Three weeks to Watkin's Glen in upstate New York; Teams prepare furiously and the track is expected to be quick and exciting!
One turn rated difficulty 2, the rest are difficulty 1 and a lot of fast corners and flat out straights are expected!
The National Capital Racing League is working on some regulatory changes to avoid some of the straightaway contact we saw during the race in Shanghai. These rules are expected to be in place for Watkin's Glen.
Showing posts with label Watkins Glen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Watkins Glen. Show all posts
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Saturday, April 25, 2009
US Grand Prix: Watkins Glen (Summary)
Triumph and Tragedy in the Pouring Rain
Amid terrible driving conditions, a grid full of racers vied for the US Grand Prix at the venerable Watkins Glen. Due to the extremely wet conditions, it was decided to run the simpler Nascar track, including the Charlie Chicane but omitting the Boot. Five teams filled out the starting grid: Scotia Motorworks (SMW), Initorque Motorworks (IMW), Princess' Pink Ponies (PPP), Team Poderoso Sporin (TPS), and Team Campbell Towing (TCT). Team Sidious was unable to show up due to a family crisis for the team owner and Serbian Speedworks were still having problems with the Travel Visas for their Serbian drivers, so they ended up not making the race either. The rain came down in sheets, but the race must go on...
From the very start, the race promised to be a seesaw battle, featuring many passes, the frequent use of brakes and of the KERS system as well as slipstreaming. The race also proved that wet roads lead to accidents, with body and suspension damage shedding parts all over the track and 4 cars (Hernando MacGregor of TPS, Princess Fire of PPP, Alice Gibbons of IMW, and Robert Bruce of SMW) succumbing to debris or collisions caused by the wet conditions and poor visibility. In the end, cleanup crews had to clean up more than a score of significant debris deposits around the track from collisions and car damage - the rain made it almost as much demolition derby as F1 race.
Injury and Death on the Race Track
The most tragic of the accidents was the terrible collision between "Steady Eddie" from TCT and Robert Bruce of SMW - the two cars slammed together, and a wheel-on-wheel hookup launched Bruce's car into the air, with the air catching it and flipping it over, to smash down tho the ground. Emergency crews raced to the scene and did their best to get Robert out and to the helipad to be airlifted to New York City's medical facilities, but Robert later succumbed to his injuries, the first F1 casualty (and hopefully the last) of the 2009 season. All of the members of the close-knit Formula One Racing community send their condolences to his widow, Nicole Bruce (nee Kiddman).
The horrible accident claiming Robert Bruce wasn't the only injurious outcome - TPS driver Hernando MacGregor suffered a broken arm and a concussion from a retirement caused by a particularly large chunk of debris from another car. MacGregor is expected to make a full recovery, perhaps as soon as the next race or the one after. MacGregor's team-mate MacDougall held on to score 3 points for TPS for placing 6th.
Despite the shakeup of the horrible accident, Scotia Motorworks' William Wallace showed his metal by placing 4th to claim a decent point score for SMW.
Top Finishers
The podiums went to the newcomer Princess' Pink Ponies' driver Princess Sun (1st), and the equally new Team Campbell Towing's very fast cars driven by Edward Steady (2nd) and Steve Buscemi (3rd). Initorque Motoworks Walter Bolton salvaged 4 points for a 5th place finish.
The race had at least three spinouts in the rain and the mechanics were busy in the pits - only one fast pit, but a regular stream of cars in for repairs. The Back Straight and the Short Straight proved fairly fast, as did the Front Straight when cars were not bound for the pits.
Overall Standings
At the end of the race, Team Campbell Towing is the team to beat, recording a sizable lead int he Constructor's Championship (14 pts) and taking two good positions for its drivers (8 and 6 points). Princess' Pink Ponies logged an impressive victory to start their career (10 pts Constructors, 10 points Driver's for Princess Sun). Behind these two teams, SMW (despite losing Bruce) have 5 Constructor points (and 5 Driver points for Wallace). IMW's Walter Boulton has 4 points in the Driver's and IMW has the same 4 in the Constructors. Team Poderoso Sporin finishes out the points, with Guadalupe MacDougall getting their 3 points (both Driver's and Constructors).
