Pacific Raceways Updates...

Just to clarify some of the rumors: The contract was signed yesterday (monday) to re-pave turn 2. They should be starting tomorrow or thurs, will be finished over the weekend. Turn 8 will be patched as well as can be for this season, and re-paved next year. As we speak they are working on drainage issues on the straight between t-9 and t-10. Still planning going on there, but are installing catch basins, etc. It all costs lots of money, but they are making progress!

Interesting stuff. Jason Fiorito attended the big SOVREN annual meeting. Looks like he is has a renewed commitment to supporting road racing (including a sizeable donation to the SOVREN Guild). He also unvailed a NEW plat plan for the improved facility's and the road course is CONSIDERABLY different then the previous plan (the old map is still on the track web site.

Starting at the current S/F line:

1.
Turn 1 is now a sharp right hander, almost 90 degrees. short run to a hard left, short run to a hard left, slightly longer run to a hard left. All-in-all forming a square to head down to 3A. Outside of track is SOLID sand trap.

2. 3A/3B remain as is. HOWEVER (perhaps to meet FIA standards), the escape road is GONE and replaced by a sand trap (Oh, Oh).

3.
Turn 5A becomes a hard left and quick right of 90 degrees. short run to a smooth but tight left shorter run to a tight right and on to T6 which is the same.

NOTE 1: track is either moved outward or, the dirt bank along the inside of 5A/5B is cut back.
NOTE 2: T5A will be less of a technical challenge and require a lot more braking.
NOTE 3: Speeds from the entry of 5A to exit of 6 will be much slower.
NOTE 4: Track on BOTH sides through the new 5 to 6 complex is surrounded by sand traps.

4.
Up to 8 remains as is.

5.
Turn 9 becomes a much sharper right with a short run to a sweeping left and then an easy right sweeper on to the front straight. Inside and outside of this new complex is sand traps. Looks like it will use part of what now is the grandstands and paddock area in front of Proformance to form this new series of turns.

Overall interesting. Changes will for sure slow the lap times but maintain the current length very closely. With the new sand traps, staying on the pavement will be even more critical. Very few places for an 'oops'.

Latest map is on page 8 of the Vintage Drift if you can find a copy.

BUT:
As with all of this, if they are repaving 2 this year and 8 next year, who knows when it will happen. As I've said before, this is such a MAJOR revamp of the track that I really suspect we will lose at least 3/4 or more of a season on the road race track when it happens.

Sweet, sounds slight longer? Different in character but hey the only constant is change. Sand traps will be welcome. Sounds like they are serious to bring pro racing series back to PR.

For us who just walk instead of drive, any info on a pedestrian bridge to the infield? This probably would require a lot of new fencing (and possible monitoring) to keep people from entering the track area from the inside of the course.

Did this map also outline a Unicorn stable, and perhaps a meeting hall for the Northwest association of Leprechauns?

-Bruce

rons said:

For us who just walk instead of drive, any info on a pedestrian bridge to the infield? This probably would require a lot of new fencing (and possible monitoring) to keep people from entering the track area from the inside of the course.

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We supplied 8 pedestrian bridges for the Olympics. They are constructed to be modular, but are designed as a perminent structures (meet all of the building codes). They are for sale at very good prices and span from 8 meters to 20 meters clear, at a 5 meter elevation. Any one know who to contact at Pacific to see if they are interested? Spokane? ORP? At 4 meters wide, some of the larger ones could easily carry a building on top for Timing and scoring as well (might know a company clearing out the timeing and scoring buildings for the 2010 games as well!)

As you know, race tracks get a special deal!

Jeff Remfert

The ORIGINAL design map showed 2 access tunnels under the track for cars and pedestrians. One down in the Turn 2 loop and the other about half way down the front straight. I cannot see enough detail in this new photo to tell if those are still there (but I'm guessing they will be as the track offices and club buildings are inside as before).

The NEW map does show a pedestrian bridge down by the exit of Turn 8!

One other BIG change on this new version. If you are familiar with the original design, the new drag strip came down and terminated at an 'indent' at T2. That is GONE. The drag stip starts where it did before and angels off with its termination out BEYOND T2 and gives them a much, much longer run out length. The Motocross track is gone.

kerry_mcmurtrey said:

Just to clarify some of the rumors: The contract was signed yesterday (monday) to re-pave turn 2. They should be starting tomorrow or thurs, will be finished over the weekend. Turn 8 will be patched as well as can be for this season, and re-paved next year. As we speak they are working on drainage issues on the straight between t-9 and t-10. Still planning going on there, but are installing catch basins, etc. It all costs lots of money, but they are making progress!

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Awesome! That's great news. Thanks for sharing.

Since they are a whole 20 minutes from me, it appears a short road trip is in order this weekend!

Thanks for the update.

Are they gonna plant some more trees? I kinda miss the trees.

I sure hope they don't make the changes described in this thread. Turns 1-2 and 5-9 is what makes PR a great track. Replacing high speed corners with a bunch of 90's preceeded by heavy braking is a joke. If the best corners on the track are removed Jason might as well plow it under and build condos because it won't be worth racing on. Oh well, I wanted to suport ORP anyway.

