Indy to redesign Turn 13

[Ciro Pabón]

The famous Turn 13 at Indy could be redesigned to allow the track to include motorcycle racing. This corner, unique in the F1 calendar, features extreme cornering speed, high superelevation and no run off area. It is a place of accidents, (as gp.com says, "specially involving Ralf Schumacher" )

This corner is unsuitable for motocyclist, specially because of the concrete walls that allow no margin for error and it is a potential death trap for a falling pilot. The rumours state that FIM has already come to terms with Indianapolis managers to modify the inner track layout.

I've heard, in other sites, arguments in favor of oval racing in F1. I know perfectly that the problem between oval racing, favored by the american public, an expert in the theme, and the street racing fans, that still long in their hearts for the Mille Miglia spirit of man and machine against an hostile road, resides in the safety factor: there is no way to make safe an oval without developing new lateral barriers that are, still, imperfect. There has been inventions on the last years for side-crashs, but I dare to say that any carbon fiber tub designed to hit laterally a wall at 300 kph is a hard proposition, no matter how perfect track engineers make that damn barriers.

Some of you (besides Tomba, the magnificent) MUST have noticed the changes on the lateral protection in this year cars and the changes in the general disposition of that part of the chassis. It is not just an aerodynamic change: even taking this in account, simply there is no space for crushing the chassis and allow for a deccent deaceleration in an accident and the human body is poorly designed to fall laterally... sigh.

I've seen, oh, so many times, this point become heated arguments in this site. Some argue about the inability of europeans to understand this way of "collective racing", in which high speed trains of drivers fight each other and the last turn is as exciting as the first. I've also see people (that I bet are unfamiliar with this form of racing and have the slightest idea of who King Petty is , sorry, I'm already taking sides!) dismiss this kind of racing in favor of individual racing, where each driver abilities to work by itself are most appreciated. I frequently compare tennis (an individual sport) and football (collective) to those that want enlightment about oval vs street racing... but I'm digressing.

Anyway, what do you think F1 needs to really become the ultimate motorsport and finally, for the relief of north-american (and some south-americans!) fans, have a full oval race? I bet this could be one of the most exciting of the year, not to mention that Indianapolis has a 300,000 spectators capacity.

I frankly dream of a day when we have, not only the street racing (a look to the past?) that FIA proposes lately (hey, they are thinking of bringing the sport to the masses, simply it's not the same on TV) but oval racing in F1.

I dare to dream, also, of a real World Cup, in which specialist of both flavors of racing fight each other to define once and for all, who is the best. A real World Driver Championship, not simply a WDC-at-this-side-of-the-ocean-because-the-other-guys-have-no-idea-of-what-racing-is. What do you think? I bet on JPM, of course, for that couple of races. I propose Indy and Paul Ricard as the tracks for the local/visitor races!

What do you think? Heresy again? May somebody read this and act... Besides, there is a LOT OF MONEY on this idea. Just sum both audiences and do the math. I don't need the money, just give me the credit... My dream is some sort of Cup America (like the one for yatching) or Davis Cup (for tennis). My modest proposal is for you to name it Juan Montoya Cup... I'm sure JPM is going to be retired before some bright guys of the France family and the infallible Bernie have a lunch together... they should invite me.

[vyselegend]

An oval track in F1?
I'm not found of oval racing, and I get bored when I watch it, but on the other hand I'm glad there are some peoples enjoying it, because oval racing is a part of Motorsport history, as important as Rally or Grand Prix racing. If the americans weren't supporting that kind of racing, it probably would have disapeared.
So I'd say we europeans should give a track its chance and try it. America would be the best place for that.

There's a point that is worriying me though. Current (frozen) engines are made to reach their limit in Monza, and if I understand it correctly Monza is harder on the engine only because of the full throttle rate around a lap. Are they even braking sometimes in ovals? sorry for my rudeness, but I mean what is the throttle rate in let's say Indiannapolis (oval configuration).
Do you think 2007 grid engines would endure that type of race without modifications?

[Ciro Pabón]

No, I don't. I think:

- the cars must be modified for low drag aerodynamics (at last! a regular-car-worthy race )
- cushion barriers should be used for the entire length of the track and the lateral protection should be heavier than the one used this year (this is the most hard to solve problem, and it is also "regular-car-worthy")
- some kind of restriction on the engines, as you say, has to be in effect (something like the restrictor plates in short ovals NASCAR uses)
- the race should be short because, to be frank, Indy 500 is 400 hundred miles of running and 100 miles of racing.

Besides, the teams technical directors should use a very different approach, given that two cars in line can go faster than a lonely car. It would be really interesting to see what kind of alliances you could develop and how close the cars really are in terms of power and aero: I'd say some kind of special rules for aerodynamic bodies must be used to allow STR to have a chance.

Anyway, it could change forever the "people-falling-asleep-watching-TV-while-cars-run-at-300kph" syndrome and the "car-parades" we have seen lately on some "normal" tracks. I don't know, what the heck, why don't try that for a change?

I stand for my Cup of Champions concept, the more I think about it. CART and Indy american drivers could have a chance! Not to mention JPM... I'm sure any F1 team could buy a dozen CART chassises and modifiy them for the prize of a week of wind tunnel tests... Besides, Bernie would be happy: what a better way to prove the superiority of european and japanese engineering?