchful gaze of His Holiness the Bishop of Rome, and Almighty God himself. The track itself starts on the surrounding Via Paolo VI and, naturally, runs clockwise, so as to keep the Devil and his sinister left-handers at bay.

 

 

 

The circuit skirts round the outside of the famous colonnades that surround the piazza and, with a quick flick to the left, blasts past the Cimitero Teutonico.

 

 

Under the arches and braking for a little left-right chicane at 3-4, and we're keeping the Basilica on the right, approching a little roundabout at the end of Via Della Fondamenta. The circuit sweeps around behind the Court of State of the Vatican City, before short blast takes us to the right-hand hairpin at Turn 6. Here we begin the climb into the gardens.

 

Sweeping past the train station on the left, and then Capella di Santa Maria on the right, we have the challenging sweeper of Turn 9 to look forward to, keeping tight for the best line in the hairpin at Turn 10. This is a great potential overtaking spot.

 

Onwards back toward the city walls, we have a challenging double-apex right hander at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Accelerating out of that, we have a spectacular run along the top of the city walls, past the bastions and under overhanging trees. This lovely green journey a reminder of the beautiful planet the Lord gave us dominion over, and must look after.

 

This run is broken by a quick chicane at Turns 15 and 16, continuing back into the city proper. Another challenging double-apex right-hander, tightening through an archway by the Galea or Galera Fountain.

 

Now a flat-out blast, through some quick esses and down the hill through a tunnel, taking us back to the St. Peter's. Another great overtaking spot as we go through a 90 left onto Via Sant'Anna. A quick sprint to the Italian border and an 90 right onto Via di Porta Angelica. Finally, a left hander through more arches returns us to the start/finish curve.

 

Track width may seem as a concern, but St. Alejandro has already performed so many miracles with Formula E, what's a couple more to make this work?

 

The competition is strong this year. I have seen some fabulous tracks from you guys. But I must remind you, that only votes for this track will ensure your entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven.

[thegamer23]

Holy moly!!!

#blessed entry!

Pope Francis already at work on track site!

Edited by thegamer23, 20 December 2022 - 22:50.

[Frood]

Two and bit days to get your entries in, gentlefolk.

[Sterzo]

Is the Pope really blessing that car, or is he praying that his DHL parcel turns up before Christmas?

[PayasYouRace]

Is the Pope really blessing that car, or is he praying that his DHL parcel turns up before Christmas?

Surely the pope can’t be seen to be using anything other than St Nicolas for Xmas deliveries?

[Frood]

Surely the pope can’t be seen to be using anything other than St Nicolas for Xmas deliveries?

At least we know he definitely wouldn't be using Evri, as only the Devil himself could be responsible for their evils.

[Bleu]

Zane Maloney Mania raised the interest for his country to hold an international motor race. And Formula E is the series coming to the capital of Barbados.

 

The early part of the circuit is on the coast before making the part into the city, including going around Kensington Oval, mainly used for cricket events. Here it's the base for the ceremonies, podium will be built on the stadium as well as most important VIP areas. The pit lane area is on the docklands between penultimate corner and start/finish line. The organizers have also decided to offer tickets to everyone who lives inside the circuit.

Edited by Bleu, 22 December 2022 - 13:44.

[cpbell]

Ok, here's my go: 
 

 
I've gone for this design in Palma de Mallorca. I like to think it gives off flavours of Long Beach, Valencia and Surfers Paradise. A lap running from the pit straight next to the Palau De Congressos takes cars through a grass lined chicane, and then back out onto the Avinguda de Gabriel Roca and towards a right hander on the eastern edge of Palma's old town defensive walls. Spectators on this straight are right by the beach. The circuit then takes another right and weaves back on itself, skirting on the edge of the Foners district before taking a left hand turn on the other side of the Palau De Congressos. Another right hand turn before Parque Krekovic takes the lap onto a grandstand lined start straight, followed by a double right hander to take them back onto Carrer del Callao. From there it's a technical left right back to the pit straight.

 

Thought I'd up my graphics game a little this time with tarmac, track limits lines and walls for a little extra flavour. I had some fun doing this and hope others enjoy. Looking forward to seeing some more entries come in this week!
 
Side note: how are we at four years of this already?

Brilliant design!

[cpbell]

Introducing the Port Moresby E-Prix!

 

 

3 miles/4.83 kilometres, 15 turns.

 

 

 

 

Having considered and rejected a few ideas in Asian nations with less heritage of formula- and street-circuit competition, my proposal is for a circuit in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.  There has been, as far as I have been able to ascertain, no history of street circuit competition in the city: however, I have found, after searching, that the blog allalongtheracetrack.co.uk does have a proposed Formula 1 circuit in the city, located just to the north of mine.  Though this blog post pre-dates our competition, I can state with certainty that I was unaware of it at the point at which I designed this plan.

