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Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:11 am
by Marshall Grice
Jeff Shyu wrote:hyundai makes cars that can climb that banked oval?
that's why it's 6.4mi long. they need all of the straight to get up to a speed that they won't just fall off the banking.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:12 am
by Earl Merz
Jeff Shyu wrote:
hyundai makes cars that can climb that banked oval?
That WRC Hyundai Elantra was pretty sweet.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:18 am
by Bob Beamesderfer
Earl Merz wrote:Jeff Shyu wrote:
hyundai makes cars that can climb that banked oval?
That WRC Hyundai Elantra was pretty sweet.
AWD turbo; ran in SCCA Pro Rally back in the late '90s.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:28 am
by Earl Merz
Bob Beamesderfer wrote:Earl Merz wrote:Jeff Shyu wrote:
hyundai makes cars that can climb that banked oval?
That WRC Hyundai Elantra was pretty sweet.
AWD turbo; ran in SCCA Pro Rally back in the late '90s.
Those were Tiburons. Paul Choiniere drove.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:04 pm
by Bob Beamesderfer
Earl Merz wrote:Bob Beamesderfer wrote:Earl Merz wrote:[
That WRC Hyundai Elantra was pretty sweet.
AWD turbo; ran in SCCA Pro Rally back in the late '90s.
Those were Tiburons. Paul Choiniere drove.
Ah, that's right. I asked Mike Anson, who was Hyundai PR at the time, when we'd get a production version of that Tib here. He chuckled and said, never.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:00 am
by David Avard
Earl Merz wrote:David Avard wrote:You can't just put that out there without some more clues (if you aren't going to name it).
I work for a contractor at the site, if someone wanted some info, they can contact me. I'm not putting any contact info on a message board.
But here is a google map view
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... 7&t=h&z=14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Like I said, it's way out in BFE. I doubt anyone down in the valley would want to drive this far for an autocross. And I'm not sure the facility would allow an autocross there either. Motor Trend has tested there before, so I know they have allowed at least one other entity to use their facility.
What is funny is that about 15 miles NNW of that is an even bigger oval: Honda's 7.5 mile oval and 5 mile road course.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:28 am
by Mako Koiwai
We've filmed at the Honda test facility ... it's got something like 7 different "tracks." Not sure if that includes the off-road area that we also used. We had to turn in our cell phones when we entered the facility ... no cell phone cameras allowed ... only $100K professional cameras!
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:23 am
by Earl Merz
David Avard wrote:
What is funny is that about 15 miles NNW of that is an even bigger oval: Honda's 7.5 mile oval and 5 mile road course.
so, whats that say about Hondas that their bigger oval doesn't even have banking on it?
I almost went to work at that Honda facility. But at the time I took this location, the extra $1hr Honda paid wouldn't offset the extra fuel I would have gone through. 26 extra miles each day @ 16mpg x $4.50 wasn't worth the extra $8.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:04 am
by Mako Koiwai
The very similiar Honda test area, north east of Mojave:
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:08 am
by Mako Koiwai
HUGE in this shot ... Mojave lower left ... Honda upper right:
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:32 am
by Earl Merz
Both facilities are pretty much hidden from view from the freeway. Except Hyundai has a big sign at the entrance road. Both facilities are located in no fly zones(thanks Edwards...). The area where Hyundai is was used as a training area for soldiers in WWII( Soldiers based at Mojave's airport [1 of 4 that used to be IN THE TOWN]), then later used as a live round testing area.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:10 am
by Will Kalman
Earl Merz wrote:@ 16mpg
Well, there's your problem!
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:28 am
by Mako Koiwai
The Honda facility is also contained behind a huge berm ... to hide it from ground level photo assault
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:04 pm
by Earl Merz
Will Kalman wrote:Earl Merz wrote:@ 16mpg
Well, there's your problem!
I can only afford 1 street vehicle. And at the time of purchase, I drove less that 6k miles a year in my personal vehicle. So buying a truck that could tow the race car to the track/autocross and back was my best bet.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:07 pm
by Earl Merz
Mako Koiwai wrote:The Honda facility is also contained behind a huge berm ... to hide it from ground level photo assault
Yeah, we are too. And for the oval banking, the inside lane actually drops below ground level. So if you stay in the outside lane, it's basically a flat track.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:24 pm
by Steve Ekstrand
The track surface perpendicular to the line of travel is dramatically convex??? Bizarre.
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:42 am
by Jayson Woodruff
Steve Ekstrand wrote:The track surface perpendicular to the line of travel is dramatically convex??? Bizarre.
Probably not designed for high speed. Just miles.
The velodrome at Encino did this in turn 3. Let me tell you, 40 mph with no brakes and 10 abrest is no time to hit an off camber.
Jay W
Re: AX Lots, Up Dates?
Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:59 am
by Earl Merz
no, it's cambered correctly. The outside of the outside lane doesn't change elevation, the inside lanes drop in elevation to get the desired banking. This was done( I assume) so that the track can't been see over the berm that surrounds it.