PCA SDR

As many of you know, I did the POC Cup Races while the PCA TT was going on. But,I was raving to POC members about the great times Dawson, Schmidt and Ehrman did at The Streets in eclipsing prior PCA and POC records!
Since then, Kevin Reynolds and Brad Roberts posted on the POC Forum saying The Streets track was laid out differently this time(around turns #3 and/or #4)and so you couldn't really make a comparison with prior times.
Is this true?
Was the track a little different than, say, last year when were last there?
Any info on this appreciated.
Thanks

From the other discussion about the TT results:

We may be getting faster , but I think the main reason is a change in the track configuration. There is new pavement just before the esses (clockwise) that cuts off a tight section where we used to run and you enter the esses much faster than before. It does get rid of those big bumps there but is a shorter and faster configuration.......

Yes it just before the esses where the arrow points to elevation 2505 we cut off that sharp point. Not sure how much faster
http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/trackinformation/StreetLg.htm

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JHPGT3 wrote:As many of you know, I did the POC Cup Races while the PCA TT was going on. But,I was raving to POC members about the great times Dawson, Schmidt and Ehrman did at The Streets in eclipsing prior PCA and POC records!
Since then, Kevin Reynolds and Brad Roberts posted on the POC Forum saying The Streets track was laid out differently this time(around turns #3 and/or #4)and so you couldn't really make a comparison with prior times.
Is this true?
Was the track a little different than, say, last year when were last there?
Any info on this appreciated.
Thanks

John:

Yes, the track appeared to be reconfigured so that the up-hill after turn 3 was a tiny bit shorter, and turn 4 was angled slightly less than 90-degrees.

However, with the new configuration, I'm uncertain how much gain/loss would be had with the new configuration. I do know it throws you into the gators that veer left, causing a slowing entering the pre-bowl esses, and leading to a constant excelleration from turn 4 throught the esses to the bowl going clockwise.

There may be others that improved their times. I gained more than 3 seconds compaired to Jan. 2005, but I had good coaching, and Jae Lee's magic. I think there were many factors......

Regardless, it was a blast to drive, and records or not, we all had fun.

Just my observations ....

So the track is quicker?
Maybe someone has a good time from a couple years ago that would compare accurately to last weekend?
(Good time with respect to SOW not the Inn of Lancaster bar. )
I was wondering the same and happen to notice Roland ran almost 5 seconds a lap quicker this time over old configuration.
That's not a good benchmark though as he did some Mirage work on his car worth a few seconds.
Is it posssible the new configuration is 1 or 2 seconds a lap faster?

Probably about 1-2 seconds as it really isn't much shorter, but the really tight corner was cut off so you can maintain momentum on the way up the hill. I doubt it would be nearly as beneficial in the counter clockwise direction as the straight afterwards would be quite short and downhill.

I would concur with Jad.... 1-2 seconds at most. From last year I was about 3.5 seconds faster from fastest weekend times. But I also have a new suspension (post 73) and a wing, so I would hope to have at least a 1-2 second gain. Any new developments at Buttonwillow we need to know about?

gulf911 wrote:I would concur with Jad.... 1-2 seconds at most. From last year I was about 3.5 seconds faster from fastest weekend times. But I also have a new suspension (post 73) and a wing, so I would hope to have at least a 1-2 second gain. Any new developments at Buttonwillow we need to know about?

I was at BW a couple weeks ago and they changed turn #3 (the hard right). The old section of track was still there, so I don't know if the new #3 will be an option or if they're going to stop running the old #3 altogether, but the new #3 appears to me to add 2-3 secs. Where you would normally turn about 90 degs. right, you now continue going about 30-45 degs. right and then eventually make a harder right than before (maybe 120 degs. or so) to join up with the straight leading to Cotton Corners. They added both length and difficulty to this section. You do it 3-4 times, late apexing more each time and still don't get it right. With the old #3, after apexing, you could get on the gas and really haul out of the turn.Now, you cannot make any speed going thru any part of the turn, incl. after the apex.I'll be interested to see what others think.

Thanks John for the heads up!