To Montreal and Circuit Jacques Villeneuve
The next race up on the schedule is the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, after the funeral ceremony for Robert Bruce. Scotia Motoworks backup driver Robert Roy MacGregor is ready to step in, albeit sadly, to the big shoes of Robert Bruce. Montreal should be another tight race, with lots of short straights and tight corners.
KERS and the enhanced downforce aerodynamics package featured prominently at Watkins Glen and are expected to play a significant role in the brake-burning Montreal Circuit Jacques Villeneuve.
See you in Montreal, race fans!
Amid terrible driving conditions, a grid full of racers vied for the US Grand Prix at the venerable Watkins Glen. Due to the extremely wet conditions, it was decided to run the simpler Nascar track, including the Charlie Chicane but omitting the Boot. Five teams filled out the starting grid: Scotia Motorworks (SMW), Initorque Motorworks (IMW), Princess' Pink Ponies (PPP), Team Poderoso Sporin (TPS), and Team Campbell Towing (TCT). Team Sidious was unable to show up due to a family crisis for the team owner and Serbian Speedworks were still having problems with the Travel Visas for their Serbian drivers, so they ended up not making the race either. The rain came down in sheets, but the race must go on...
From the very start, the race promised to be a seesaw battle, featuring many passes, the frequent use of brakes and of the KERS system as well as slipstreaming. The race also proved that wet roads lead to accidents, with body and suspension damage shedding parts all over the track and 4 cars (Hernando MacGregor of TPS, Princess Fire of PPP, Alice Gibbons of IMW, and Robert Bruce of SMW) succumbing to debris or collisions caused by the wet conditions and poor visibility. In the end, cleanup crews had to clean up more than a score of significant debris deposits around the track from collisions and car damage - the rain made it almost as much demolition derby as F1 race.
Injury and Death on the Race Track
The most tragic of the accidents was the terrible collision between "Steady Eddie" from TCT and Robert Bruce of SMW - the two cars slammed together, and a wheel-on-wheel hookup launched Bruce's car into the air, with the air catching it and flipping it over, to smash down tho the ground. Emergency crews raced to the scene and did their best to get Robert out and to the helipad to be airlifted to New York City's medical facilities, but Robert later succumbed to his injuries, the first F1 casualty (and hopefully the last) of the 2009 season. All of the members of the close-knit Formula One Racing community send their condolences to his widow, Nicole Bruce (nee Kiddman).
The horrible accident claiming Robert Bruce wasn't the only injurious outcome - TPS driver Hernando MacGregor suffered a broken arm and a concussion from a retirement caused by a particularly large chunk of debris from another car. MacGregor is expected to make a full recovery, perhaps as soon as the next race or the one after. MacGregor's team-mate MacDougall held on to score 3 points for TPS for placing 6th.
Despite the shakeup of the horrible accident, Scotia Motorworks' William Wallace showed his metal by placing 4th to claim a decent point score for SMW.
Top Finishers
The podiums went to the newcomer Princess' Pink Ponies' driver Princess Sun (1st), and the equally new Team Campbell Towing's very fast cars driven by Edward Steady (2nd) and Steve Buscemi (3rd). Initorque Motoworks Walter Bolton salvaged 4 points for a 5th place finish.
The race had at least three spinouts in the rain and the mechanics were busy in the pits - only one fast pit, but a regular stream of cars in for repairs. The Back Straight and the Short Straight proved fairly fast, as did the Front Straight when cars were not bound for the pits.
Overall Standings
At the end of the race, Team Campbell Towing is the team to beat, recording a sizable lead int he Constructor's Championship (14 pts) and taking two good positions for its drivers (8 and 6 points). Princess' Pink Ponies logged an impressive victory to start their career (10 pts Constructors, 10 points Driver's for Princess Sun). Behind these two teams, SMW (despite losing Bruce) have 5 Constructor points (and 5 Driver points for Wallace). IMW's Walter Boulton has 4 points in the Driver's and IMW has the same 4 in the Constructors. Team Poderoso Sporin finishes out the points, with Guadalupe MacDougall getting their 3 points (both Driver's and Constructors).
