front or back straight?

[Teddy truman]

Where abouts on a R/C track do you like the straight to be.. far side of the track or infront of rostrum?

[coolcars782]

Infront of Rostrum :)

[ApexSpeed]

The straight should be as close to the drivers as possible for me. I always prefer it there, and I raced oval for 20 years.

I never understood the longest straight as far away from the drivers as you can get, but a lot of tracks do it that way. The car is going as fast as it will go for you, and is as far away from you as it can get.

I'm never comfortable on a track where the long straight is on the back-side of the track, personally.

[mattJT]

How about an EPR style layout, where in essence there's two straights, one in front of rostrum and one furtherst from the rostrum.

However, due to the intertwining parts of the track, there's only ever one straight used in a race and the track has many differing variations ensuring many ways that the track can be set up :thumbsup:

[Borat]

For me is never in the back, only ever straight in the front.

[russmini]

Always preferred the straight at the Back. More technical in front of the rostrum.

Just like PDA used to do it :D

[brooksy]

Depends on size off track really. Small track I think it's better at the back, but if it's a larger track it's better at the front.
I suppose it also depends on how good you eyesite is aswell!.

[Spencer Mulcahy]

Through the middle like at Tivvy :woot:

[markwilliamson2001]

For me the straight is the easiest part of the track, and should go at the back of the track...this means the harder sections, and generally jumps are nearer the rostrum, and in better view.
However, I would also recommend that the track be in 'landscape' view where possible, since overall distance from the rostrum, and depth of view should be kept on the smaller side..i.e. More wide and shallow than long and thin if you get my drift...

[paulc]

I think the straight should be furthest away from the rostrum and the more technical bits of the track closer to the rostrum

[discostu]

at the back as the cars are travling at there fastest your veiw point is much larger and you can judge obstical better (slower cars)

my preferd rostrum locaion is furthest away from the most dificult jump etc

stu

but having said that when racing a tc snetterton park has the straight at the front but it is so far away from the rostrum it feels as if its in the middle if that makes sense.

[super__dan]

In front of rostrum for me.

Reason being when there is an important technical feature in front of the rostrum, rostrum position often plays a vital part in being able to see it properly. Sometimes you get to see an up OR a downslope but not both unless you're in one of 2 or 3 spots on the rostrum.

[Teddy truman]

hmm intresting.. that is a very good point dan.. never thought about it like that.

[James]

Always a back straight, your car is travelling at its quickest, if its under the rostrum you need to move your head as well as your eyes to track you car - your peripheral vision is also less as you're looking at a much reduced portion of the track hence harder to avoid obstacles/cars, and of course your car is flat out so probably wont come out of an incident. I agree with dans statement but if the rostrum is set back from its nearest lane your vision for obstacles will be fine.

[budgio]

Back straight all the way for me,and the further away the better.
Let the trickier parts of the track be closer to the rostrum as its just easier on the eyes.

....And my eyesight isnt too good :cry:

[Chris Doughty]

I think Dan makes a great point there.

I think the important thing is that important features are easily viewable from all places on the rostrum.

8th scale straights are always under the rostrum, ive gotten quite used to that now

[mole2k]

I've always liked a back straight for the reason of the speed and your wider field of vision of the track at that distance.

Although I can see the questions about having big features under the rostrum meaning there is a few very favoured rostrum positions.

[daz]

Depends on size off track really. Small track I think it's better at the back, but if it's a larger track it's better at the front.
I suppose it also depends on how good you eyesite is aswell!.
100% agree, racing indoors defo a back straight my head wouldnt be able to rotate fast enough to keep up with the car if it was in front of the rostrum:lol:. But for the large outdoor tracks having a back straight makes it feels like its 2 foot wide.

[Neil Skull]

It really depends on the rostrum position.

To me any track with a straight at the back is normally ok, but if the straight is in front of rostrum and the rostrum is close it can cause havoc.
Especially when you track your car down a straight and some numpty is leaning forward so you cant see car at the end of straight.

I have to be honest and say the Moto Arena track with straight at the back is great, same as Brooklands, Mendip. all great tracks.

I wonder why 1.8thIC offroad tracks have straight at the front and yet On road IC normally have at the back?

