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Didn't know where to put this seeing as I'm asking for all of racing in general. But I want to know what are your favorite tracks/circuits? I'm going to do my top 5 for both ovals and road and street circuits.
Ovals
1. Indianapolis
2. Talladega
3. Daytona
4. California
5. Martinsville
Road and street circuits
1. Watkins Glen
2. Toronto
3. Road America
4. Long Beach
5. Circuit Gilles Villneuve
Current Favourite = Spa
Old favourite = the old Kyalami of the 60's
I have too many to name, but thanks for putting this up here! If I hadda be pressed,
I'd have to say Spa, pre-2001 Hockenheim, Road America, the Nurburgring Nordscheliffe, Le Mans, the full course at Watkins Glen-not the short course NASCAR uses-all road courses that really feel like you are going somewhere, taking a trip, versus driving on a circuit.
As for ovals I'd have to go with Darlington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Texas, Indy (when Indy cars are on the track, the Cup racing there has been sub-par at best) Richmond, and Bristol before they screwed it up in 2008.
Yes, I said it- I actually like the three "cookie-cutter" tracks. I always laugh when people call them that-they resemble each other in appearance as D shaped ovals with condo's but they are 3 completely different tracks. Charlotte and Texas are 1.5 milers,yes, but with different banking angles, very different transitions off the corners-and Atlanta is 1.54 miles.
I'll use my favorite driver as an example. He has won at Charlotte and Atlanta, yes, but his overall record at Charlotte is absolutely putrid, whereas he is the winningest driver (in Nationwide) at Texas, and although he doesn't have a cup win there, his overall record there is pretty stout. He has won in all three series at Atlanta, but his average finish has suffered due to various engine issues or wrecks over the years. He always says that the 3 tracks don't drive anything alike, and that he really enjoys racing at Texas and Atlanta, but shows up to Charlotte with a bad attitude the second he drives through the tunnel.
Turn 2 at Charlotte is usually a wreck fest because drivers are constantly getting loose and spinning there, and Turn2 at Texas causes many wrecks as well, but for the exact opposite reason, drivers are plowing like a dump truck up off and either hitting the wall or the car to their outside.
The quad oval from Turn 4 to Turn 1 is much more squared off at Charlotte than the other two.
The one thing they all have in common is speed. The fastest qually laps in the Sprint Cup series have alternated between all 3 tracks right after repaves and Atlanta still holds the fastest Q lap of any track since the restrictor plate era started at Slowtona and Yawnadega back in 1988 (197.478 mph for the 1997 Napa 500 set by Geoffrey Bodine-right after the configuration of the track to the current D-Oval).
If you can say that about Indy then what on earth is Richmond doing on the list? OK, its not on the schedule anymore but that oval was truly awful for Indycars.Quote:
Originally Posted by slorydn1
I think he meant he likes it for NASCAR.
Ovals:
Indy
Nazareth (don't know if it still exists, but awesome physical track)
Pikes Peak (same, although I think its a test track now for some teams)
Darlington
North Wilksboro
Road Courses
Circuit Le Sarthe (le mans)
Spa
Oran Park (dont know if its still around but its a blast on Toca 3 with the Aussie v8's)
Road Atlanta
Bathurst
Brno
plenty more, I would love to be crazy rich and just go around the world finding the best road course
No Monaco? I know it's given us some boring races over the years, but just watching on-board footage of anyone in an F1 car there sends shivers down my spine.
Monaco is my favorite F1 circuit, I just prefer some of the North American circuits better.Quote:
Originally Posted by intheway
My current favourites
Spa-Francorchamps
Monaco
My old favourite
Imola (70's-1994 layout, nice flowing circuit, good balance between low speed and high speed sections)
Quote:
Originally Posted by wedge
Yep, thats exactly what I meant :up:Quote:
Originally Posted by 00steven
I thought I was being clear enough when I put "when Indy cars are on the track, the Cup racing there has been sub-par at best" in parenthesis right after mentioning Indy but maybe it would have been better to mention Richmond first, then Indy with the explanation....sorry
Top 5 ovals?
Richmond (NASCAR only)
Phoenix
Indianapolis (some good NASCAR races HAVE happened here)
Daytona (old pavement please...)
Darlington
For my Road Courses?
Mosport (biased here, close to home, but James Weaver agrees!)
Silverstone (before the latest changes)
Spa
Nordschlife of the Ring
Bathurst (how could no one mention this wildride?)
*honourable Mention to Road America.
Street courses?
