FASTURD ENDURO
This is a track designed by Foz. This is my first attempt at a track, but so far I think it turned out pretty well. I have it set in Minnesota, because this is where I live, but it is a fantasy course all the way. The track side objects have been taken from a lot of the other courses out there, and have been changed to contain things related to Minnesota.
Fasturd Enduro is intended to be a GTP mod track, and has been created with the idea of using it to run an Endurance race similar to what Darin Gangi does with SSCA races at places like Daytona RC, Watkins Glen, SPA and LeMans. The design of the track is specifically done to have sections where you can "rest" and other places where you better be up on the wheel. There are a number of things I did to this track to make it friendly with endurance racing:
The track is wider than most road courses, so there is a lot of room for passing slow or damaged cars, yet, if you are racing someone of equal speed, the track will make you pick your spots.
The run off areas of some of the tough corners are gravel, not sand or dirt, so it really catches the cars and avoids those hard hits that can end a drivers day from one mistake.
There are no tire barriers, only guard rails and cement or brick walls. Tire barriers almost always damage a car so severely that even with moderate damage a car is usually out of an endurance race.
The pits are a little tight, but with endurance races usually run with cautions off, there should be plenty of room for cars to pit at different times for driver changes and fuel stops.
The track is FAST. There are at least 3 places where cars will be going over 200 MPH, yet there is still a lot of shifting to be done. There are 2 tough sections, and 1 really nasty turn. The dark sections of asphalt are the tough sections and are setup with rumble strips on both sides with gravel run offs to slow the car down if it goes off the track. The first set of double S's are at the end of the highly banked turn 1 and turn 2. The first S is a little less severe than the second S, and they need to be taken at different speeds. The second tough spot is going to be one of the better places to pass on the track. After a "relaxing" drive down the Minnesota corner and high speed straight, there is a 200+ MPH banked right hander followed by a downhill lefthander and you need to slow dramatically for the first hairpin. This is by far, the most dangerous spot on the track.
Relax, Panic, Relax, Panic, Relax, Panic, Relax. This track should be good for endurance racing as there is a pattern of easy to navigate sections followed by a tough corner. Drivers should be able to find a rhythm pretty easily and with any luck, find a draft partner to make up time on all of the high speed sections of the track.
Pit entrances and exits are easy to navigate, and a 70 MPH pit road should provide enough room to make the frequent pitting in endurance racing easy to accommodate. There is a nasty, built in slow down area on the pit entrance that will help drivers make the timing line for the 70 MPH pit road speed. If you are looking for a little fun, don't slow down on pit road entrance and see if you can jump the brick walls into the gas station.. :)
There are track decals on all of the braking points to easily tell where the 300, 200, 100 yard marks are going into a corner. There are also 4 pit entrance decals on the track surface reminding of the 70 MPH pit road speed.
In the places where I anticipated there might be wrecks, there is enough room for wrecking cars to get off the racing surface without ending up on the track. Of course, spectacular wrecks still might find a wall and bounce back onto the track, but for the most part, spun out cars should end up in the gravel.
If racers are ever lucky enough to have a close finish, there is one last surprise for folks looking to make a Hornish/Andretti pass on the last straight. There is a little dip and kink on the front straight just after the pit road entrance. There really isn't time to draft someone after this kink and pull off the pass... so only the bravest and most skilled drivers will be able to pull off a final straight pass and navigate the kink... in a few of the beta races, more than a few drivers missed the kink and lost speed going on the grass...
The track was released as a final version, pending feedback about unfound bugs on June 10th, 2006. Special thanks to Christopher and Fernando for this support and assistance in making this track, and to the US Pits for making all kinds of great tools available for novice track designers such as myself. Special thanks also to the great leagues and racing communities at NDRN, STRL, DEI, MNRL, USRA and the SSCA Endurance crew for making racing in this sim so much fun.
The zip is below. As I mentioned above, this is my first track and I hope you enjoy it, but please, please... if you have any thoughts or comments, please send them to me at foz@fasturd.com.
TRACK DOWNLOAD: Fasturd Enduro Version 20, June 10th, 2006
Track Pictures and descriptions
The front straight with the kink in lower left corner.
Victory Lane and the VIP seating. Custom brick walls, garage, and building for eye candy.
The high banked, Daytona like Turn 1 and Turn 2 provides room for about 10 wide.. lol
The first nasty section, the Hula Girl Cigar S's after the high banked Turn 1 and Turn 2.
The middle of the Hula Girl Cigar S's.
After the Minnesota corner, the long and fast back straight.
The nasty, Grain Belt hairpin. This is the first of two hairpins, and easily the hardest place on the track.
A larger view of the final two hairpins.
Entering the final hairpin, which is cut into a large hill making a cliff on the right hand side.
The start of the long front straight, with pit entrance on the left side.
Pit road timing line, NBC announcer stand, and the Gulf gas station.
Looking back at the start/finish line and the long front straight.
Blimp view of the front straight, banked turn, Hula Girl Cigar S's and the Grain Belt hairpin.