Pacific Raceways Updates...

Yes, Ron. As I said above; After the 2007 season death of Eric Medlen, John Force's horrific crash and most importantly the death of Scott Kalitta in 2008 at the end of the run out area at Englishtown, the NHRA demanded that all tracks look at the length and condition for their track termination and shortened the top fuel, funny car runs to 1,000 feet instead of a 1/4 mile.

The NHRA event is very important to Pacific Raceways financial well being. That is the reason for the 2009 catch fence improvement at Pacific down at T2 and why the new design includes a MUCH longer run out area. I suspect the vague white line you can just see along the drag strip is the 1/4 mile so they will now have over a 1/2 mile of shut down run if needed.

That certainly effected the Turn 2 layout but I'm just not sure they had to make 'the box' out of it.
 
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Not all change is good, just ask the people of Haiti.

Regarding PR, I appreciate making the track safer but the "T1/T2 box" looks lame. I prefer sweepers over that. A banked sweeper would be great.

Really? You compared a reconfiguring of a local race track to what happened in Haiti?... I think you missed your calling Mike... You should give Fox News a call, Glenn Beck might need a side kick. :p


On topic:

What are they "Patching" in turn 8? Also, are they going to fix the whole in the pavement after 3b?
 
....On topic: What are they "Patching" in turn 8? Also, are they going to fix the whole in the pavement after 3b?

Not patching at Turn 8 next year. Rather, REPAVING. Don't know what compound tires you're running but, that corner (for soft compound tires) is like driving on a grinder. And, the lack of traction causes (some) off track excursions there. It's nothing but cobble stones all the way around it.

Yes I hope they hit the 'hole' exiting 3B and I think there's one on the downhill section near the top too. All those need are concrete or epoxy patches.
 
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I worked that corner a few times in the early 70's and saw some great racing from a lot of great drivers, including Jody Scheckter, who left many body parts and pieces as he blew thru there as I reecall between the track and the station!

I was there for that race as well. I think I was 5 or 6 years old. I have a picture of me standing in Peter Revson's F5000 and the top of my head equal with the air intake.

I really hope that the track changes don't include sand traps all the way around starting at the edge of the paved surface. I'll bet we'll spend 50% or more of our session times with a car stuck in the sand and full course yellows up. It could change the value of racing at PR.

R
 
Sand traps and club racers are a bad combo for sure Rick, but if that is what the FIA wants then I 'm sure they will move forward with them.
5 or 6 back then eh, thanks for sharing that! Of course after knowing you for almost that long it's hard to believe you are in your 40's. Yikes, where has all the time gone?
 
....... to re-pave turn 2. They should be starting tomorrow or thurs, will be finished over the weekend. It all costs lots of money, but they are making progress!

Must not have gotten their Stimulus Check. I just drove through Pacific and it's as INACTIVE as I've ever seen it. Both paddock gates locked and no hewmans in site anywhere except the Kart Track.

No sign of any paving equipment and T2 just the way we left it last October.

But there's still 36 days till the Enduro (35 to Driver Training/Lapping).
 
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Digging the cars out of the sand is not so much an issue as the all too occasional "wheel off" and spreading the sand/pee gravel/whatever across the racing surface for the next car in line. I was so happy when they took the traps out of the chicane at PIR.

An aside-- While at the Friends of PIR Open House today, saw a fancy new conceptual map that has all kinds of fun additions/changes for the future.

I'm seeing an interesting trend here.
 
The "box" as its being called will be driven as if it were round, people said the same thing when Laguna was being routed in around the lake. The old esse's at laguna ate more cars than T5 ever did. T5 will be missed for sure, hated T9, wont miss it atall and that lame kink and lake in the straight will be like having a 40 pound tumor removed.
 
Really? You compared a reconfiguring of a local race track to what happened in Haiti?... I think you missed your calling Mike... You should give Fox News a call, Glenn Beck might need a side kick. :p

LOL!

I can see this is going to be an interesting year! :)
 
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It's difficult to tell exactly how tight the new T1/T2 series is going to be, but I'm sure people were saying the same thing (lots of car mangled at the start of the race) about PIR when they came up with the current version of the chicane. Obviously there have been some issues, but drivers have managed it pretty well overall.

I agree with most of the other people that are saying it will disrupt the natrual flow feeling of the track. BUT if these updates are going to help draw some good pro racing back to the area then I'm all for it. It would be awesome to get a DP race out here.
 
If any of these proposed changes actually happen as I said earlier it will be a major suprise. The track has no funds available for much of anything, so if you hold your breath over these mods actually happening this decade you will surely turn blue.
Jason and crew have done many great things out there over the last 10 years, and we should enjoy what we have presently, in spite of some rough surface issues and the water running thru the kink. If the kink is repaired, or at least improved, with catch basins it will relieve the concerns of many racers who seem to fear that section. A little repaving would be a huge benefit as well, but with this economy we can't honestly expect any extensive changes anytime soon.
The track management monitors this forum, and has for quite some time, and I am confident that our comments and suggestions regarding these proposed changes will be taken into consideration exactly as they were when Jason took over and made his many, and welcome changes back when.
 
I think a PIR style chicane, maybe smaller, followed by a similar turn 2 as today would be actually be fun. Basically a good brake zone, quick right left transition followed by a good sweeper heading down the hill. Sounds fun to me :)

Kyle Freiheit
 
I understand the concept of the PIR chicane, but it briefly takes the flow out of the rest of the track, once a lap every lap. The current T2 at PR is an awesome gut check every time you enter it. The chicane at PIR has none of that.
 
I think a PIR style chicane, maybe smaller, followed by a similar turn 2 as today would be actually be fun. Basically a good brake zone, quick right left transition followed by a good sweeper heading down the hill. Sounds fun to me :)

Kyle Freiheit
I respectfully have to say BOOOOO :)

On another note, I happened to swing by PR this weekend and still no paving going on at T2.... anyone heard anything lately?
 
Happened to think, just paving the entrance road to the facility would be a nice gesture.
 
Yes, a LEAST patch the holes! Although it would be better to see additional asphalt going on the racing surface.

Actually it makes more sense to patch the entry road now. Under the 'new' configuration that remains the MAIN access rather then it moving to the eastern edge out beyond the oval track.
 
HELL HAS FROZEN OVER!

Or at least it got a few degrees cooler.

On my way back from Auburn I stopped by the track and ... there was asphalt paving equipment out there!
They were laying the last of 27 loads of asphalt, on the hot pit entrance to 1; all of 1 and around 'til 2 quitting just short of the downhill.
There are no changes to the configuration.
The truck driver I talked to gave me the number of loads, but doesn't know about turn 8.
No more seam!
This corner will be faster.

I don't know if they filled the wheel eater by 4 ...
 
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