Does oval racing dull road racing skills ???

[ChicagocrewIRL]

I'd like to pose that question to some of the CCWS guys. I wonder what their answers would be. Especially interesting would be Will Power and Justin Wilson since they are highly skilled road guys that have never driven ovals.

What are the opinions of our forum members. Do you all think oval racing dulls road racing skills as far as reaction times, feel for the car etc etc. ???

[F1boat]

If this is true, it proves that these are two different disciplines and it is incorrect to say that one is better or weaker than the other.

[call_me_andrew]

I've noticed that oval racers adopt to road courses faster than road racers adopt to ovals.

[BobGarage]

I've noticed that oval racers adopt to road courses faster than road racers adopt to ovals.

I think Road Course racers adapt to ovals a lot quicker than oval racers adapt to road courses.

to use two current racers as an example....

Ed Carpenter (oval background).... after two years on road courses he's still struggling.

EJ Viso (road background)..... after just a few races in a mid pack team he is up to speed on ovals.

[Chris R]

I think the key distinction may be that road racers become competent on ovals quicker - but I do not think they necessarily master them any quicker.....

That being said, a great driver who watches his or her fitness will adjust quickly to either...

[MAX_THRUST]

I think with an oval you can't blink.......On a road course you can sometimes take a breather.

Thats not to say either is easier, I think many road course racers feel they have learned to focus even more intently on the track.

Other than that they have to learn to set up the car on an oval which is harder than driving the thing. Sometimes comfortable isn't fast......

[dataman1]

The original post asks if oval racing dulls reaction time skills. I don't think so. It may dull skills in shifting gears while maintaining car control but not reaction times. Watch the oval in-car camera shots and you will see very quick reactions to loose or push conditions.

[Chris R]

I think the main difference between the two disciplines is the type of conditioning. Oval guys would focus conditioning on turning left and handling sustained G-loads. They would probably also focus in more on the nuance of the handling of the car. Road course guys would focus less on specialized body strength and would have to pay more attention to their legs for braking and throttle response. I would imagine road course guys would have to condition themselves for a generally rougher ride - but that is only a guess. I also imagine they would be more in tune to a compromise car setup that didn't necessarily optimize the car for any specific turn....

Since a road course guys is probably going to have a higher general level of fitness, I would think he/she would be more likely to physically adapt to ovals quicker and therefore attain and maintain a competitive pace throughout the race quicker. However, since the oval guy is probably more in tune with focusing on the car and track conditions he/she might actually get up to speed setting up a road course car quicker of he/she can grasp the concept that setup is more of a compromise on a road course....

anyway, since I am a nursery guy I really don't have a clue - it seems to me that a great driver will adapt quickly to whatever is thrown their way - heck Robby Gordon finished second in his first ever dirt oval race this week. Rick Mears figured paved ovals very quickly even though he was an off-road racer and was very competitive with Nelson Piquet in his several Brabham F-1 tests... (according to a recent article in Motorsport....)...

[Bob Riebe]

Really? I can think of Foyt, Andretti (the elder) and Mears. Who else did you have in mind? Nearly all the other top open wheel drivers came from road racing backgrounds.

J. Brahbam, AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Lloyd Ruby, Dave McDonald, Al, Al jr., Bobby Unser, Gordon Johncock all came off of dirt ovals which change continually during a race meaning their is NO one car set-up, or ONE line.
You snooze, you lose.

Bob

[Chris R]

Since 1980 most of the top driver have had a road racing background. Rahal, Michael Andretti, Fittipaldi, Sullivan, Luyendyk, Tracy, etc. Last guy with a significant amount of dirt racing background to do well in CART/IRL was Al Jr and even he honed his talent in CanAm before coming to Indycars....

Some of the early IRL guys were dirt track racers -but as the series grew they were squeezed out by road racers.... I think Hornish was the last one standing for the most part.... The modern NASCAR guys are coming from a dirt track background...

I am guessing that the modern AOWR car (i.e. since ground effects/ the age of aero) has had a lot less to do with sliding/car control and alot more to do with commitment (i.e. brass commitment if you get my drift), setup skills, marketability, and physical conditioning.... It seems like the skill involved in a modern Indycar has a lot to do with having faith that the car will turn when you enter a turn going so fast.... F-1 takes that to yet another level and might account for why AOWR guys have a hard time with that transition....

Perhaps that is the key to a new formula - bring back car control as the primary skill needed by a driver.....