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I don't think it was the banking itself that caused the problem, just the constant centrifigul force tugging on the body. The banking just allowed higher speeds.
Daytona has higher banking and there has never been this kind of problem. Daytona is a much larger track, so the turns are not as tightly radiused, therefore, lower centrifigul force, lower g-force.
The problem is the banking allows the cars to go faster through the turns, and with the tighter radius, more g's, more centrifigul force, more vertigo. Actually, it is the sustained high g-loading that was causing the medical problems. They were turning almost the entire lap. The body can take a higher g-loading for brief periods, but at Texas, they were loaded almost the entire lap.
They (The IRL) are turning the same kinds of lap times at a circuit (Nashville) that is the same length as Texas. Unless the corners are radically different in their radius, I expect CART to have the same kind of problems. I sure hope not, because that was the ugliest scenerio I've ever seen in motorsports.
CART is going to have to do something or they will be running 230-235mph at Nashville. The cars are just too damm fast ( I NEVER thought I would EVER say something like that). It would be interesting to take one to the speedway without the Handfords. 275mph?
For the record, I supported the CART drivers for walking away from Texas. You can't race if you are unconcious. There was no decision to be made. It was impossible to race under those conditions and there was not enough time to find a sure solution. But CART dropped the ball by not having a proper test there first. Hopefully they will have learned from that.
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