Toronto (spectacular races more often than not in various formulae)
Long Beach
Monaco (how could anyone not?)
Adelaide
Melbourne
After thinking about it some, I have decided that I like Laguna Seca more than Circuit Gilles Villneuve.Quote:
Originally Posted by 00steven
I dont think there would be many other challengers for this top 5, that would be close to mine as well, but with Adelaide I think alittle higher, Surfers Paradise is better than Melbourne, IMO. Pao is another street circuit that is insanely challengingQuote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
Macau has the best street circuit in the world. Long wide straights, narrow confines of Monaco with quick corners. Single seaters, production cars, touring cars and bikes on the same weekend!Quote:
Originally Posted by harvick#1
Pau is too similar to Monaco.
Old/original Spa
Birmingham Superprix which held F3000 races in the mid-80s-early 90s.
Surfers has NO fast corners. Melbourne has a good mix of them all. Surfers is a point and squirt track with chicanes. The location is fabulous, but the track itself isn't a tough track to learn and doesn't test the car so much as the driver negotiating his way around without hitting things. Pau isn't one I have seen footage of...so I wont judge it one way or the other.Quote:
Originally Posted by harvick#1
AS for Macau, I thought about it..but it has a twisty km or so in the back that is basically follow the leader stuff...much like Monaco, so while it has the big fast straight sections, the rest of the track is like Monaco. When in doubt, go with a classic....
I truly think Street circuits must be judged on their own merits, which is why I separtated them from Road Circuits.
Favourite part Surfers is the chicane on the back straight. I love the camera shot where you see the cars snaking through, bouncing off the kerbs and the camber changes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
Somewhat flabbergasted no one has Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on their list. I mean, I love Spa. It's beautiful and steeped in history and has awesome speed but Montreal pretty much outdoes any other F1 circuit on a year to year basis when it comes down to actual race excitement. Look at this year. A rain delayed marathon with a last lap finish that comes about once a decade in F1. Montreal never disappoints.
...but I love Spa and
Mosport
Road America
and the much neutered Monza.
Mark has the street circuits nailed.
Ovals:
Indy
Phoenix
Darlington
Pocono
Delaware
Harvick#1 - sorry to say but Oran Park is no more :mad:
Sadly, it has been annexed by the great urban sprawl of western Sydney, it's final race meeting was earlier this year.
My fave aussie tracks are Phillip Island and a small club owned track in south eastern South Australia called Macnamara Park - motorbikes only! Really technical and flowing, apparently based on Mallroy Park (spelling?) in the UK. It is celebrating it's 50th year in 2012, and is apparently to only club owned race track in the southern hemisphere.
As for the Island, its better than disneyland when the sun is shining. I've done several track days there and for an average rider like me, there is sooooo much to keep your attention. Very fast and flowing, following A grade riders through some sections just shows the level of commitment put in when the real fast guys are racing. When its wet and raining, though.... Fecking cold and miserable is the polite way of putting it.
As for Overseas - would love to go for a punt around (in no particular order):
Spa
Monza
Sarthe
Donnington
Silverstone
Is of Mann
Road America
Laguna Seca
Zandvoort
Nurburgring Nordshliefe (spelling?)
etc etc etc
F1
Monaco
Silverstone
Spa
Tilkedromes
Istanbul
Sepang
Others
Brands Hatch
Oulton Park
Donington
Knockhill
Bathurst
Top 5
Monza
Brands Hatch
Mid Ohio
Mosport
Road Alanta
Folks,
This is supposed to be a "History of racing" forum, not a "General racing" forum. So please include past tracks as well as current ones.
It's pointless just listing "My favourite tracks are ..." Please write a couple of lines explaining each of your selections.
As more than one type of car races or raced at various tracks, say what type of racing you are associating with a particular track.
Not still around.Quote:
Originally Posted by harvick#1
Oran Park Town : Homepage
The NSW State Government hates motor racing.
Amaroo Park is now a suburban street, Castlereagh Speedway no longer exists, Catalina Park has been left to rot and wither, Eastern Creek the former home of the 500cc Grand Prix is now a club track in dire need of repair.
The best that the people of Sydney get is now a race at Olympic Park inside a concrete canyon. Feh!
From a spectator pov
Brands Hatch
Monza (chicaneless)
Crystal Palace
Goodwood (the only track I've ever driven)
Spa (original configuration)
Clermont-Ferrand Charade
Hate
Silverstone
Hockenheim
Spa
Monza
Montreal
Quote:
Originally Posted by D-Type
What more can I say? :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Koz