[Teddy truman]

think its just easier in offroad 8th to have front straight because of pit ramp.. onroad tracks just have a layby :)

[Welshy40]

i liked the straight in the middle like how basildon had it, otherwise in front of the rostrum.

[Smartalec]

Straight diagonally corner to corner works well as it normally needs marshalling less which means less obstructions from marshalls on the infield. Works particularly well for indoor tracks where space is tight and you can normally extend the length of the straight using this method.

Other than that I prefer the straight at the back and any jumps, features etc to be nearer the rostrum but not directly under it for the reason that Dan has already pointed out :)

[mikerobinson83]

i have only raced on tracks with the straight infront of the rostrum, i would say the location of the jumps is more important than the straight, you need a clear line of sight and i prefer the jumps running across me or going away/towards me this way i find it easyer to hit my line

[blue_pinky]

Straight diagonally corner to corner works well as it normally needs marshalling less which means less obstructions from marshalls on the infield. Works particularly well for indoor tracks where space is tight and you can normally extend the length of the straight using this method.

Interestingly...maybe?!?!...extending the length by this method is normally only true when you have a cross over jumping over the straight! Otherwise you end up shortening the diagonal to get the return track around one end of it! The other thing it does is to put sharper corners at either end of the straight too, but that's not always a bad thing.

Good thread though...good comments being made for both options. I hadn't considered the field of vision part of it before!

[emtee]

For me it all depends on the height of the rostrum...

At Batley Spenborough track for instance, the drivers position is on the top of a steel container with fantastic views of the whole track, so straight position is not relevant...

On a regular or lower height rostrum I prefer the tech sections nearer with the straightaway at the far side... I usually put myself at one end or the other of the rostrum, this depends on where I feel I need a better view of a tricky part...

I also prefer the trackside a fair distance away from the base of the rostrum not butted right up against it... :D

[Smartalec]

Bit off topic but at Robin Hood I have a problem with the rostrum having the front (bit you stand behind) too high. With a steerwheel I have to hold it at a higher point that i'm used too so it makes it uncomfortable and unnatural. For this reason I have to stand on one of their crates, not the best in my opinion. Much as I love the track, the rostrum sucks LOL

Anyway, back on topic :wub

[Nick Goodall]

How about no straight at all????

Well not quite, but a few shorter ones, maybe 3 in total on a track? Not really seen taht done many times but as long as there's a decent area of the track to run a start grid from, do you really need a long massive straight at every track??

Personally i always prefered having a straight at the back with all the corners and tight sections closer to the rostrum as over-taking etc can be better as you can see clearer.....

Tracks with a raised back section though like Stotfold are ok as you can see the back areas nice and clearly anyway i guess.

[janus_77]

It's just a matter of correct track-design.

If the straight is in the back it needs to be wide enough to compensate for the lack of vision for the oldtimers (and yes I'm nearly one of them), and it allowes for the hard bits to be close to the rostrum. But like stated before, you need to work out that every one van see all the on- and offramps properly

To make a straight in front of the rostrum you have to take in account that if something happens on the straight there is very little time to react for the drivers. e.g. If there entering the straight on the left they wont know anything is up (apart for breaking noises and some screaming) until the car has passed under them, only then will they start looking to the right. There for, ideally, their should be some room between the rostrum and the track and the 1st corner should be about 6 meters after the rostrum has ended so the last one on the rostrum still has time to position the car for that corner

[ch!3f]

i like it next to the rostrum unless its very high like at wombwell even though there its infront of you its easier to see the far side of the track.

[Neil Skull]

think its just easier in offroad 8th to have front straight because of pit ramp.. onroad tracks just have a layby :)


Layby :lol:

I think it could be that circuit cars are going into corners at end of the straight flat out so up to 80mph and likely on the outside of the track.

If you think of slough etc you exit pit lane onto the hairpin so everyone is similar speed.

[Steve.T]

I prefer the straight to be at the back because when I lose the back end and crash I won't hit the rostrum

[Teddy truman]

Awsome thread guys! thanks for all the commets :)

[showtime]

the best tracks we had at Newbury had the straight at the back & i think the one everyone liked the most had the kicker jump right in front of the rostrum :woot: