Just got back from Infineon

[sinned]

Went to the Savemart 350.....I haven't been to the track since they overhauled it. Way nice, stadium seating on all the turns. We had 3rd row seats at turn 2, great spot. Watching Bobby LaBonte spin-out less than 50 feet away was entertaining, Tony Stewart winning was an added bonus. NASCRAP still has a hard on for Said as they once again prove they don't want him near the winners circle by penalizing him almost 20 positions for entering the pits less than 1 second early, whatever.





Anyways, I'm looking forward to some time actually on the track, looks like a lot of fun. Turn 4 looks like it collects its share of cars, a sharp 90*+ turn after a downhill straight. Anybody spend any time on the track yet?



A couple of my favorite pics from the day....ooooops.

[zbugger]

...as they again priove they don't him near the winners circle by...

Ummm..... What?

[sinned]

Thanks Allen, I hate poor grammar/spelling and I seem to be a big offender.

[zbugger]

Thanks Allen, I hate poor grammar/spelling and I seem to be a big offender.

In that case, "anyways" is not a word.

[sinned]

In that case, "anyways" is not a word.

Really, Websters disagrees. I copy/pasted that entire post in "Word".

[Blue70]

Very nice action shots, what camera were you using?

I like watching Boris Said racing anything. I would have loved to have seen him run well. He was doing great and moved back through the field but I think he was pushing it too hard and spun once or twice trying to get back to the front
There is a nice write up on his career HERE

I have spent a lot of time on that track….unfortunately it’s all been on Gran Turismo 4, but I knew where they were on the track, and what turn was coming next..but I guess that's not the feedback you are looking for

[sinned]

Very nice action shots, what camera were you using?

Fuji Finepix S5100, real nice camera for 300.

[trapin]

I always love to watch the road courses in Nascar. Gordon was kicking ass until he dynamited his tranny. What I want to know is, what the hell happened to Rudd on lap 100 when Stewart passed him on the inside on the final turn? I'm guessing he missed a gear on the downshift or something cause he let Stewart pass him too easily. Or perhaps he knew he couldn't hold him off much longer and decided to fight it out for 2nd with Busch. as it was he struggled just to get THAT in the end.

[Camaro Zach]

I always love to watch the road courses in Nascar. Gordon was kicking ass until he dynamited his tranny. What I want to know is, what the hell happened to Rudd on lap 100 when Stewart passed him on the inside on the final turn? I'm guessing he missed a gear on the downshift or something cause he let Stewart pass him too easily. Or perhaps he knew he couldn't hold him off much longer and decided to fight it out for 2nd with Busch. as it was he struggled just to get THAT in the end.

i think he was attempting to block stewart (since he had gone to the outside just about every time before) but stewart crossed over behind him and went to the inside, ricky didnt have enough time to react so he had to stay to the outside.
Sorry i missed ya on AIM last night Dennist hit me up

[David Pozzi]

Denny,
I've run on the old long course there.

Turn 2 is easy to spin out in. You need to be over on the far left coming up the hill and then turn very early before you crest the hill so you are cresting in a slight arc. After a fiew laps you can find yourself not getting over to the left enough and that makes you have to turn while the car is cresting, a recipe for a spinout!

As far as I know they don't use the "Chute" - turn 4, for "normal" events, - just the NASCAR races. It sends the cars by more often and keeps the action up for viewers, plus they can park all kinds of stuff in the left-over infield part of the road course.

Turn 4 for the normal long course isn't bad at all since you aren't going all that fast as you crest at turn 3. BUT there have been some nasty accidents at turn 3 since it's a blind crest. I know of a formula V driver who got killed there a couple of years back, he got Tboned by a formula ford. It's very important to watch the flagmen there and anticipate any cars being in the way. BTW, I was pretty amazed to figure out I was hitting 120 mph in my lola just before braking for turn 3!

[Neil B]

I ran a NASA CMC race a few years ago on the Sears Point NASCAR short course. I agree with David, the chute entrance is no big deal as there is lots of run-off. That tire wall looks scarier than it is. The hard corner is the exit from the chute (Turn #7 before heading up into the esses). It's a fast entrance and a narrow exit and this is the only real passing zone other than Turn 11. In my opinion, the chute layout does not compare to the long course. The downhill section from the 'old' turn 4 and the carousel turn is really fun. Also, when they separated the front straight from the dragstrip, they made it really narrow and puts you much closer to the concrete. Regardless of the layout, the esses and Turn 10 are what really separate then men from the boys and make that track what it is. Sears Point can be very unforgiving so be careful out there.

-Neil

[David Pozzi]

Neil,
Turn 10 gives me the creeps! I've seen some bad wrecks there including a guy in a McLaren M6 coupe who had a passenger on board, he tore the RF suspension with A arms off the car!

[Neil B]

Neil,
Turn 10 gives me the creeps! I've seen some bad wrecks there including a guy in a McLaren M6 coupe who had a passenger on board, he tore the RF suspension with A arms off the car!

I couldn't agree more. Turn 10 at Sears is one of the most intimidating corners in road racing.