EuroSpeedway track full of tight turns and new challenges

Red Bull Air Race
Articles
EuroSpeedway track full of tight turns and new challenges

Michael Goulian turning hard over New York

Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race

EuroSpeedway track full of tight turns and new challenges

by Erik Kay, Jul 26, 2010

LAUSITZ, Germany – The race track over the EuroSpeedway in Germany will be one of the most interesting in the history of the Red Bull Air Race and the first time since 2007 that the Air Gates will be set up on land rather than on water. The track in front of the grandstand promises to be one of the most challenging this year with a lot of tight turns and unknown wind conditions.

As a new location and new track, all the pilots will be using every second of the training sessions to search for the best lines through a series of turns totaling 540 degrees they will face in one quick segment shortly after the start. The pilots will also be trying to quickly learn how the winds affect the track conditions, especially with the grandstand possibly shielding portions of the track from winds coming from certain directions. Mastering that high-G, turn-filled section shortly after the start could turn out to be the key to winning the race, according to former pilot and TV analyst Steve Jones.

“As you run through the start gate, the chicane is straight ahead,” Jones said. “There is no big turn to reduce your speed, so at 374 kph it is going to happy mighty fast. If the exit from the chicane is accurate, it will set you up for 540 degrees of aggressive turning that will happen in the next 20 seconds or so. But get this bit wrong and you will never catch up with the lines and angles you require, seconds could be lost as a result. Many different lines are available in these seemingly endless turns and any wind will change your options.”

After a slight breather at Gate 6, Jones said the pilots will again face high-G forces in a vertical turn at Gate 7. The series of high-G turns in the track will also slow the planes in the first lap, meaning they will have to fly the 540-degree turn section more tightly on Lap 2 in order to get good times, according to Jones.

Pilots are looking forward to the challenges of the new track, which is in eastern Germany between Berlin and Dresden and not far from the border to Poland and the Czech Republic. Many have said they like flying over land tracks – such as in Berlin (2006), Monument Valley (2007) and Interlaken (2007) – because there are so many places to land in a pinch if needed.

“I think it’s the future,” Bonhomme said when asked how he felt about flying over a motorsport race track for the first time. Bonhomme and Hungary’s Peter Besenyei will be flying in their 50th race in Germany. “Let’s have a couple of iconic locations and the rest of the races over racetracks or airfields.”