A Re-Configured Portland

[macdaddy]

PIR has widened the Festival Curves to avoid the frequent first-corner accidents.

Although no official timing was released, the pacesetters in Wednesday’s Champ Car testing sessions at Portland International Raceway were lapping the circuit over a second faster than last year’s pole...

The newfound “speed” is actually courtesy of a “straightening” of Portland’s infamous Festival Curves...

Bruno Junqueira:
"The chances of a crash on the first lap of the race are smaller, but now we brake later on Turn One and it's going to be a little bit harder to pass."

From SpeedTV.

[Snrub]

I read this earlier and I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Thoughts?

Reminds me of when Moore went flying up the inside and got air from the resulting accident. I loved his explanation afterwards about doing really well by gaining 10 positions and how unfortunate the accident was.

[Hazza]

Well, I'm in the same boat is Snrub. Can't really make heads nor tails. I don't have a very big memory so I can't remember a really big accident at the first turn since Moore's (I have to be missing a few, surely). But I do remember Adrian's move up the inside of Tracy - great one Adrian!

[Jordi]

To be honest, if the drivers don't "turn into a bunch of hooligans" (as John Watson used to put it) at the first turn there should be no problem. Greg's was the only serious accident, and it probably was more his fault rather than the track design.

[rustyfan]

While not Champ Car that chicane has certainly seen some action... An Indy Lights car got torn in half there in 1999 (although that particular incident started on the straight already) and an IMSA car was flipped onto its side in 1995

(Neither crash resulted in any injuries.)

And now that I think about it, didn't Al Unser Jr. get sideswiped and sent off into the tire-barrier coming out of the chicane during a Champ Car race in the mid-90's? Or did he lose control on his own? Can't remember the exact details, other than him getting cosy with said barrier.

[Hazza]

Do they race bikes there? Maybe that could be it...

[Hazza]

He hit Zanardi in the wet did he? Or was it Moore? I think he collided with an overly ambitious driver in the wet.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Hazza

He hit Zanardi in the wet did he? Or was it Moore? I think he collided with an overly ambitious driver in the wet.

Yes, I think you are right that it was a wet race. Can't remember any further details right now, but I'll do some research during the day to see if I can refresh my memory.

[MCWB]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

And now that I think about it, didn't Al Unser Jr. get sideswiped and sent off into the tire-barrier coming out of the chicane during a Champ Car race in the mid-90's?

IIRC it was that wet race in 1997 (I think?) where Mark Blundell just beat Gil de Ferran on the final run to the start/finish line. Unser Jr. and someone else came together just after the apex of turn 2, and both ended up in the tyre barriers on the exit. Can't for the life of me remember who it was though!

[Kicking-back]

It was Dario Franchitti

[MCWB]

Ahh, nice one! That was when he was in the Hogan car right? He didn't do too well in that car in the wet, his mistake at Elkhart Lake under yellow was a shocker! Great races, both of them though, good memories!

[StickShift]

The new festival curves are quite different. I was lead to believe that the only change to the corner was paving the runoff. However, that is not the case. The second apex of the corner has been moved closer towards the first apex of the corner, and has made the chicane much shallower than before.

Here you can see the new chicane, and where the old chicane was: http://www.majorleaguesimracing.com/...ew_chicane.jpg

[macdaddy]

Thanks for that, Stickshift. The changes made to the Festival Curves are much more dramatic than I had thought. It's little wonder that the lap times have dropped so much. I think it will lead to better racing, in that the passing opportunities should be greatly increased.

[Speedworx]

Its a shame that the feature of Portland is no more

[billkirbywofb]

Does anyone have a map of PIR so we can see exactly how much change has been made to the track.

[full throttle]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Thanks for that, Stickshift. The changes made to the Festival Curves are much more dramatic than I had thought. It's little wonder that the lap times have dropped so much. I think it will lead to better racing, in that the passing opportunities should be greatly increased.

