Coppice

graeme · 11 Apr 2006, 18:55 (Ref:1578755)

Have they put tarmac run-off in at Coppice at Donington? - http://www.donington-park.co.uk/images/bg2Aerial.jpg - please, nooooo....!

JohnMiller · 11 Apr 2006, 19:03 (Ref:1578763)

Is it not just the very dark gravel they had before?

graeme · 11 Apr 2006, 19:29 (Ref:1578781)

Hopefully - why the different colour gravel - so your mechanic knows which corner you've been off at???

Whitestar · 11 Apr 2006, 19:45 (Ref:1578791)

It is in fact reycled road surface . it also tells the marshals where the car fell off

Sheila M · 11 Apr 2006, 19:56 (Ref:1578795)

I thought it was lignite but I could be wrong there.

I think that it was an experiment to see if the material worked in the same way as the old fashioned gravel. I'm sure there will be enough people on here who can tell us for definite (a) what it is and (b) why it's there!

**Tim Falce** · 11 Apr 2006, 20:09 (Ref:1578807)

Quote:

Originally Posted by graeme

Have they put tarmac run-off in at Coppice at Donington? - http://www.donington-park.co.uk/images/bg2Aerial.jpg - please, nooooo....!

What would be wrong with a tarmac run off there?

JohnMiller · 11 Apr 2006, 20:17 (Ref:1578820)

Quote:

Originally Posted by falcemob

What would be wrong with a tarmac run off there?

Take the skill out of a very challenging corner - where you have to turn in totally blind before cresting the rise and then skirting right round on the absolute edge of the track to make up time down the subsequent (very long) straight.

A simple straight on if I go too fast option would destroy the challenge, IMO.

Rockmunky · 11 Apr 2006, 21:16 (Ref:1578886)

Exactly, they're right on the edge and if they run too wide they're in the gravel and possibly out of the race, however with tarmc it's a case of "oops i've run wide.. oh dear."

graeme · 12 Apr 2006, 06:23 (Ref:1579170)

Thanks, you two - exactly what I meant, except I would have put it in a much less PC way which probably would have seen me banned from the forum

Although everyone talks about the Craners, Coppice is THE ballsey corner at Doners

It's near namesake, Copse at Silverstone, used to be a great challenge but now is fairly rubbish because of tarmac run-off

Peter Horsman · 12 Apr 2006, 07:28 (Ref:1579201)

I agree. Blanchement at Spa falls into that catagory now.

graeme · 12 Apr 2006, 08:43 (Ref:1579253)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Horsman

I agree. Blanchement at Spa falls into that catagory now.

Agreed - used to be scary as hell - now just "nice"... Eau Rouge used to be good with gravel around it (gawd knows what it was like with armco either side!) - again, it's quite fun now but obviously and easily flatout with such a huge margin for error.

I've won races/podiums at Spa and Silverstone when the guy/girl in front of me has gone into the gravel - now they just drive straight on and keep the place - there's no penalty for making a mistake

Saw an interview with Sterling Moss where he said that the danger was an integral part of the sport; some like "anyone can walk a tightrope 2 inches off the ground, but put it over a ravine and it gets interesting". Thank heavens for the likes of Jackie Stewart, but you need to keep it interesting.

**Tim Falce** · 12 Apr 2006, 13:22 (Ref:1579446)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Take the skill out of a very challenging corner - where you have to turn in totally blind before cresting the rise and then skirting right round on the absolute edge of the track to make up time down the subsequent (very long) straight.

A simple straight on if I go too fast option would destroy the challenge, IMO.

So you think it's better to have a session stopped and waste time while a car is dragged out of the gravel (it's quite deep, I have experience of it) rather than just have a 'get out of jail free' card.

You could always have tarmac and a visit to the CoC for more than one excursion as other corners have.

graeme · 12 Apr 2006, 13:55 (Ref:1579469)

Quote:

Originally Posted by falcemob

tarmac and a visit to the CoC

As I said, no penalty...

McKay · 12 Apr 2006, 22:37 (Ref:1579883)

Perhaps they should put gravel around the track edge at corners, so cars can't just run wide, but then have the tarmac further in. There would be a punishment for error, but the safety for a big accident.

Chris Y · 13 Apr 2006, 08:25 (Ref:1580149)

I think the solution is foam and latex 'spikes' - convincingly painted to look sharp and painful as a deterrrant, but when you hit them you just bounce off

Lola · 15 Apr 2006, 08:50 (Ref:1582726)

I would say coppice is one of the most challenging corners in the country. As John said it is totally blind going in. I can see the pros and cons of tarmac. It does take some of the challenge out of it but at least we shouldn’t have too many red flags there now. An innocent spin is a session stopper at a very dangerous corner. If you have someone who doesn’t look at the flags very often, there is the potential for a very nasty accident with a car half on the circuit. You have to respect the flagging here!….as you do anywhere else

Eddy V · 16 Apr 2006, 10:18 (Ref:1584856)

Quote:

Originally Posted by graeme

Eau Rouge used to be good with gravel around it (gawd knows what it was like with armco either side!)

Scary Graeme, VERY scary. Tunnel vision comes to mind. Even the smallest of mistakes was expensive and/or painfull in those days. Think about the corner being only half as wide as it is now and more of a left-right-left as it is now.

graeme · 24 Apr 2006, 09:06 (Ref:1593557)

Quote:

Originally Posted by falcemob

So you think it's better to have a session stopped and waste time while a car is dragged out of the gravel (it's quite deep, I have experience of it) rather than just have a 'get out of jail free' card.

You could always have tarmac and a visit to the CoC for more than one excursion as other corners have.

One of the race winners at the weekend used the tarmac runoff at Copse time and time again (alledgedly), and received no punishment...

Paddockman · 24 Apr 2006, 17:04 (Ref:1593925)

Tarmac run off at coppice!!

Another track being ruined for the sake of over the top safety paranoia its not as if there is no run off there is it!!

Next they will be tarmacing the whole of the hill down the Craners!

Its about time that a petition went out against this sort of thing before every track in Britain ends up looking like a Tilke ***k up!!!

**Tim Falce** · 24 Apr 2006, 17:22 (Ref:1593935)

One of the most frightening racing experiences I had was when I spun and stalled half way round Coppice, and it wouldn't restart, this was shortly after I had overtaken about 3 XJSs and I knew they would be coming round soon. I was glad I took clean pants with me that day.

graeme · 24 Apr 2006, 17:45 (Ref:1593959)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paddockman

Tarmac run off at coppice!!

Another track being ruined for the sake of over the top safety paranoia its not as if there is no run off there is it!!

Next they will be tarmacing the whole of the hill down the Craners!

Its about time that a petition went out against this sort of thing before every track in Britain ends up looking like a Tilke ***k up!!!

Sorry, at was talking about Copse (at Silverstone), not Coppice at Doners - which sounds as though it's just got dark coloured gravel. I'll check it out when I'm racing there in a fortnight

Paddockman · 24 Apr 2006, 20:19 (Ref:1594074)

Quote:

Originally Posted by graeme

Sorry, at was talking about Copse (at Silverstone), not Coppice at Doners - which sounds as though it's just got dark coloured gravel. I'll check it out when I'm racing there in a fortnight

Woops sorry my mistake

Nasty thing mixing Donnington with the Car Park in Northants!