Lime Rock Track Re-Paving Update
#1
Le Mans Master
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Lime Rock Track Re-Paving Update
"June 6, 2008 - Lime Rock Track Re-Paving Update:
The re-paving project began one week ago when machines began milling and grinding the historic 1.53 mile course. We started with Big Bend (Turn #1), the Downhill Turn (Turn #7), and the Front Straight. Check out construction photos here: http://www.limerockclub.com/take_a_look/index.asp.
Also, the old entrance - known as the Toll Booth - was knocked down to make room for the Optional West Bend Turn. Track construction will continue throughout June, and be officially unveiled for the American Le Mans Series Northeast Grand Prix, July 11-12."
The re-paving project began one week ago when machines began milling and grinding the historic 1.53 mile course. We started with Big Bend (Turn #1), the Downhill Turn (Turn #7), and the Front Straight. Check out construction photos here: http://www.limerockclub.com/take_a_look/index.asp.
Also, the old entrance - known as the Toll Booth - was knocked down to make room for the Optional West Bend Turn. Track construction will continue throughout June, and be officially unveiled for the American Le Mans Series Northeast Grand Prix, July 11-12."
#6
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EDIT: found the changes
http://www.limerockclub.com/about_us/track_map.asp
Last edited by BrianCunningham; 07-01-2008 at 11:54 PM.
#7
Burning Brakes
I'm going to be at Lime Rock this weekend, July 4 & 5, with the Jaguar Club and VSCCA. They won't allow any "high horsepower" cars on the track before the ALMS races, so no Corvette this time. I'm going to be running my old Ferrari 308 instead, on street tires (no slicks allowed, either). Skippy wants to give the surface sufficient time to cure before ALMS.
I will try to take some pictures and report back on track conditions and the new setup there. Should be interesting. I'm going to be back at LRP with the Ferrari Club the end of July, and hope to be able to run the Vette, with slicks, then.
I will try to take some pictures and report back on track conditions and the new setup there. Should be interesting. I'm going to be back at LRP with the Ferrari Club the end of July, and hope to be able to run the Vette, with slicks, then.
#8
Regards,
Tony
#9
Le Mans Master
Sorry to hear about the damage. I was at VIR on Monday for Corvette Museum. Was told that there were huge surface issues. Called Summit and they told me "their track was in great shape. It was just resurfaced last year". When I inquired when the last time she saw the surface, she said a few days ago.... I'm supposed to do a track day there on my bike and from the pics I've seen, I'm pretty concerned.
Regards,
Tony
Regards,
Tony
I'd beleive the guy that had damage due to track debris.
#11
JAA1992.... Seems that the advantage to bikes is they use less space. I could get to the apex (though 5 was interesting) and stay on "clean" track. It is tough to push a bike around all day in 90 deg weather...
#12
Burning Brakes
Well, I don't have a great report on Lime Rock, unfortunately.
Skippy would not let us on the track on Friday. He wanted to give it more time to "cure", so he threw us off and let his Skippy School use the track.
Saturday was very wet in the morning, and it had poured overnight. Apparently, the wetness from the prior week coupled with the heavy rain overnight Friday into Saturday morning undermined the new section of uphill at the end of No Name. So instead of the new twisty uphill, we ran the old uphill line, which is much better now that it is paved and the curvature of the lip has been smoothed out to minimize cars going airborne.
The worst of the new improvement, IMHO, is the new chicane in West Bend. You run down the back straight, slam on your brakes down to nothing, make an almost 180 degree right hander, into an immediate left hander. Almost no way to avoid the jarring rumble strips, and in the wet many cars were slipping and sliding all over the place. Speeds onto the front straight are considerably reduced, as you can't get much speed up going down the downhill after those turns. But I guess that was the idea.
There is now plenty of run-out if you miss the downhill turn, but with the chicane at the top, unlikely that will be much of a problem anymore for most folks. The new entrance to pit lane has not been built yet, so it's still the old entrance. And Big Bend, the Esses and No Name are pretty much the same as before. With all that work, there is still huge amounts of water ponding in the Esses and on No Name, plus a river running across mid-No Name from all the run-off from the hill. They must have employed an absolutely brilliant landscape architect/track designer to design all of this to preserve those horrid flaws. Oh well.
In the bargain, I couldn't take the Corvette (Skippy didn't want any "high horsepower" cars on his new track before ALMS). I'll be back there in two weeks with the Ferrari club for a two day event. Will be running the Corvette then. Hopefully, I can get some in-car video then.
Steve
Skippy would not let us on the track on Friday. He wanted to give it more time to "cure", so he threw us off and let his Skippy School use the track.
Saturday was very wet in the morning, and it had poured overnight. Apparently, the wetness from the prior week coupled with the heavy rain overnight Friday into Saturday morning undermined the new section of uphill at the end of No Name. So instead of the new twisty uphill, we ran the old uphill line, which is much better now that it is paved and the curvature of the lip has been smoothed out to minimize cars going airborne.
The worst of the new improvement, IMHO, is the new chicane in West Bend. You run down the back straight, slam on your brakes down to nothing, make an almost 180 degree right hander, into an immediate left hander. Almost no way to avoid the jarring rumble strips, and in the wet many cars were slipping and sliding all over the place. Speeds onto the front straight are considerably reduced, as you can't get much speed up going down the downhill after those turns. But I guess that was the idea.
There is now plenty of run-out if you miss the downhill turn, but with the chicane at the top, unlikely that will be much of a problem anymore for most folks. The new entrance to pit lane has not been built yet, so it's still the old entrance. And Big Bend, the Esses and No Name are pretty much the same as before. With all that work, there is still huge amounts of water ponding in the Esses and on No Name, plus a river running across mid-No Name from all the run-off from the hill. They must have employed an absolutely brilliant landscape architect/track designer to design all of this to preserve those horrid flaws. Oh well.
In the bargain, I couldn't take the Corvette (Skippy didn't want any "high horsepower" cars on his new track before ALMS). I'll be back there in two weeks with the Ferrari club for a two day event. Will be running the Corvette then. Hopefully, I can get some in-car video then.
Steve
#15
Team Owner
#16
Track stayed down during the race. a few curbs crumbled and exposed steel (bolts?) which cut a few tires during practice. Otherwise, the track was better than ever, though I don't like up hill chicane and the west bend chicane...
#17
Team Owner
probably rebar coming out of the curbs which never should have happen if it is that. Crappy workmanship especiall on a race track.