I want to build another single lane Hillclimb, so I needed to lower and shorten the Targa Track about a foot to make room. It meant shortening the straight and re-routing 3 corners, but I think I may have made it too easy to drive, probably drop the lap times by 1 second. We'll find out on Friday.
Before the mods...
...during...
...and after...
This was the Hillclimb we had in 2001, I really miss it, so it's time to try again...
This time the loop will be software driven and we'll have sector times
To have two totally different tracks vs. the one. I think it was worthwhile Luf.
It looks like I'm going to be in Seattle in June for my daughter's graduation. I hope I can find time to make it up to Burnaby.
Steve
No more Karussel to give lane three that last second advantage. I see it does get a shorter turn though. Can't wait until Friday night.
OK, seeing as it no longer exists I will have to remember to write about the Karussell in the past tense…
I think that the Karussell had actually been given a bad rap in that there is a bit of a perception that it gave an “unfair advantage”. Bottom line for me is that lap time-wise it only barely (if at all) made up for the disadvantage that lane 3 had for the rest of the lap. I never found my lap times to be better in lane 3 than in the other two lanes. Quite the opposite in fact: my lap times were typically somewhat quicker in the other two lanes: I would even go so far as to give the other lanes a 1/10 second advantage.
However: it definitely gave a passing advantage. It used to be the one corner in the one lane that allowed you to pass a car in the adjacent lane with complete confidence and comfort without worrying about knocking someone out or being knocked out. As someone who often runs cars that might be a touch slower in a straight line but with an edge in the corners, I always appreciated that about this corner.
Being slower in a straight line and faster in the corners in a racing situation presents some definite challenges: clean passes are tough! I sure as heck avoid passing someone on the outside like the plague: being faster and getting knocked out while passing is no fun at all. By the same token: I absolutely abhor knocking someone else out as well. So while in another lane I might sit behind someone lapping quite a bit slower than I could go while building up to a clean pass. And sometimes the race ends before I can do it. That can be a bit disappointing.
In lane 3 the Karussell used to give you the opportunity to cleanly and easily pass. And then you had to work really hard at maintaining a gap through the sections that lane 3 used to be slower than the other 2 lanes.
But recognise this passing advantage only really worked to race-winning advantage when you were going counterclockwise. This meant you had the opportunity to pass just before the finish line with one more inside line corner before the finish line. Conversely: lane 1 had the advantage going the other way. The Karussell would give the easy pass to lane 3 and then Lane 1 had a lot of advantage for the rest of the lap to the line. Lane 1 had the inside line around all the corners at the top PLUS (and this is a biggy!) the serious inside line advantage going through Eau Rouge.
So: while I will miss the Karussell I am sure the new corners will present new challenges and advantages! With Luf's tracks having fun is a given.
The Hillclimb will be at the back of the track and overhang it by about 4 ft...
Now I need to finish all the scenery for this section before I add more track, because I wont be able to reach most of it when it's all done. Once I add more roadway, I'm hoping it will end about 24" off the floor. The return loop at the top is at eye-level.
Except for the return loop, I've been able to re-use most of the old Hillclimb
New Hillclimb
Linear Mode