Regarding relevance to climate change, PNG, according to the United Nations, is vulnerable to sea level rises, coral atoll bleaching and degradation, increased cyclone frequency and drought.  Being a smaller economy, of course, means that the resources necessary to recover from damaging weather events can be limited.

 

Please note – there is no GSV coverage for the circuit, and some streets aren’t named on Google Maps either.

 

 

Our lap gets underway on Spring Garden Road, facing west, with the central reservation/median removed, grandstands on the adjoining Spring Garden Frontage Road, and the pitlane occupying the parallel street that runs behind the grass verge, with the entrance on Magi Street and the exit on Varahe Road.  There is a lengthy run from the grid down to T1, which is at the intersection with Waigani Drive.  The track doubles back onto the exit slip road/ramp down to the roundabout (a steep decline which will enable plenty of regen), with Turn 2 sending the cars northbound on the eastern side of the dual carriageway of Waigani Drive, going under the braking zone for T1.  T3 sees the track leave the main routes for now, heading into a mainly commercial district onto Ahuia Street, before a left-hander at T4 onto Kawai Drive.  T5 is a gentle left on Kawai, and is closely-followed by a 90 degree right-hander, T6, onto what appears to be a branch of Kawai Drive (told you the roads were confusing!).  After a slightly longer run, T7 takes the cars onto a seemingly-unnamed street between the Brian Bell and Gordons shopping centres.  T8 has badly-limited runoff, positioned as it is in front of CE Hardware’s premises, but this leads immediately to T9 onto the western side of Kennedy Road, heading north.  The roundabout at T10 takes cars onto a short run of Cameron Road, at the end of which, T11 sees the track double back on itself at the subsequent roundabout (with the Fan Zone at the Sir John Guise stadium close by), heading around the opposite side of the first roundabout, now T12 (which includes the Attack Mode activation zone around the outside), and the flat-out run along the eastern carriageway of Kennedy Road.  The chicane of T13 slows the cars for T14, the minimal-runoff corner onto Geauta Drive, after which the track runs around the right-hand side of an elongated roundabout, exiting via. T15 back onto Spring Garden Road.

Edited by cpbell, 22 December 2022 - 15:08.

[Frood]

Thanks for your entries, everyone! Have a good Christmas; I'll get the voting thread up on Boxing Day.

[PayasYouRace]

Would you like the thread closed, Frood?

[Frood]

Go ahead, PaYR. Will make things easier with the separate voting thread.

[Afterburner]

With permission from Frood after some confusion over the actual deadline of the contest, I have a late entry to submit! The thread will lock when the voting thread appears.

ABB FIA Formula E Series Appalachian E-Prix
 
Appa-what?! Where the hell are we?

Welcome to Dahlonega, Georgia, nestled in the Deep South at the base of the Appalachian Trail, the longest hiking trail in the world at 2,200 miles. About an hour north of Atlanta (maybe you’ve heard of it?), Dahlonega was home of the first US gold rush in 1829—but in 2024, the little city will be the site of a different kind of rush: Formula E returns to America to fulfill the promise of climate-friendly adrenaline amongst the lush wilderness for which it’s advocating to protect.

Gold Rush

First E-Prix: Projected October 19 2024
Surface: Asphalt asphalt asphalt
Turns: 20 (at least there are that many marshal stations)
Track Length: 3.1 mi (4.96 km)
Total Elevation Change per Lap: 742 ft (226 m—yes, you read that correctly)
Number of Laps: 18
Race Distance: 55.8 mi
Ideal Pit Strategy: don’t
Estimated Fastest Lap: 1:50 to 1:55 (110-115 seconds)
Twitter: May not exist by then

OK, so this is where the hell we are… but why the hell are we here? Why didn’t we just go to Atlanta?

Amidst the idyllic rolling hills and vibrant fall colors, Dahlonega can offer something Atlanta cannot: a natural terrain street circuit. Flat 90-degree corners be damned! This rural rollercoaster will challenge the drivers and engineers with a whopping 742 ft of elevation change every lap, with 1.6 miles and 340 ft of that change during a full-throttle blast along the city perimeter. Imagine if Jeddah and Spa Francorchamps had a child, and that child made millions on real-estate deals before secretly retiring to the Southern US to quietly commune with several retired animators and kitschy art dealers all while gorging itself on fried chicken. That’s this track—it’s almost even got the shape to prove it—and it’s nothing like Formula E has ever seen before.


The 3.1 mile ring runs clockwise (because right-hand turns are better for the environment) and encompasses the whole of the University of North Georgia’s Dahlonega campus, its facilities including a massive indoor arena at which concerts will be held, and an enormous open space in the center of the “Campus Circle” which will play host to an outdoor festival throughout the event. The university’s health science center will house the Terrace Club, which will overlook the campus and one of the track’s prime overtaking zones. The city’s natural, rolling terrain will play host to an enormous number of scenic general admission areas, while grandstands will be established on what little level paved land can be found.

