isuffer

Saw this in a course description.

"Course is a flat 4 corner 9/10 mile rectangle loop in Downtown Poughkeepsie. NO CHICANE ANYMORE LIKE IN YEARS PAST!!!!!"

What does chicane mean in reference to a race course?

botto 

chicane, as in s turn/corner.

waterrockets 

Austin's Thursday Night crit chicane (lower left):

damocles1

What is that? A Kart track?

timmhaan

i don't know, but that looks like an awesome place to race.

waterrockets 

I'm not sure what class of cars race there, but there's a torn-down car near the registration tent that's smaller than a road car, but bigger than a go-cart. Yep, it's an awesome place to race. There is one big dip on the course, but it doesn't cause too much trouble (I'll bet it sucks in a car though). Just a sink-hole under the track.

It's nice when people go flying off the course that they don't have to worry about any impact hazards other than the ground.

Here's the live link so you can pan around and see the whole course (just drag). Click the compas thing to orbit the current center point:

https://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...1457&encType=1

isuffer

Thanks for the info.

Homebrew01

I'm thinking of going to that race. I haven't been there before, but I bet removing the chicane was a good idea !!

urbanknight

My understanding from auto racing is that they use the term chicane to refer to any turn that leads directly into a turn in the opposite direction (see Botto's "S turn" comment). They use the term chicane because it means "trick" or "deception" since you think you're done with the turn only to find the next one already upon you.

isuffer

I've been told it's a fast one. I might be there too.

tfro

I'd call that 'esses' instead of a chicane. A chicane is similar (in that its basicaly a left-right-left or right-left-right) except that if you removed the chicane you would have a long straight, and it's main reason to be there is to slow down high HP cars to a safe level on longer straights. https://map.mapnetwork.com/venue/anthem/daytona/
That's the chicane at Daytona when they use the infield course (it's on the back straight).

waterrockets 

That makes sense. I guess the crit course I'm doing tomorrow night in Golden, CO has a chicane then

https://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=39.746835~-105.176851&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=10310887&encType=1

Unfortunately, I wouldn't call it a crit as they do here, as it's like 1.5 miles/lap...

pedex

chicane is a dogleg shaped section.......two parallel straights joined by a short curve

tfro

Yeah, I'd say that has a pretty textbook chicane. What is that place in 'real life'? Kinda short to be a car track, too long and boring to be a kart track...

waterrockets 

The first photo up there? That's "The Driveway" in Austin. Some kind of small auto track, but not street cars. I've never been able to find any sites with info on it, or pics of the cars. Lots of skid marks though

tfro

I was talking about the one in CO. The austin track looks like it could be a fun kart track. Although I think the popular place in Austin to kart is somewhere else.

I wonder if anyone has indoor crits at an indoor kart place? That could be interesting.