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How is the Length of a Race Track Determined?

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#1
Randy Thieme

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When a race track gives it's "official" length how is that measured? Is it the length of the outside perimeter? Length of an imaginary centerline through the course?
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#2
dave gomberg

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I don't know of any documented "rules" for this, but I believe common practice is centerline of the course. Many years ago, a fellow ralliest and I (I got started in SCCA that way) did several slow laps at Summit Point. We did center, outside, inside and racing line measurements with a thousandths of a mile correctable odometer. SP has long been advertised as a 2.0 mile course. I no longer have the exact numbers, but the centerline measurement was some small number of thousandths off the 2.0 (.001 mile is 6.336 inches). The others varied some, but none was off by more than .02+/- so the variation was under 100 feet.

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#3
wheel

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According to the SCCA GCR:

3. MEASURING COURSES
The official length of a course shall be measured along the centerline of
the road.
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#4
Randy Thieme

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Aha! Another case of read the instructions first. Never thought to check the GCR but that makes perfect sense. Thanks Wheel!
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#5
dave gomberg

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Well, that'll teach me to at least look at the GCR before relying on my obviously faulty memory.

Dave

#6
Mike Collins

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Well, that'll teach me to at least look at the GCR before relying on my obviously faulty memory.

Dave


So says the GCR CRB liason. ;)
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#7
wheel

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So says the GCR CRB liason. ;)


He got it right, didn't he. It would be interesting to see what a long course, like RA would measure on the proper racing line. I bet, proportionally, the line would be further off on a tight, twisty course.
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#8
Jim Daniels - FIG

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I just called Alan Wilson, hard at work building the new, New Orleans track. http://www.nolamotor.com/index

He said the FIA and industry standard is the track center. So for data and fuel a calculations, teams use the actual based on line which is different car to car.

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http://www.wilsonmotorsport.com

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