Topo

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 30 Jun 2008, 22:44 (Ref:2241015)

For this circuit my thinking wasn't so much a difficult track, rather to demonstrate it topographically.
My initial plan was to just do the track itself in a way similar to many TV companies have for a track, but as is typical of me, it evolved into a full circuit with gravel traps and pitlane.

Again as is typical of me, the track length went out the window and ended up at nearly 8km (5 miles) though there is scope and plenty of space - even with the elevation changes for a shorter loop.
having said that, this would be a very fast circuit, that ALMS/LMS/GT type racers would enjoy.

So a walk around of the 7.88km (4.93 mile) circuit is as follows...

The long S/F is level at an elevation of 10m (32ft) and leads into Turns 1 and 2, a left-right chicane.
On exit from T2 the circuit climbs upto 12.5m (41ft) into the entry of the right handed T3.
The exit of T3 leads onto a straight that Drops drops down and levels out at 6m (20ft) before climbing again upto 10m (32ft) for T4.
T4 leads onto the second longest straight on the circuit, which drops 8m (26ft) into the Turn 5 Hairpin.
From T5 the circuit climbs from it's 2m (6 1/2ft) elevation up to 5m (16ft) for the left handed Turn 6.
The circuit doesn't stay at this elevation for very long as straight after T6 Drops to the lowest point on the circuit - just 0.5m (1 1/2 ft) as it passes under the S/F straight before climbing back up again to 8m (26ft) for T7.
Turn 7 is a tricky Left hander that on exit climbs upto 10m (32ft) before the long right handed sweeper that is T8.
Turn 8 exits onto a straight climbing straight that leads into the left handed multiple radius T9 and Turn T10 sequence. These corners are at the highest point of the circuit - an elevation of 17.5m (57 1/2 ft).
The approach to the final corner is Down hill as the circuit returns to the S/F elevation of 10m (32ft) for the final corner.

With hindsight, I think if I was to use this style again, I'd be a bit braver and make the elevation changes much more pronounced. Perhaps 30-40m rather than a total difference High to Low of only 17m (55 3/4 ft)

Some pics follow, and as usual comments, criticisms and possible edits are welcomed.

Purist · 30 Jun 2008, 23:26 (Ref:2241032)

With the length, you wouldn't go amiss having a total difference between high and low points of as much as five times what you've done here (85m instead of just 17m).

For two of the most extreme examples, if my numbers are correct, Bathurst has an elevation difference of ~245m and the Nordschleife is around 300m from the highest to lowest point.

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 30 Jun 2008, 23:31 (Ref:2241035)

Yeah when I started out on it, I really wan't sure how it would look, especially as the corners are all level. As much as I'd love to have elevation in them, the practicalities are hugely time consuming...not to mention having to create a whole new dictionary of nasty and rude words for when it didn't do as I wished.
Also I misjudged the overall length as well which throws out the elevation scale a bit too.

I'll see about having a go at increasing the elevation on this track later

bio · 1 Jul 2008, 08:08 (Ref:2241183)

The track itself looks - and sounds

- great. With the plenty of space around you could even scale it down so its length becomes "normal".

The pictures show what I kept encountering when I was doing my elevation-change tracks: if you don't exaggerate, don't "infate" the height differences they simply won't really show on the perspective pictures.

LuiggiSpeed · 2 Jul 2008, 02:48 (Ref:2241937)

BEAUTYFUL!

Congrats! you always come up with such brutally logic,efective designs.

I am green with envy of such sized track,that's humongous,like bio said, you can scale it down a sizable percent and still have a big track.

Question about the "dimensions" utility,doesn't it also works on the curves?

I have to go thru google-earth and trace my tracks to get the exactl lenght.

Purist · 2 Jul 2008, 03:25 (Ref:2241942)

Five moiles isn't that massive in the grand scheme of things; it's basically the size of the full Interlagos circuit. And then there's Le Mans and the Nurburgring that are really out there. I haven't found a good way to put them on my computer to post them, but most of my designs that I really like are easily over four miles (a few of them would be longer than Le Mans).

TilkeWannabe · 2 Jul 2008, 05:42 (Ref:2241967)

5 miles is long enough for me. Infact, that's great.

The shape is cool (for me, direction is important when I get a great shape), the detail is unbelieveably better than mine (DUH!), the flow is great. The topo is interesing, the fact that it's figure-of-eight is cool too.

LuiggiSpeed sort of summed it up, really; green with envy.

Tathrim · 2 Jul 2008, 07:41 (Ref:2242016)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuiggiSpeed

Question about the "dimensions" utility,doesn't it also works on the curves.

It does, but it gets very complicated. It's generally simpler to note as you go, as the length of one side can be a good estimate of the track length.

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 2 Jul 2008, 07:42 (Ref:2242017)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuiggiSpeed

Question about the "dimensions" utility,doesn't it also works on the curves?

The Dimension tool gives you a corner radius graphic rather than the length of that section.
However I used the measuring tool on one section of each 12 segment arc in order to produce an accurate length.

I'll add a corner radius to each later when I'm back home.