Silverdome Track Surface Conditions

[Allen]

Hey guys, I was watching some videos that one of our team members took at the competition. I can't tell for sure if the surface that you guys run on is concrete or asphalt. Also, how is the condition of the track? Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Denny Trimble]

Asphalt, fairly rough texture, fairly old. Big bumps in the seams, and some rapid elevation changes.

[jack]

...in other words...really crappy http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[John Bucknell]

What are you saying? That track is billiard smooth.... for pavement in Detroit.

[Jon Huddleston]

Not the kind of surface you'd want to tune your car for. Our ride height was over 1.5 in. when we almost ripped our front wing mount(2.5" from ground) off last year during the endurance. It was in a braking zone crossing over a large seam in the middle of a resessed part of the lot.

Imagine doing the skidpad on a cambered road in the wet while driving over painted asphault...

Makes me wish the event was at Topeka where we'd be pulling more g's and driving on a more formula car friendly/quality surface

[Homemade WRX]

and quite often wet or damp

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

isn't our car susposed to be use for the weekend autocrosser, because I konw around here they do the events in stadium parking lots, not some purpose designed race track. Varying track conditions are just part of parking lots. couldnt tell you too much about the '04 Detroit track since our damn car never got any farther outside of the trailer into the dynamic area than the sound testing.

[J. Schmidt]

Remember Mike, Bill had to goose it so the car didn't get stuck on a high spot of intersection during a parade. If the car's too low to make it through a parade route it's probably too low for most parking lots.

[Christopher Chow]

Since when is a FSAE car a multi-purpose autocross car? There's one stinkin race a year in N. America and its in the same spot every year.

Hey, when is Formula West/East supposed to be anounced?

[Denny Trimble]

Actually, there's an FSAE class at SCCA Nationals in Topeka, Kansas every year. And, several teams autocross their cars at local autocross events.

We build our cars with "real" autocross events in mind, and I know UTA does as well. We do place a priority on the specifics of the FSAE competition, but we try not to make the cars unuseable at "real" autocross events. Our car is built to survive bottom-outs and airborn adventures, it has to be if we're going to drive in the Boeing Everett West lot. We just held an autocross there yesterday, 176 entrants * $25 entry fee, minus $1500 in expenses, you do the math. Now that's fundraising! It's good for team morale as well, especially when our old car beats national champs in fully prepped cars.

Jon, I think it's funny you refer to Topeka as a "formula car friendly" surface. There are some pretty big transitions and craters there, too! But I guess most of the slabs in between are flat, and it sure is sticky.

[Denny Trimble]

Oh yeah, and the west coast event will happen next year, an announcement was made in the SAE CDS newsletter a month or two ago. No details yet, however.

[CMURacing - Prometheus]

personally, i'd like to see the event moved to dodger stadium in la. you all bag on stadium lots like they suck, aside from the general elevation changes there its smooth as butter.

that, and i'm a dodgers fan and la native, soo...

[Marshall Grice]

I can think of about 8 lots in southern california that are both bigger and better then the silverdome lot. I don't think i'd ever go to detroit again if there were any US alternatives.

[syoung]

Random fact: the 1981 Las Vegas Grand Prix (Formula One obviously!) was held in the car park of the hotel at Caesar's Palace.

It wasn't the most popular event on the calendar.

[John Bucknell]

Then they went to Detroit for a few years, found out the pavement was if anything worse - then left for warmer climates then altogether.

Hope that doesn't happen to FSAE http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Kirk Feldkamp]

Yeah, but think what kind of shenanigans there would be if we held an event in Las Vegas! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

-Kirk

[rjwoods77]

How about Bob Bondurant school of driving in phoenix AZ. His facility makes everything else look jacked. Only 5 hrs away from vegas too.

[Brodyj]

Last year was crappy. They could of at least sweeped the gravel off the coarse.

[Dick Golembiewski]

I'm still reminded of the late Ken Tyrrell's comment at either Long Beach or the Detroit F1 course. There was a big bump everyone was complaining about. Ken said something to the effect of:

"So there's a bump. We of all people should be able to deal with it!"

On the other hand, I recall my first FSAE in 1984. At the end of the acceleration run was a huge bump and an incline. We bottomed out and bent a pushrod on our second run. (1-1.5" ride height) The solution was more ride height - although that portion of the course didn't make me happy as a faculty advisor!