Bathurst track changes ?

ford boy · 20 Oct 2003, 10:50 (Ref:756799)

After watching numerous cars over the weekend go straight through the sand trap at the esses and spray the track with sand and dirt, i think they should get rid of the sand and replace it with bitumen. The sand there will not stop a car doing 200 km/h, but if it was bitumen there should be less chance of a major shunt as seen this year. If they go straight on through the esses they should ( if they can ) stop completely at the end of it and then they can continue without penalty.
Just my opinion.

Crash Test · 20 Oct 2003, 11:01 (Ref:756806)

If they pave it over, the least they could do is add in a speed hump to take out the car's oil cooler- then you'd see how many people want to take a short cut!

ford boy · 20 Oct 2003, 11:12 (Ref:756817)

dlschwerin · 20 Oct 2003, 11:40 (Ref:756853)

Sweet idea both of you

**GTRMagic** · 20 Oct 2003, 12:01 (Ref:756874)

Nope, Oastler would spend too many hours telling us the track length had changed and that HRT had the advantage because they tested their rented Toyota Coaster bus over it with corporate guests aboard the weekend before the race

Sol · 20 Oct 2003, 12:21 (Ref:756889)

I think the sand trap has to be changed and paving it is probably the right thing to do.

It was originally put in to stop errant cars without brakes, but it does not seem to stop many cars and brake systems have improved.

PVDA · 20 Oct 2003, 12:44 (Ref:756920)

Oh yeah and a certain Holden driver will use the new race line like he did a few years ago when they removed the tyres from the outside of turn 9 (I think, the turn onto the back straight) at the Clipsal 500 allowing him to lap 1.5 secs faster than everyone else who did the right thing and go from last to first. Yes, the marshalls called it in and where told to stop reporting it.

The reason they go through the gravel pit is they let go of the brakes because everyone knows a car will not pull up with the brakes off and who wants to be stuck in a gravel trap when you can do a non pit lane drive through and keep going and by the time you get back there 20 cars have swept the track clean.

Gaz170 · 20 Oct 2003, 12:46 (Ref:756924)

Is there another solution besides tar or gravel?????

Would grass or clay be better?

hoffy · 20 Oct 2003, 13:14 (Ref:756953)

Make it a big water filled pit!!!

That'll stop em!

Why has it only been a problem this year? The track has been like that for 15 years!

Wizzby · 20 Oct 2003, 14:05 (Ref:757022)

Quote:

Originally posted by GTRMagic
Nope, Oastler would spend too many hours telling us the track length had changed and that HRT had the advantage because they tested their rented Toyota Coaster bus over it with corporate guests aboard the weekend before the race

You know what, I do actually know some people who would say that!!

I agree though that it needs to be tarmac, if not to stop the cars, then at least to keep the air clean of dirt.

racer69 · 20 Oct 2003, 14:47 (Ref:757081)

Quote:

Originally posted by Gaz170
Is there another solution besides tar or gravel?????

Would grass or clay be better?

A wall.

The sandtrap has been there since what, 1981? A car at speed is always going to go straight through, always has, why start the complaining now?

One track improvement they should do is raise the kerbs in a number of places, similiar to how they were prior to the resurfacing in 2001.

Crash Test · 20 Oct 2003, 22:13 (Ref:757538)

I like the idea of a water trap on the side of the mountain- hit that sucker and you'd wind up in Penrith!

If all else fails, the good old star picket just hanging out the ground is a sure fire way to stop short cutter

craig1 · 20 Oct 2003, 22:15 (Ref:757540)

How about we get the backyard blitz people to come in and do a make over.

Crash Test · 20 Oct 2003, 22:42 (Ref:757561)

And then you'd get the water feature!

Tony C · 20 Oct 2003, 22:51 (Ref:757573)

Unless my memory has completely gone ther was a bitumen strip beside the gravel trap many years ago, it was to allow safety cars to bypass an accident scene. Bitumen with an automatic one minute penalty would solve the cheating and the safety issues. A timing wire would identify the car.

**GTRMagic** · 20 Oct 2003, 22:54 (Ref:757577)

Nah, just take TC's idea of 100% replicating the mountain circuit somewhere close to the Gold Coast, call it Bathurstina, and all these little problems will be sorted

RaceTime · 20 Oct 2003, 23:12 (Ref:757592)

Quote:

Originally posted by Gaz170
Is there another solution besides tar or gravel?????

Sure is - remove the gravel section all together and realign the wall so it follows the track - that way they will have no where else to go.

Or, if they are worried about hitting the wall head on - have a wall angled so it forces the car to the left of the track as they approach it - then we'll see how good the aerodynamic packages on the car really are.....

RRR · 21 Oct 2003, 00:03 (Ref:757630)

Sorry all you guys, I can't see any changes going on to the esses. I don't feel there is anything wrong with the current set up.

Sure, there was heaps of sand and s##t on the road, but in all fairness, there was two rather large incidents in that area.

Putting a wall there would be suicide. That is the fastest point of the esses, the cars need a second option if there is a hazard on the road ahead. And there is nothing better than resorting to a bit of gravel ...

RaceTime · 21 Oct 2003, 00:12 (Ref:757636)

Except that the gravel is not doing what it should be - slowing the cars down.

as for walls - think you will find these were suggested with tongue firmly planted in cheek - but the reaplcement of the gravel with something that DOES arrest the speed of the car - this is something that seriously needs to be investigated.

**GTRMagic** · 21 Oct 2003, 00:28 (Ref:757642)

The design of that area of the circuit, being downhill and the trap not being so deep, is a waste of a sand trap because it doesnt work

I have seen road cars trundle thru there trying to get the true Bathurst experience and not get bogged... what hope has a Supercar got travelling much quicker... would skip like a stone on the surface of water..

Short of reprofiling the exit (and taking a load of earth out of the way) I dont know how you can fix it

Zinger · 21 Oct 2003, 01:07 (Ref:757652)

If you bitument it, it will just be used as race track, because it would be the fastest way through.

vatuloa · 21 Oct 2003, 01:34 (Ref:757657)

A mix of a poly and gravel mixture should do the trick what you would have to watch is the bonding of it to stop it blowing away.

RaceTime · 21 Oct 2003, 01:34 (Ref:757658)

Not necessarily - there are variations on the bitumin that can massively slow the car including reworking the exit from the section - this could then ensure a car doesn't simply go straight through it.

Maybe the council should talk to 7-11 petrol stations and get one of those tyre shredders placed at the back end of it - now THAT would stop them using it to short-cut

**GTRMagic** · 21 Oct 2003, 01:40 (Ref:757661)

Get a bollard held in with a single spike like they have at Pukekohe

Zinger · 21 Oct 2003, 02:09 (Ref:757678)

Well the pukekohe race spike made the race one of the more interesting last year. That idea could be a winner for all future rounds

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