NJMP Thunderbolt Advanced Day 7/15

[steveh]

Speaking from the low-HP end of the spectrum, the more turns, the better!

[ninjabones]

Anyone have any video with the chicane?

[steveh]

Here is Shane Lewis giving a ride-along in the NJMP pace car before the Rolex race -- configuration includes the T3 chicane: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGvyUHYukPM

[Bill Lehman]

I vote for no chicane.  There's already a lot of turns on Thunderbolt and the chicane eliminates T3 which is one of the best turns.

[steveh]

I kind of like the win-win suggestion - run with in the morning and without in the afternoon.

[Brian Minkin]

steveh wrote:

I kind of like the win-win suggestion - run with in the morning and without in the afternoon.

Gets my vote...but this is not a democracy.

[betegh9]

I've done both ways. Obviously with the chicane, that part of the course is slower, but for the most part, T-bolt is a fast course. Having 2 slow sections, the octopus and the chicane now gives the track more balance in speed and technical sections to make slow car drivers and fast car drivers HAPPY. Notice I said slow and fast cars.......... not drivers.

[Darren]

I've done it both ways and I think the chicane is hokey.  It makes sense for Grand Am because they get airborne on the back straight.  It also removes one of the most fun turns, the fast right hander, turn 3 I guess it is.

[betegh9]

Darren wrote:

I've done it both ways and I think the chicane is hokey. It makes sense for Grand Am because they get airborne on the back straight. It also removes one of the most fun turns, the fast right hander, turn 3 I guess it is.

Darren, you may like turn 3, "most fun", but turn 4 is just as fun, right after 3, before the hard braking and turn 5 left hander. AX guys like more turns..........DE and racers like to keep it simple. I guess that they can't remember more than 13 turns at a time.hock:

[Darren]

It's not that so much....

Every track has a couple of, let's say "guts" turns (trying to be PC).

T2 at the Glen, T10 at the Glen, T3 and T10 at Summit, Southbend at VIR, coming off the bowl at Pocono North, etc.....At Thunderbolt there are 2 of these turns, T3 and T4.

I don't know how fast I'm going through T3 at Thunderbolt, but I'm too scared to look! Probably 95 mph I'd guess.

Maybe that's why it scares the AutoX guys