TBMeech

Rockingham in Derbyshire is uni directional as it were, been on a few bike track days and raced there too, they can run clockwise or anti clockwise, but usually race tracks just run clockwise for whatever reasons - it's got that dodgy oval circuit plus all the infield section where they can chop and change where the track goes which is kinda cool

[Edited by TBMeech - 4/3/2002 11:17:45 AM]

mik

Not simultaneously of course

But why have counterclockwise tracks and clockwise tracks?

I realise that you'd require run-offs & gravel traps that would be compatible, but anyone who's played a computer game in the last decade has enjoyed learning the track in the opposite direction... (?).

Surely this would add to the appeal?

Am I missing something blatantly obvious that prevents this?

ptholt

Brands hatch used to do this many moons ago, they would hold races in either direction, not really sure why it stopped though.....

Tiggs

why? it cost enough time and expense to set up for one direction- why double this up by running backwards????

also the time spent adjusting traps, pit lane grids, timing set ups, etc would be huge.

Tiggs

Stephen Read

The rumble strips at the apexes are often set-up for one-way racing too!

juan

plus run off areas probably only cater for one direction well, particularly on the high speed grand prix tracks etc.

bumcrack

It runs both ways on GT2

jon hill

You need to get a license from the MSA to run a track in the UK - no idea whats involved, but i'm guessing its a little more than fill in the form and sending it to a PO Box number. And as stated above, what's in it for the circuit owners ? It costs them more to build, maintain and license, but they can only hold one race at a time (although some of the BTCC races seem to have cars going in both directions...)

there is at least one UK track that has a license to run both ways, though i cant recall which one (one of the smaller ones - knockhill ? mondello park ?)

RichardPON

Didn't those British V8 pick ups and stock car type thingies used to run some of the circuits in reverse (not reverse gear ) ?

davyboy

"Rockingham in Derbyshire"

Dude its in Northamptonshire.

Most 1/4 mile oval tracks run both ways often on the same day.

Stock cars run anti clockwise, hot rods, bangers and mini stox run clockwise.

Tiggs

prob a bit easier to get an oval going in reverse than a "proper" track.

think about it- brands hatch- round druids backwards- up padock hill, left hander onto pit straight- lose it and your in the grandstand!

Tiggs

(there is a little track that does bike days in reverse- lyden?)

TBMeech

Davyboy,

You're right Rockingham is in Northamptonshire, apologies m8 DOH!!!

fazack

An awful lot of time and attention goes into designing a track to ensure it meets its objectives i.e. to test the drivers skills. You can't just swap it around, it would be like moving the hole on a golf course from the green to the tee. It could work on oval tracks as long as they turn the start lights around.

Chris T

Brands stopped doing it cos of the pit exit

on the right way out you get to merge - when they extended the pits they moved the entry round the corner - so no merge was possible

Other than that its a silly idea anyway

Norman D. Landing

Picture some muppet losing it and recovering and thinking 'Which way were we going today ? Oh yeah, this way, vroooooooom'........... smash !

john banks

Apparently they did it at Knockhill, but there was big potential to barrel roll down a nasty hill, and also the issue of reaching a hairpin at about 120 MPH as it is downhill at the end of the long straight. It is scary enough as it is!

GM

Knockhill was licenced for "wrong direction" racing but that licence has been allowed to lapse. It was really pretty dangerous - they did put more gravel traps in but there was a severe lack of run-off at the hairpin and at Clarks. Plus the chicane downhill was a bit iffy. They did run occasional "Hot Hatch" days the wrong way - an XR2 racer called Charlie Thornton had a huge accident last year (year before?) and they're now stopped that as well.

Only reason they started it was to allow drivers to upgrade race licences from Nat B to Nat A more easily - you need signatures at more than one circuit and "the wrong way" counted as another one.

Sprint Chief

RichardPON, you are right, the Eurocars used to run several tracks "the wrong way around", including places like Mallory Park. Watching those things exit Gerards at high speed inches from a wall never quite felt right.

IMHO it isn't a wise thing to do, the run off problem already highlighted here, but there are other problems; armco gaps are designed to go "with traffic" and don't work in reverse, and often marshal defences are designed to work one way only.

I think a marshal was seriously injured at a Eurocar race at Mallory Park. I think they stopped the practice after that.

Rally cars also run the wrong way at many circuits, as rallies do not need track licences to operate. I believe a driver was killed not so long ago at Snetterton by hitting an armco gap the wrong way