return to Laguna Seca, sort of

jv#12 · 25 Sep 2006, 00:31 (Ref:1718025)

heres the link
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/mo...s/15590971.htm

M-Kart · 25 Sep 2006, 00:44 (Ref:1718030)

Well its a pretty good start. I'd love to see Champ Cars back racing at Laguna Seca - the image of Alex Zanardi's pass through the Corkscrew is my earliest champcar image from outside Surfers Paradise (its the first USA race I managed to see).

SALEEN S7R · 25 Sep 2006, 01:19 (Ref:1718038)

Indeed, it is a good start. Will be interesting to see if the new car is fast enough to beat the new lap record that was set recently by Ricardo Zonta in the 2006 Toyota F1 car a 1:06.309, the previous record being a 1:07.722 set by Helio Castroneves in CART back in 2000. It should be said that the Toyota F1 car wasnt really setup for Laguna Seca however, sure the areodynamics were but I dont think the engine mapping or gear ratios were.

Will be interesting to see how fast the new Champcar is anyway.

norman-normal · 25 Sep 2006, 16:22 (Ref:1719430)

The MAZDA-COS WORTH FA cars give me great confidence about this deal.

luke · 25 Sep 2006, 17:32 (Ref:1719491)

as mentioned, def a good start. it's cool they are looking at keeping the classic tracks in the new direction. i certainly would like to see the dp 01 around laguna seca.

Knowlesy · 25 Sep 2006, 17:45 (Ref:1719506)

Certainly would be nice to see Laguna back, although the races were always a touch dull.

Silk Cut Jaguar · 25 Sep 2006, 19:48 (Ref:1719652)

Quote:

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Certainly would be nice to see Laguna back, although the races were always a touch dull.

Phew, I thought I was alone in thinking that.

It seems Laguna gets lots of praise just for the spectacle of watching the cars stream through the Corkscrew, as the rest of the track makes for one long processional race.

I've never thought Laguna makes for interesting open wheel races, 'tis a grand bike track though.

Knowlesy · 25 Sep 2006, 19:55 (Ref:1719663)

I think Corkscrew has been flattened a little now also, so there is a bit less of that spectacle.

luke · 25 Sep 2006, 19:57 (Ref:1719666)

am i right in saying that was for motogp?

Knowlesy · 25 Sep 2006, 19:57 (Ref:1719667)

Yes, I believe so.

djb · 29 Sep 2006, 01:50 (Ref:1722542)

did they actually reduce the height or drop of the turn? I'm surprised they did that , would have entailed a lot of work. I remember that turn when a WSBK race was there and a guy lost it under braking coming into the corner and his sliding bike went flying into another rider just about to go down, it was a very scarey looking accident (nothing to do with the grade or drop, just a memory).

Purist · 29 Sep 2006, 04:04 (Ref:1722583)

I believe the major change to the track itself is that the extra hump before the top of the Corkscrew itself has been removed.

Amar7605 · 1 Oct 2006, 23:46 (Ref:1724788)

My father and I went to Spring Training a few years back and it was really nice. Much more relaxed atmosphere than an actual race. And the really cool thing was tha the cars were going at racing speeds and passing one another. We sat on the hill next to the corkscrew and saw a lot of passes. I hope that they do this again!

djb · 2 Oct 2006, 00:14 (Ref:1724797)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purist

I believe the major change to the track itself is that the extra hump before the top of the Corkscrew itself has been removed.

that makes sense, as it was probably the cause of a lot of unsettling under braking after coming up the hill.

cheers

racerkeke · 2 Oct 2006, 15:03 (Ref:1725356)

I was talking to a fellow corner worker over the weekend who called me from Laguna (SCCA event). He said shaving off the hump also makes it safer for the workers at Turn 8, because they can now see the cars coming. Before, they were in your lap, sometimes literally, before you saw them. Working blind corners like that tends to make you twitch...

I'll see it for myself in a couple of weeks when I go down for ALMS. One of the highlights of my weekend is riding the worker services truck around the track -- even at a slow speed the Corkscrew makes a roller coaster look tame.

keke

drewdawg727 · 2 Oct 2006, 19:13 (Ref:1725574)

when is the Laguna Seca ALMS race? i wanna watch it and see what they did to the new track.

jhansen · 2 Oct 2006, 19:49 (Ref:1725602)

October 21st. It's a great race. Four hours finishing in darkness. Brilliant stuff.

As for the track, they demolished the old media building and carved part of the hill adjacent to Turn 1 to allow for some run-off area for the bikes. Run-off area has been expanded all over the circuit. The hump prior to the corkscrew was shaved, but the spectacle of the corkscrew remains. The bridge was moved closer to the corkscrew. New Red Bull media center was added. And of course there is the botched re-pave job. Last year new curbing was added.

drewdawg727 · 2 Oct 2006, 22:31 (Ref:1725723)

when is it televised?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Grand-Am Laguna Seca	Danske	North American Racing	17	20 May 2006 21:01
Laguna Seca going, going and gone!?	Dov	ChampCar World Series	50	20 Dec 2004 16:36
ALMS at Laguna Seca	Tim Northcutt	North American Racing	5	6 Sep 2003 06:19
Laguna Seca Podium?	Liz	ChampCar World Series	8	9 Sep 2000 00:24