Those are the treats for the spectators, which will be nothing compared to what the drivers get to enjoy—take a look at that elevation map!

Elevate-o-Gram



Sections of Interest

Town Square

The Town Square houses Dahlonega’s centerpiece attraction: a gold museum (does it get any more authentically southern). The drivers will get a great look at it as they barrel through the start/finish line into a quick left-right-right-left double chicane that dances around it.

Left: Headed into the town square, T1/2.
Right: Looking at T3, leaving the town square headed toward the Enota Shift.

Enota Shift

Leaving the town square, the track then accelerates to speed before a quick dip along Enota Drive into a rapid uphill braking zone for the Enota Shift, a right-left step preceding a high speed section which includes the pit lane entrance. Could you pass here? Maybe. Should you try it? Probably not.

Left: The run into the Shift and the braking zone.
Right: The Shift, T4. Lots of room to reprofile this one (or remove it entirely) after feedback from fans and drivers.

Mineshaft Bend

Located near the entrance to a local goldmine, Mineshaft Bend is surely the track’s prime overtaking spot. Following a full-throttle run from the exit of the Enota Shift, the track takes a wide right-hander through an intersection, providing plenty of room for cars to run two or even three wide. Mineshaft Bend is perhaps the most critical corner on the track, since it sets up for the staggering 1.6 mile undulating run around the city all the way to the next overtaking zone at the base of Sunset Drive.

Left: The run down to Mineshaft Bend, the track’s best overtaking spot, through T6.
Right: The bend itself, T7. Lots of room for interesting things to go down here.

Doe’s Drop

This is where the fun begins. The track’s slipstreaming fest begins with Doe’s Drop, a 95 ft downhill plunge, harboring a wild left-right flick before bottoming out at the town entrance. It will be a test of courage but also essential to stay flat through here, because it’s followed by a 141 ft hill climb leading to the…

Left: Looking up the first bend of the drop, T9.
Middle: Looking down the first bend of the drop.
Right: The right-hander at the bottom of the drop, T10. You’d miss the intensity of this completely by looking only at the map. If it looks like it’s scary, that’s because it is—but what a view…

Morrison Moore “Straight”

Cresting the hill following Doe’s Drop, the Morrison Moore “Straight” is named so for being a gradual right-hand curve that goes both up and down past the Concert Center and dipping another 76 ft towards Sunset Drive. Rumor has it you’ll get Attack Mode for taking the long way around. Either here or Mineshaft Bend would be a great place to use it, because the “Straight” finally ends the full-throttle mayhem with a narrowing right-hander onto the track’s craziest section (HA) along Sunset Drive.

Top Left: the base of the hill that leads into the straight.
Top Middle/Right: Climbing the hill onto the straight, T11.
Bottom: The straight proper, near T12, with a view through T13 on the run to Sunset Drive shown to the right.

Sunset Switchback

If you could imagine driving Laguna Seca’s corkscrew in reverse, you’d have a pretty good idea of what you’ll see in the Sunset Switchback, a a 69 ft uphill left-right sway leading to another 39 ft ascent through a sharp right-hander to the Terrace Club at the university’s health science center. These torque monsters will surge up this 100 ft challenge before entering the track’s most terrifying section.

All photos go in the direction of the track.
Top Row: The meat of this section, a lovely uphill romp through the woods. T14, T15, and T16, from left to right.
Bottom Left: The run to a potential overtaking zone in the form of T17.
Bottom Middle/Right: T17 and its exit up the hill to the Terrace Club (far back of shot).

Sunset Dive

Just past the Terrace Club on Sunset Drive, the drivers will suddenly feel as if the ground has gone out from under them, as the gradual slope gives way to a stomach churning 49 ft skydive in a little over a tenth of a mile. This leads directly into the track’s great last overtaking zone, a wide left-hander through an intersection at the base of the hill. Brake as late as you dare…

Left: The Sunset Dive down to T19.
Right: A view of the run to T20 and the end of the circuit.

And There You Have It!

Booked your tickets yet? I have. Formula E’s newest round will give the drivers and cars the freedom they really need to stretch their legs and put on a show—and make everyone else in the racing world jealous of the beautiful scenery and curves every little driver dreams of racing. Not only will it get the attention of everyone else in the racing world, it might also grab the attention of some potentially less climate-concerned locals, too—with visuals like this and bravery so openly on display, maybe “that funny electric series” ain’t so bad in the end anyway. Thar’s gold in them thar hills, y’all.

[cpbell]

That's Rouen-les-Essarts on steroids!