Actually Mac the passing opportunities will be decreased significantly as the festival is probably the only place at Portland to make a competitive pass. The changes have reduced the braking zone and thus the opportunity.

[Amar7605]

That photo shows not much of a chicane anymore. But that's a good thing because I've always hated starts where a third of the field crashes after the green flag drops.

I wonder if Cleveland can do something about its first turn? Probably not considering it's an airport taxiway.

[N I Tram]

This corner doesn't actually have a bad record for crashes, and it takes out one of the more challenging parts of the lap to drive in clear air, so it may not be a good thing.

[racerkeke]

I had a look at that picture a minute ago. I don't think passing on entry under braking should be affected. From what I can see the driver's right of the entry (to first apex) has not changed -- which makes sense, since behind the fence you see in the picture is a steep drop-off to a swamp (ahem, wetland). Passing in the braking zone occurs just before the location this picture shows, and mainly on driver's right. Mistakes in passing will still result in a similar incident to the Greg Moore one several years ago.

What this seems to do is widen the short chute between apexes 1 and 2. It should cut down on the bumping and banging there. Or move the carnage to driver's left next to the FIAs because the whole pack will be trying to shorten the corner. It leaves more space driver's right for slower cars or guys getting their gears in order after leaving the pits, a common problem there since the pit exit is right in the braking zone prior to the first apex.

I do like the paving on the left of the FIAs, since contact in the second apex usually dumped a car into the gravel there. This doesn't mean that we won't have yellows there if the contact results in broken wheels or suspensions from a hard ride over the FIAs -- and Portland has mean FIAs.

And yes, I do know what I'm talking about. I've written up too many incident reports for this darn corner than I can count.

But it's very intriguing. I may have to ask the Powers That Be to assign me there for June so I can see how it works for myself.

keke

[full throttle]

keke:

As someone who has driven this track quite a few times, I must disagree. The passing zone into the festival, which is the only competitive passin zone on the track, is compromised a bit by the changes. By moving the second apex you have effectively sped up the approach to the first apex and made the entry much shallower. Much more of an 's' combination. The old combo had to be treated as two discrete corners with apex 1 being very late and slow to allow you to be properly set up for the even slower apex 2. As it stands now although the same general effect is still present, the two apex's are much more connected....

I hope I'm not part of your accident report history!!

cheers

[Snrub]

racerkeke: I thought you were no longer doing course observations? I take it that has changed for 2005?

[racerkeke]

Thanks for your input, fullthrottle -- perhaps I should have said that my incident reports for T1 have only been for Champ and ALMS! I guess we'll find out in June, because no matter what we think will happen, it's usually different from what does happen.

And Snrub, no, I never stopped being a corner worker. I just didn't do many Champ races last year because all my cash went to Le Mans and never came home...

keke

[full throttle]

keke: ALMS and CART (Trans-Am)? Our team will hopefully be there for both this year. See you there........

[Dov]

Hope these videos give everyone a better understanding in the difference in speed when the Champ Cars go through the new festival curves.

Taken from another forum. (Portland Testing - 2005)

1. AJ goes through the new festival curves

2. More Champ Cars fly through turn one/festival curves

3. Tags turn

4. Tag again.... if you get any closer you will have rubber marks on your shoes

Here's a few more videos from the PIR test.

5. Justin Wilson stalls in the pits and then he burns rubber.... Turn It Up !

6. Champ Cars fly down the start/finish straight

7. PT leaves pitlane

8. Junqueira races through turns 9, 10 and 11

[full throttle]

Great movies. If you're familiar with the old festival you can definitely see the higher entry speed and earlier, less aggressive turn-in point. Both of these things will reduce the passing opportunity. It still is a passing zone, no doubt, just not quite as good as before. But from a pure driving standpoint it looks a whole lot more fun than the past. It really flows much better now.

My suggestion. Like Monaco, qualify well and get great pit work.... because passing is very difficult at this track.