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Stoke Potter

British Tracks - Can your local track be improved?

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Plenty of debate on other threads about what makes a decent track.  Lets have a survey.  

Can your local track be improved? 

For the moment lets (conveniently) overlook the financial aspect of doing any track work, as the point is to find out how many could physically fit a Belle Vue type circuit within the confines of the stadia.

So minimum 300m with sweeping bends and plenty of width.  I could answer for a few but I'll leave that to the locals of the particular track as they are likely to know better.

So I'll start with my local circuit:

Stoke:  yes a BV track could easily be fitted in.

Next...
 

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Ipswich no unless stock cars were to move out

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Sheffield.Take the white line in a few meters and shorten the straights,something ex promoter Ray Glover considered doing back in the early 80's.

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11 hours ago, Stoke Potter said:

Plenty of debate on other threads about what makes a decent track.  Lets have a survey.  

Can your local track be improved? 

For the moment lets (conveniently) overlook the financial aspect of doing any track work, as the point is to find out how many could physically fit a Belle Vue type circuit within the confines of the stadia.

So minimum 300m with sweeping bends and plenty of width.  I could answer for a few but I'll leave that to the locals of the particular track as they are likely to know better.

So I'll start with my local circuit:

Stoke:  yes a BV track could easily be fitted in.

Next...
 

...Oxford was a perfect shape (but I would say that) except I would say that the exits from the bends were a bit narrow and widening of same would have been advantageous.

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My local track, Leicester, pretty much perfect I'd say :rofl:

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11 minutes ago, iainb said:

My local track, Leicester, pretty much perfect I'd say :rofl:

I liked Blackbird Road too !

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As far as I know Leicester was purpose built in recent years. Looking at a top view I don't really see many constraints, so why it is shaped as it is seems odd to me. Could easily have been built as a proper race track..... unless some one knows different.

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11 minutes ago, Whisperer said:

I liked Blackbird Road too !

That's what makes what we've got at BP all the more galling

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22 hours ago, Stoke Potter said:

Plenty of debate on other threads about what makes a decent track.  Lets have a survey.  

Can your local track be improved? 

For the moment lets (conveniently) overlook the financial aspect of doing any track work, as the point is to find out how many could physically fit a Belle Vue type circuit within the confines of the stadia.

So minimum 300m with sweeping bends and plenty of width.  I could answer for a few but I'll leave that to the locals of the particular track as they are likely to know better.

So I'll start with my local circuit:

Stoke:  yes a BV track could easily be fitted in.

Next...
 

I'd say Stoke is one of the best shaped tracks in  British Speedway anyway. It makes the dreadful reputation they have all the more damning.

While few could make themselves wider by cutting into the outside (ironically, Rye House is one) some could by cutting on the inside.  

 

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On 7/19/2018 at 8:45 AM, OveFundinFan said:

As far as I know Leicester was purpose built in recent years. Looking at a top view I don't really see many constraints, so why it is shaped as it is seems odd to me. Could easily have been built as a proper race track..... unless some one knows different.

Here are 4 tracks 2 of them, Sheffield and Peterborough renowned for good racing, Wolves also can be pretty good... and Leicester. Sheffield and Peterborough seem to be more rounded ovals where Leicester seems to be shaped more like Wolves. Wolves is 264m, Leicester 300m, Peterborough 336m & Sheffield 361m. Leicester does have a lot of weird off camber banking though.

Pick the bones out of that

Tracks.jpg

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9 minutes ago, iainb said:

Here are 4 tracks 2 of them, Sheffield and Peterborough renowned for good racing, Wolves also can be pretty good... and Leicester. Sheffield and Peterborough seem to be more rounded ovals where Leicester seems to be shaped more like Wolves. Wolves is 264m, Leicester 300m, Peterborough 336m & Sheffield 361m. Leicester does have a lot of weird off camber banking though.

Pick the bones out of that

Tracks.jpg

...some great images although I would question Wolves. Too much like a hairpin with long straights and tight bends (Kirky Lane similar) Recall John Berry saying that to get round Wolves a rider would have to put a high gearing on which would compromise circumnavigating the bends which caused the bikes to rev too hard. However it would sort out the serious contenders and one can't argue with the greats who excelled at Monmore Green...in particular Ole Olsen, Hans Nielsen and Sam Ermolenko. Not one of my personal favourites however although Oxford's record there was second to none. 

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26 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...some great images although I would question Wolves. Too much like a hairpin with long straights and tight bends (Kirky Lane similar) Recall John Berry saying that to get round Wolves a rider would have to put a high gearing on which would compromise circumnavigating the bends which caused the bikes to rev too hard. However it would sort out the serious contenders and one can't argue with the greats who excelled at Monmore Green...in particular Ole Olsen, Hans Nielsen and Sam Ermolenko. Not one of my personal favourites however although Oxford's record there was second to none. 

I think if Wolves was any bigger it probably wouldn't work, there's no doubt it's a technical trick track but I have seen some cracking racing there.

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