The ultimate track for spectators

[Cougar]

With a limitless budget and a flat piece of land and a lot of earth available to you (very unrealistic scenario) how would you go about designing a track and its surrounds which allows a spectator to see virtually 100% of the track from any viewing position.

You can create artificial hills and mounds for the track and spectators.

The basic setup is a oval track with the spectators elevated around the outside. But how would you do this for a road circuit?

Anyone want to try?

[Ian Sowman]

I think they already did with Mallory and Brands Indy

[the_royksopp]

Easy . Dig the track into a hole .

[pirenzo]

The track needs to be very compact, which is why it works with Brands and Mallory (I've never been to Mallory, but I'll take Ian's word for it. Otherwise you would only see bits on the far side of the valley or whatever you create as a thin ribbon, you wouldn't see the cars.
Next time I go to brands, I'll take my new digital camera, it can take panorama's, so that would be a good way of showing you all what the viewing is like

[Ian Sowman]

I'm not sure if you'd include a track like Rockingham in this: the infield circuit is virtually entirely visible from the stands; however, this perhaps isn't the greatest circuit for drivers. Also, you have there a situation where cars pass through your line of sight several times in different directions, which can be distracting, and you are a distance from the action.

[the_royksopp]

As P states, the track has to be very compact. That's ofcourse a key essence to making it visible all over.

I'm actually working on a project on fitting an entire grand prix circuit into a 500x500 metre square . I'll include some massive encircling grandstands on that one .

[f1freak]

500×500... DAMN, that's gonna be small, I'd love to see how it turns out ...

But yea, back to the tpoic at hand. You don't have to use big mounds or dig holes. As long as you have a flat treeless piece of land, it usually turns out fine. I'm thinking about Hockenheim, I think (judging by the grand prix), you can see quite a fair amount of the track from a single position...



However, huge hills and amounts of land is also a very good way to view a track. Now I'm thinking of Australian circuits such as Eastern Creek and Oran Park...

A good mix of both however is what makes a circuit great to view...

[Purist]

It's rather difficult to get a good, length circuit out of a smaller land plot, obviously. For major events, you really need a road course of at least 2.5-miles. Most of the smaller plot independent road courses (not entegrated into an oval) are 2.3-miles or less. Anyway, my favorite circuits are the classics, which are quite long and far flung (old Spa, Nurburgring Nordschleife). It's a nice principle to consider, but I'm not particularly impressed with most of the road courses built to abide by it. The best circuit that does sort of follow this ideal, IMHO, is Interlagos, which I do think very highly of.

[Aysedasi]

As a former South Bank regular, I agree with Brands Indy.....

[Mike_Wooshy]

off all the circuits this kind of reminds me of Hungry okay its a **** track but if it was designed properly could be great as it is in a natural bowl ..... also sweetlamb (sp?) in wales is a rally course is in a bowl for all to see.

[crozier74]

You better take this opportunity to make the best damn kart track ever for me TR

Another to add to the list of great spectator tracks - Bristol. The modern-day Circus Maximus!

[pirenzo]

yeah, and wouldn't you hate to be in one of the top row seats!
Look how small the cars look

Actually, its not too dissimilar to standing on the inside of Becketts at Silverstone

[luke]

Detroit? When they had the Grand Prix there in the '80s, if you were seated in the Renaissance centre (tall sky scrappers by the pits, infact the drivers stayed there) you would get a great view.

[the_royksopp]

Now, THATS a place for F1 . That could be a challenge - build a F1-track within the oval at Bristol .

[pirenzo]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

As a former South Bank regular, I agree with Brands Indy.....

South Bank has got to be one of the most all round immersive spectating experiences.

For those who've not been there, you're right in the middle of the track.
To your immediate left, you've got cars turning into Surtees, and accelerating into the Grand Prix loop. To your immediate right, you've got cars going through Graham Hill bend. Infront of you, they're accelerating down the Cooper straight. Then just across a smallish area of grass from Surtees on the left, you've got cars blasting from under the bridge at Clearways, negotiating Clark Curve, and blasting onto the pit straight. On the distant right, you've got cars hurtling into Paddock, down the hill, and then up again to druids. And behind you, echoing through the trees you've got the wailing of racing engines going down Pilgrims Drop, and then downshifting for Hawthorn.
Just incredible.

[nickyf1]

any goes?