WORLDS: Pre-qualifying track update

0 Sept. 22, 2014, 9:54 p.m.

9/23/2014
By Aaron Waldron

LiveRC.com

During the intermission between the final seeding practice rounds on Monday, a focus group of drivers from various nations were consulted by the track crew about proposed changes to the track surface heading into qualifying. The Naxos World Track staff has done an incredible job preparing the racing surface for this week's race, and wanted to make sure they presented the course in its best possible condition as the cars head into the competitive portion of the event.

The double coming toward the drivers' stand on the left side of the track has been one of the toughest sections all week long - and when you look at the surface of the jump, particularly the transition to the short lip, it's easy to see why. The track crew offered to reshape the face, but the drivers actually asked them not to touch it at all, out of fear that trying it for the first time in warm-up before the first round would make it even more difficult to get right during the face. Besides, there's no guarantee that the jump would've worked better.

The double on the back section, however, did get fixed. A large hole developed in the transition of the jump face and it was filled and patched with concrete. We'll have to watch if the concrete causes the area below it to erode, but for now it's a significant improvement.

The right-hand kink in the middle of the high-speed chicane heading into that back double claimed more victims than any other portion of the course. With multiple stakes holding the stiff track-lining pipes to the ground, the divider proved more resilient than many front arms and hinge pins. A number of different remedies were discussed, but the drivers and track crew settled on adding another layer of softer pipe to the impact zone in an effort to provide some cushion.

Of the two corners covered in concrete pavers, the section nearer to the drivers' stand has become quite slick with oil residue. Again, the drivers opted for consistency and asked the track crew not to touch it. Cleaning the surface would only provide a temporary fix, as it would surely become slick again and potentially have a worsening effect as the round wore on.

The drivers may have had four days of practice on the Naxos World Track, but they'll still have to adapt to changing conditions through the week - and these are just a few of them!

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