Thunder Valley

[werner]

It has been a long time since I posted a track at this board. Finally I've had some time and inspiration to make another one. It is called.

After some data, let's go for a lap around the track.

The track measures about 4,5 km and goes anti-clockwise. The shorter version is 3,7 kilometers long. Quite a large part of it is also used as a road. From turn 13 until turn 3 the track is permanent, the other parts are not, but they are very much changed to be apropiate for racing where nescesary.

The lap starts at the startingstraight that is flat. That changes from the apex of turn 1, where the track plunges away. Turn 2 and 3 toghether are inspired by the Spooncurve at Suzuka; a fast entry but it gets more difficult as the last part is much tighter.
It is an important corner, since it is followed by the uphill run to corner 4, our first major overtakingopportunity. The next part twist and turns while going steeper uphill than on any other part of the track. Keeping your speed high in the corners is the key to a fast sector time.
Turrns 7 and 8 are more or less similar to Forest Elbow in Bathurst, only uphill instead of downhill. The preceding corner makes it very difficult to brake for the very slow hairpin. Immediately after the exit the kink at turn 8 shows up. The track crests at the apex, and becomes flat until turn 10.

The run through 9 can be taken flat out in any car, exept maybe in poor wheatherconditions. On a motorcycle it may become a bit hairy. For amateurraces, a optional chicane is available to keep engines and drivers alive.

Chicane or no chicane, speeds will be high when you approach turn 10. It is quite a fast corner, but griplevels will be low, because from the apex the track goes downhill again.
You have to set up your vehicle quikly to tackle the next 2 kinks 11 and 12, both ones making enty into the fast, slightly banked just that bit more difficult.

Cheered on by the spectators who have a great view in the amphitheatre that allows spectators to see turns 10 to 15, the drivers enter the brakingzone for the 90-degree turn 14. The corner is pretty straightforward, but the brakingzone is not, since is not straight.

A short straight brings the drivers to a hairpin, and from there, the drivers go full throttle through turn 16 onto the finisching straight.

[dyewat808]

What a beautiful track, and fantastic effort with software I assume is just MS Paint.

The track flows so well, with my favourite bit probably being after T3, with those high speed kinks and corners after that - can just imagine it being a blast to drive.

Excellent work!

[werner]

Indeed, I do not have knowledge of, and acces to sophisticated designsoftware, but I am pretty experienced with Paint.

[Purist]

I like it.

The main thing I would say though, is that I wish the extension had more of a life of its own, and didn't seem quite so much like an add-on to the rest of the course. Other than that, it's quite good.

[werner]

Hmm, interesting comment. Because the fact is that in my original idea, there was a chicane between 14 and 16, and there was no shortcut at all. I later created the hairpin for 3 reasons; to make a shortcut possible, to create a longer s/f-straight and to increase the time spectators at the amfitheather could see the racers.

[bio]

What a beautiful flow this one has!

Congrats! I happen to like section 10-16.

bio

[LuiggiSpeed]

That's a beautiful, organic track, not only the track is interesting but your explanation of the elevation changes and the effect that those have on the driving, were very well put.nice writeup.

[werner]

I've gone back in time. Thunder Valley raceway used to be much larger. It used to be an 11km long street-circuit. The part of the modern circuit that still is public road is wat is left of that track.
the track used to start from the markethalls of a small markettown, known for it's old castle overlooking it's 2 bridges. It would enter the valley, snake it's way over a hill, and from thereon, it went very fast back to the town, with only a chicane in a village, aroundabout and a final 90-degree-bend to slow the drivers down.

Both safetyissues and logistic problems increased as the events turned bigger and the cars and motorbikes went faster and faster, leading to the building of the semi-permanent track wich is shown in the first post of this topic.

[Gullwings]

Nice track, man! I really like the diversity of the corners and the elevation changes; too many tracks are flat and boring these days. If you want to see a great track, take a gander at Zandvoort, Spa, or Infineon... or Thunder Valley.

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by Gullwings

Nice track, man! I really like the diversity of the corners and the elevation changes; too many tracks are flat and boring these days. If you want to see a great track, take a gander at Zandvoort, Spa, or Infineon... or Thunder Valley.

One of these things, is not like the other...

[Purist]

Nice to see this story given a fitting end with the unveiling of the full course.