Yesterday was my first time back on track (instructing for ASRA) at Phoenix
since the track was reconfigured along with the addition of the tunnel to
enter the facility.
The three areas that are changed or "different" are T1, T9 and the exit of
NASCAR 4.
The configuration for T1 has not "really" changed but the left hand wall
between the exit of T1 and pit-out has been lengthed considerably! It used
to be that coming off the oval and into T1 you esentially had two
"reference points" to clear. The first was the initial wall at drivers left
as you came off the front straight and the second was the end of the short
wall at pit out. What has changed is that the wall for pit out has really
be lengthened and seems taller. I "think" the reasoning is that is will
allow a car exiting the pits a few more feet to get up to speed while
entering the course while still being physically separated from the cars on
course. In the past when entering T1 at speed you used to be able to
actually see a car exiting pitlane and could move track right if forced to
and stay wide. Now, because the fast line between T1 and T2 always
required you to drive as close to those walls on drivers left as you dared
to straighten out that bit of track you are forced to be totally committed
to just missing the wall at the end of pitout. This means that you are
hard on the gas at that point just as a car would pull directly in front of
you! The "blend" line is not hidden by a wall. If the worker at pitout is
not fully in control of when cars can exit the pits by being aware of the
acceleration of that car and/or the closing speed of cars coming down track
or if a driver is not paying absolute attention to that worker a disaster
is waiting to happen.
At T9, because of the changes to NASCAR 2, while the uphill, off camber
hairpin turn was always tight there was a bit of room to drift out and
there were always tires there to help "arrest" your travel if you got it
wrong. Now the tires will only help if you lost braking and steering
causing you to continue to straight into the wall. If you drift right on
the exit of the turn you will hit concrete.
The exit NASCAR 4 was repaved since that is where the track was cut to make
way for the tunnel that is underneath it. The asphalt that is there is
quite nice and you can actually feel the car regain some grip as you exit
the turn onto the front straight. The absence of the Goodyear bridge
certainly made for a bit of consternation as I look to try and find a new
"unmoveble" reference point to help guide me through the corner. I am now
actually looking almost all the way through the corner now. The first
reference point that I am using is a tall cactus near the inside fence and
then shifting my eyes to first "traffic" light at the exit of NASCAR
4. Then finally shifting my eyes to the first floor of the suites down at
NASCAR 1.
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