Sounds like maybe the changed their mind about the drag strip. It was to be put at 90 degrees, in a depression, on the west side of the new kart track. No more racing into the setting sun.

Ken Shreve said:

I sure hope they don't make the changes described in this thread. Turns 1-2 and 5-9 is what makes PR a great track. Replacing high speed corners with a bunch of 90's preceeded by heavy braking is a joke. If the best corners on the track are removed Jason might as well plow it under and build condos because it won't be worth racing on. Oh well, I wanted to suport ORP anyway.

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Agree 100%, Pacific is a naturally fast, flowing track. Don't muck with that.

Improve some of the run-off areas, correct a couple of drainage issues, and just re-pave the damn thing. All of it.

-Bruce

Ken Killam said:

Are they gonna plant some more trees? I kinda miss the trees.

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I doubt it, Ken. We ALL miss the trees... Sigh!

Matter of fact (sadly) we'll probably lose 90% of the trees that are now standing.

The paddock area we are now using gets taken over by the new Turn 9 complex and permanent garage facilities.

The 'new' paddock area for road racing will cover the area where the the trees now stand from the entry road all the way to the track. There will be some grandstands there along the track and also the hot pits.

HOPEFULLY, once done, they'll plant some new trees to provide some shade in the paddock. Part of the 'joy' of Pacific IS its forested setting.

brucebe said:

Agree 100%, Pacific is a naturally fast, flowing track. Don't muck with that.

Improve some of the run-off areas, correct a couple of drainage issues, and just re-pave the damn thing. All of it. -Bruce

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I AGREE with those comments for sure. It could be done as you describe.

Here's what could be the issue. Jason WANTS this to be an FIA certified/approved track for the big name series in order to recover his investment (a worthy goal). But, as FIA is in the back-pocket of F1, Bernie Ecclestone 'mandates' certain elements to be included in track designs. One of those is a rediculously slow speed section (thus the new T1/T2 deal) and some form of medium speed slalom (esses) section (thus the new T9 complex).

The 'flow' of the track will change dramatically with this new configuration. The 'flow' through 3A/3B, T6 and 'maybe' T8 will be the only parts unchanged.

Hard to get a good perspective off of a drawing but it looks to me as though the new T1/T2 layout is gonna lead to some massive 1st lap problems as a pack of cars trys to get through 1 hard right followed closely by 3 ninety degree lefts. Can you say "Festival Corner" on steroids?

If you need a ridiculously slow section, you already have the turn 3 complex. If you need a medium speed ess section, you already have the five and six complex. Bernie doesn't care about Pacific Raceways - for him it's like looking at Eatonville from a passing jet, nothing there to attract his attention from such a great height.

What the FIA (and presumably Bernie, although in reality he has nothing to do with it) care about is sanctioning racetracks that don't offer them any substantial liability. It's bad for business when drivers, especially good ones that the fans like and get paid a lot of money, get maimed or killed on racetracks they sanction. In case anyone has missed it - the FIA is about money, and large amounts of it. Becasue of that, the FIA wants to certify tracks that are wide, grippy, and protected by energy absorbing barriers and velocity reducing traps. There has ALWAYS been a problem on the back side of Pacific Raceways with an embankment and railroad right of way limiting runoff on one side and a very unforgiving hilside on the other. They didn't plan it that way - it was just built when things were a lot different. Improvements have been made by adding a gravel trap, pushing the hill back a bit, and removing trees too close tot the racing surface. There is more that can be done, but frankly I would be surprised if there is enough land around the outside of some parts of the track to meet FIA guidelines for runoff. I am very much in line with Mr. Shreve - justthink what kind of track Pacific would be repaved with a new high traction surface like Portland and a little bit more runoff for safety. The track is a throwback to a different age, and if it's character is lost we won't see one like it again.

I won't get up on my soapbox and start a discussion about why tracks may be LESS safe because sanctioning bodies have done such a good job of convincing drivers that they should be able to use absolutely NO judgement and still recieve no harm because the track is made of foam rubber, old teddy bear parts and mothers enfolding arms. I'm convinced that the next generation of racers will be completely under the illusion that crashing is the inevitable result of the level of aggression required to race.

Oh, Rick, while I'd love to get into one of our debates over this post, I'm "afraid" I 100% agree with 100% of the words in your post.

I, too, hope this doesn't change the character of PR. It's almost like a hillclimb in some respects. Screw up and there's a chance you'll end up in the woods, literally. To me, this is what makes it so challenging and fun. Much more so that Portland, IMHO.

If they are to pave T2 this year, and T8 next year, how soon do you think they'll actually get all of this completed? Sometime around 2020 perhaps, if at all. I would personally vote for 'if at all' with this economy and the fact they have no real funds to work with. I would doubt any of this will happen soon enough for me to ever race on it, but if it actually does happen it will be another boring FIA track with no challenge, no personality and no interest to any real racers.
Leave the boring circuits in Europe and keep our tracks intact, please.

Well said, Wes!