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Old 24 Nov 2013, 20:33 (Ref:3336157)   #37
Purist
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Join Date: Dec 2003
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Wichita, Kansas, USA
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Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!Purist is going for a new world record!
JFE, I took a look at some video of the BTCC at Rockingham. I think it works well for the TCs; however, they don't have the power ior the aero, and in many cases, they can put their cars pretty much where they want.

With these aero-equipped GTs running 500-560-hp, the drivers would spend most of the infield just trying to set up for the next corner, rather than worrying about overtaking the guy ahead. The GT3s would certainly be able to overtake at the hairpin (or double-ninety) following Turn 1. Maybe they could manage something in the corners leading on to or off of the infield pit straight, but I wouldn't just count on it. Another thing to keep in mind is that the gearing, and likely the aero as well, will be skewed by how much how much of the lap is taken up by that section on the oval. (You'd make 6th gear on the oval section, but might no even snatch 5th gear anywhere through the infield.)

The short Motorcycle Circuit at Rockingham, the layout that BTCC uses, just with the banking instead of the chicane at Turn 1, is fairly small for an international event at 1.940 miles around.

Like a lot of road racing enthusiasts, I'm just not the biggest fan of rovals. There are exceptions, of course, but too many courses of that type are just too tight, fiddly, and flat to really be enjoyable. (I've watched coverage of races from the rovals at Rockingham, Lausitzring, Pocono, Charlotte, Atlanta, Daytona, Homestead, Indianapolis, Iowa, Kansas, Texas Motor Speedway, Texas World Speedway, Phoenix, and Fontana.)

Apart from that, there's the tire issue, which ALMS had trouble with, particularly at Texas in 2001, and WTCC did last year at Salzburgring, which isn't even a roval.
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