I was looking over the data from our race last weekend in St. Johns
and trying to figure out why the fastest parts of the track were at
the top of the hills and not at the bottom?
Track Map:
http://www.stjohnsgrandprix.com/trackmap.pdf
Data Trace from our fastest lap:
http://www.microworks.net/dave/kart/St%20Johns.pdf
For example: the run down the front straight (.2 miles) long reaches
a peak of 78 mph. That straight was proceeded by a series of corners
(10 and 11) where power is being rolled on continually starting from
a low of 42 mph.
T1 and T2 are a series of 90 degree left hand corners that are really
taken as a single turn with a double apex that gets down to 52 mph.
This leads to an uphill run that is .25 miles long (peak mph of 75.5)
ending in a greater than 90 degree corner that slows down to 55 mph.
Run time is 13 seconds of full throttle.
This then takes you downhill for .4 miles with a peak of 78 mph. It
too ends in a double apex 90 degree left hand turn (T4 & T5) that
drops down to 41 mph. Run time is 15.4 seconds of full throttle
Here is where it gets strange.
The next straight is uphill for .45 miles and ends in about a 45
degree corner. Peak on this run is just over 84 mph. Run time is
17.6 seconds of full throttle
The reason it is strange is that the long downhill run has an
entrance speed of 55 mph but only gets to 78 mph whereas the entrance
speed for the uphill run starts at 41 mph (14 mph slower) but ends at
84 mph (6 mph faster).
It seems strange that a run that an uphill run that is 2.2 seconds
longer on full throttle but starts with an entrance speed that is 14
mph slower could possibly end at 6 mph faster. A net gain of 20 mph
for those 2.2 additional seconds on an uphill run. Have the laws of
gravity found a section of the planet where they no longer apply?
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