Track Design Game

[rubaru]

Hi everyone, I have a proposal for a new game I've thought of (OK so I stole it from another forum, thank you FerrariMan96) - a Track Designing Competition.

I've seen these on other forums before...they all eventually died out, but I wanted to get one started again. So this is how it'll work:

1. A person sets the rules/criteria for their competition. It can be pretty much anything they want, but it has to be set in the real world. Example rules are listed below. A deadline (of a week or so) should also be set.
2. Competitors then design tracks using GMap-Pedometer or anything else they can post easily to the forum for all to see. Depending on the rules of the competition, more than 1 map may have to be submitted (e.g. if a pit lane also needs to be shown).
3. The person who set the competition chooses the winner.
4. The winner then sets their own competition, and will choose the next winner, who will set the next competition and so on.

Example rules/criteria/parameters people can set for their competitions:

• Location (e.g. "In Australia", "Closest point less than 50km from the centre of Rome" or whatever)
• Track length (e.g. 4-6km, 3-4km, 10-15km or whatever you like)
• Track type (e.g. Street circuit, Purpose-built circuit, "hybrid" circuit like Adelaide - part purpose built, part street circuit) - Note that even for full street circuits, a little bit of 'new' road should be allowed as it's sometimes necessary
• What type of racing the track is intended for (F1, WEC, TT, etc)
• If buildings can be destroyed or not
• If road width (or "possible road width, if road was widened) and elevation should be accounted for or not (using Google Street View is helpful here)
• If run off should be accounted for
• If a pit lane needs to be designed, and what minimum length it should be (e.g. 150m, 250m...)

It isn't necessary to specify all these parameters, and others can be used too; these are just some examples.

If folks are interested, I'll check back in a day or two to set up the first challenge!

[Szisz]

Originally Posted by rubaru

If folks are interested, I'll check back in a day or two to set up the first challenge!

Yeah, I'm game

[AoB Special Stage]

I'm in

[SKG]

This kind of thing has been tried on this forum before, it would be cool for someone to give it another go.

It's not really my thing, but if you guys want to give it a go, then go for it!

It will be interesting to see what you can come up with.

[rubaru]

Alrighty then...here's the first challenge.

The Townsville Street Circuit is a 2.85km in and around Reid Park in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The track currently is home to the Townsville 400 for V8 Supercars.

Here is a gmap-pedometer view of the current circuit:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6768041

The track organizers managed to lure F4-Australia to hold a race, and they desire to attract some larger series, include Formula 3 Australia and, perhaps, Formula E. In order to do this, you've been asked to expand the 2.85km track to something closer to 5km. In your efforts, you must incorporate some of the streets near the existing circuit. You must maintain a majority of the existing purpose-built track (including pit lane and paddock), and you cannot remove/destroy any existing homes or businesses. You are free, however, to widen existing roads, remove vegetation, install removable curbs and medians, and build new track on existing vacant land. However, cost is a concern, so new construction should be kept to a minimum.

Have fun! And I will announce the winner on 12/28 at noon EST.

[rubaru]

Just to clarify, I live in the USA. My time zone is GMT -5:00, so noon EST would be 1700 GMT.

[Szisz]

Hawkeye Street Circuit
Re-named in honour of the late Paul Hawkins.

[AoB Special Stage]

Since Formula E wouldn't be keen on extending the circuit, I elected to ready two separate layouts.

Aussie Formula 4/V8 Supers (5.06 km): http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6768260

Townsville F4.png

Formula E (3.03 km): http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6768268

Townsville FE.png

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I think I've gone for more new tarmac than the rest, which isn't a surprise as I don't like street circuits.
New section begins with T2 turning South running parallel with Ross Creek entering into a fairly open hairpin that's T3 before retuning back through a series of sweepers on the far set of lanes of the Causeway - After reviewing what I had done at street view, T6 shall go around and not through that magnificent tree.

T8 sees the first of 2 short cuts for the Formula E series. T8 hairpin on the main circuit could in reality be too tight, and all series would use the shortcut.

Returning back from T8, T9 uses the carpark entrance road rather than the current layout, but allows for T10 where we rejoin the current circuit.

I'm calling the main circuit left hander onto the chicane loop T14 for the main circuit, Formula E continue straight on, into a double right hander which leads those cars back onto the pit straight.
The Formula E circuit is 3.1km long. If this is to long, then the current circuit to the right hander onto the Causeway would remove at least 500m.

The Esses of T17 and T18 take us off circuit again, and down Railway Avenue to a residential area, where we turn right handed at T19.
T20 & T21 in reality are over emphasised junctions with large kerbs, the exact layout at these could either get cars airborne or have kerbs removed into a very shallow esses. T23 sees a return to the current circuit area, though adapted further.

THE overall size of the main circuit is 5.1km

In this case, Townsville has a very good Streetview, and it's on using that, I have made the reality comments. It would depend on just how much the good folks of Townsville love their racing.

[rubaru]

I'll go the full week if you guys think we'll get more entries. Otherwise I can announce a winner early and you can set up the next challenge. It's probably not a great idea to have started this Christmas week!

[rubaru]

Anymore final entries? Ill announce a winner in about an hour.

[rubaru]

I took a careful look at all the entries, and tried to judge more on what the rules of the challenge were.

While all the entries were pretty cool, I had to rule out AoB's Formula E entry right away. Not enough of a change or extension of the track involoved. You added a little piece for a hairpin, but it goes over a railroad crossing 4 times. Also, the slalom section right across the S/F line seemed a little weird and unnecessary.

Next, I eliminated ScotBruts track. Sure, it's a pretty cool track, but it has a staggering 28 turns on the full-length circuit. Also, I think the Town Council might take issue with the amount of new track you've proposed, considering one of the rules was to keep costs at a minimum.

That leaves us with AoB's Formula 4 circuit and Szisz's "Hawkeye Street Circuit". Both were excellent uses of existing roadways with minimal changes required to make the circuit work. Remove a couple medians/curbs/islands and set up the obvious barriers and both would provide a great layout.

However, my winner for the Townsville Street Circuit Extension challenge will be SZISZ with the Hawkeye Circuit. My reason for this is because of the run-off to Turn 2 (the left-hander onto Charter Towers Rd.) on AoB's Formula 4 circuit. Cars would be approaching this turn at a pretty high speed, and the fact that the circuit is also running northbound on Charter Towers Rd would give very little in run-off.

So, Szisz, you have the honor of providing us with the next challenge. Might I suggest, though, something less that a week deadline? All of you had your entry in within 2 days and I was left a little bored waiting for more!

[Szisz]

Mexico City ePrix Challenge

At present, the Mexico City ePrix is to be held at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on a modified oval course, a departure from the street circuits that give the series its unique character. Your challenge is to describe an alternative street circuit in Mexico City, which would fit better with the character of Formula E.

Current circuit:


Stipulations:
- Must be between 1.5 and 2.5 miles in length.
- Must not use any part of a permanent race circuit.
- Can use public roads or an airfield.

DEADLINE: 72 hours from now.

[rubaru]

Nothing fancy here...just a few near-hairpins to help promote overtaking. And a few little kinks to make it interesting. Overall, 15 turns, 1.84 miles. I'm assuming the north-bound lanes of Dr Jose maria Vertiz will be adequate for the pit lanes.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6771214

[ScotsBrutesFan]

A quick counter clockwise option.

[rubaru]

Do we have a rule about posting more than one entry?

[AoB Special Stage]

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6771639

pit lane uses Calle de Bolivar and Av. 20/11

[Iceman13]

2.8km and clockwise

Some wide avenues with slow corners for overtaking and a narrow fast sweeping section through the park. Pits are on the parking lot left of the main straight running south to west from the bottom hairpin. Minor roadworks might be needed, but nothing too drastic.

[Szisz]

MY ENTIRELY SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS
Not that I really have the motorsports knowledge to necessarily make an informed choice.

Rubaru
At 1.8 miles, your track is a good length for a Formula E circuit. It reminds me a little bit of an extra-twisty cross between Buenos Aires and Detroit. However, I think there may be just a few too many switchback-style corners (not necessarily hairpins, but similar to drive) for the lap to flow. So, on a personal level I'm not completely sold.

ScotsBrutesFan
This is a fast, flowing circuit that would be perfect for stock cars or fast open-wheelers. However, at a shade over two and a half miles it's pretty long for a Formula E circuit, especially at those slower, electric-powered speeds. I'm just not sure it would provide the overtaking and excitement of Buenos Aires or Punta del Este.

AoB Special Stage
This one looks a little bit like the Tempelhopf Airport circuit, which certainly isn't a criticism. It's nicely within the distance confines, and pretty much all the corners could have some run-off if you wanted them to. There are lots of overtaking opportunities, but also lots of slow hairpins, which aren't really to my taste as I've mentioned.

Iceman13
Again, there are lots of hairpins, but also lots of nice chicanes, most of which require a conscious left-right or right-left rather than just gunning it at the apex in a near-straight line and barely touching the brakes, and a fast flowing section. That handy pits area in the carpark is logistically very sensible, too.

THE WINNER
All of the tracks had aspects that I liked and others that I didn't, but for me the winner is Iceman13's circuit. It would be the easiest logistically, and combines several different elements to make a lap that flows and has variety. Therefore, I'd pick this one out as my winner.

[Iceman13]

Thanks Szisz for picking me as a winner! ...and sorry it took this long for me to reply. So here's the next challenge:

Kymi Ring is a 4.7km long motorsports facility being built near Kouvola, Finland. It has been designed to host every possible series, excluding F1. (they even have a preliminary contract for hosting MotoGP event in 2017)

However to me it looks like the layout is so tight and twisty for the most part that it would be a real pain to navigate with a heavy GT car for example. So your task is to make the track less mickey-mousey and more flowing and raceable with the following criteria:

-track lenght has to still be in the same region (about 4.5km minimum, but can be made longer)
-pits should stay in the same place
-the small tracks in the infield area can be moved, but they still should have space to be built (preferably in the infield)
-the less buildings need to be moved, the better
-integrating a rallycross track to the new design in a similiar way is a big plus, but not an absolute necessity

You have completely free hands in any other way, and I'm looking forwards to what you can cook up from this.

[AoB Special Stage]

c. 4.75 km

[SKG]

4.67km

The dirt tracks would have to be moved slightly, I wanted to simplify slightly, removing part of the original design, and moving to a fast outfield loop and finishing with a fast final corner.

I extended the pit straight slightly so I could merge the pitlane before the first corner Donington style.

[rubaru]

I took your recommendations of making the track less mickey-mouse and less twisty turny to accomdate the larger/heavier vehicles. Just basically straightened out some of the esses sections and hopefully allow the cars to go a little faster. The full course is in pink with the pit lane in red. Paddock areas are remaining in their original location. The rally track uses the main straight of the full course and then continues on the green circuit. I've also broken the full course into two smaller courses as shown by the shortcuts shown in light blue. Enjoy!

[Szisz]

My crudely drawn attempt lays down three bits of tarmac: a higher-speed turn one which rewards brave driving; a long, left-handed sweeper to the north-west of the circuit, and a couple of medium-speed switchbacks to get onto the start-finish straight.

It also retains all the other track configurations, so as to keep the facility as versatile as possible.

It's the worst drawn attempt by far, but I want to go to bed and make no apologies.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Here's mine ...Sorry about the colours but not using my usual software for this.

First thing first
Reverse direction
New Circuit in Red with Short cuts creating separate circuits shown in Pink.
The South Eastern Short circuit forms the basis for the Rally Cross circuit highlighted in Blue.
The Darker blue being tarmac, the lighter Blue the gravel.
Notice the RallyX start is off the circuit allowing the next grids to be formed during races, this is done using the current long pitlane for access.