To Montreal and Circuit Jacques Villeneuve
The next race up on the schedule is the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, after the funeral ceremony for Robert Bruce. Scotia Motoworks backup driver Robert Roy MacGregor is ready to step in, albeit sadly, to the big shoes of Robert Bruce. Montreal should be another tight race, with lots of short straights and tight corners.
KERS and the enhanced downforce aerodynamics package featured prominently at Watkins Glen and are expected to play a significant role in the brake-burning Montreal Circuit Jacques Villeneuve.
See you in Montreal, race fans!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
First Race (Ottawa): Historic Watkins Glen
F1 Ottawa will be running the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen this coming Friday. Competition is expected to be fierce! Team Poderoso Sporin is warming up their Tamales for the after-race victory party, Initorque Motors seems to have chilled the beer, and Tombstone Racing already has plans for a trip to Amsterdam to celebrate victory! Team Sidious is lurking in the shadows, apparently reluctant to be seen in the light of day, but they are expected to pull a 'come from behind' manoeuvre to attempt to victory and to have their REVENGE! Other teams are expected to be present as well, so the grid should be full and the racing should be exciting!
The track is known to be rainy about 1 day in 3 overall with a fair number of those including a mix of sun and rain. Sun in the most likely outcome, but Mother nature is unpredictable!
To get the feeling of what it will be like, see this Porsche 914 run a very fast lap through traffic at the Glen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6K78YKA9UE
Watkin's Glen Track Walk-Through
Starting on the front straight in the bottom left corner of the track map....
From pit straight into a fast 90 right-hander, up into 4th along a short straight (left side) to another fast 55 degree right-hander. This is followed by a short straight, likely in 3rd or 4th gear, into a mild 45 degree left hander that let's you keep the speed up. Another short straight in 4th leads into another right-hand turn, a fast 40 degree bend that opens into the back straight (top).
Along the back straight in 5th gear into a double downshift through the chicane and into a fast sweeping right-hander corner into 4th gear (top right) then down onto a short straight still in 4th. A fast acute left (about 120 degrees) still in 4th, then along another short straight to the wide hairpin (bottom right) in 4th or (if you are lucky) 5th gear. Down the straight (bottom left) in 5th gear.
At the end of that straight, a 105 degree right-hander leads into a short straight in 4th gear into another 105 degree turn, this time a left hander. From there, onto a short straight, through a 70 degree left-hand turn and down towards the final corner, a 90 degree bend in 5th gear if you are truly daring! Then, up to 6th gear down the front straight and past the finish line and the pits!
And thus, you have completed a lap of the Watkin's Glen road course, the longer version which will be used in the US Grand Prix of 2009.
The track is known to be rainy about 1 day in 3 overall with a fair number of those including a mix of sun and rain. Sun in the most likely outcome, but Mother nature is unpredictable!
To get the feeling of what it will be like, see this Porsche 914 run a very fast lap through traffic at the Glen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6K78YKA9UE
Watkin's Glen Track Walk-Through
Starting on the front straight in the bottom left corner of the track map....From pit straight into a fast 90 right-hander, up into 4th along a short straight (left side) to another fast 55 degree right-hander. This is followed by a short straight, likely in 3rd or 4th gear, into a mild 45 degree left hander that let's you keep the speed up. Another short straight in 4th leads into another right-hand turn, a fast 40 degree bend that opens into the back straight (top).
Along the back straight in 5th gear into a double downshift through the chicane and into a fast sweeping right-hander corner into 4th gear (top right) then down onto a short straight still in 4th. A fast acute left (about 120 degrees) still in 4th, then along another short straight to the wide hairpin (bottom right) in 4th or (if you are lucky) 5th gear. Down the straight (bottom left) in 5th gear.
At the end of that straight, a 105 degree right-hander leads into a short straight in 4th gear into another 105 degree turn, this time a left hander. From there, onto a short straight, through a 70 degree left-hand turn and down towards the final corner, a 90 degree bend in 5th gear if you are truly daring! Then, up to 6th gear down the front straight and past the finish line and the pits!
And thus, you have completed a lap of the Watkin's Glen road course, the longer version which will be used in the US Grand Prix of 2009.
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