Hampton Downs

**FROSTY:Me** · 19th December 2008, 17:18

I was lucky enough to get to get a reasonably close up peruse of the Hampton Downs track.
Dang it looks like its gonna be a darn nice setup. Very much like the Taupo track actually but a lot more elevation change.
One bit I couldn't figure out was that down the motorway end the track looks to be raised from 1.5m- 600mm above the sorounding ground.
Is this where the sand traps are going in?
otherwise its a bit of a dropoff on the edge of the track

**Kiwi Graham:Me** · 19th December 2008, 18:31

Noticed that too, maybe the answer lays in the web site.
Could be footings for a grandstand? It would be a bloody deep sand trap!

**Marmoot** · 19th December 2008, 19:00

From what I know, due to economic recession they will put the cheesecutter there instead of sand trap to save cost.

**Duke girl** · 19th December 2008, 19:09

Why dont you get onto the Hampton Downs website as that has photos of the track being built.

**ajturbo** · 19th December 2008, 19:11

Originally Posted by Duke girl

Why dont you get onto the Hampton Downs website as that has photos of the track being built.

stop being a smarty

**PZR** · 19th December 2008, 19:29

I was a smarty and had a look at the website. The corner is 21 metres wide so I assume that is the run off. If you go beyond that its either the armco or the swamp. Or maybe there will be a run off to the motorway but as punisment for being so stoopid to go so wide you have to pay to get back in again.LOL
I did the circuit on the F1 car simulation. It also does a Carrera Cup race, but they were doing the track in reverse. whats with that. Can bkes do it in reverse as well, that would be good, more right hand corners to practice (trust me I need more practice)

**Skunk** · 19th December 2008, 20:06

Originally Posted by ajturbo

stop being a smarty

With you around someone has too...

**dino3310** · 19th December 2008, 20:25

they've probably built that corner up to allow it to sink and settle before they complete that part of the track, the peat soil is only about a 800-900mm then sand and when the rivers up and theres heavy rainfall the water table is very high and all the flats along there to the drag strip turn into a bog hole, so i wouldn't be suprised if that corner sinks if it hasn't all ready.
they reckon theres gona be more tarmac on the run offs to give racers more of a chance to recover before they get into the sand- cant wait for it to be finished it's gona be one hell of a track.

**tri boy** · 20th December 2008, 08:34

The hollowed out bit, is where the Taniwha sleeps au.

**dino3310** · 20th December 2008, 12:49

Originally Posted by tri boy

The hollowed out bit, is where the Taniwha sleeps au.

na he's in the drain by the dragstrip where all those big fat tuna are bro au

**Devil** · 20th December 2008, 14:02

Hopefully i've got a spot reserved on one of the very first track days there. Cant wait!

Roll on the California Superbike School!

**Pumba** · 20th December 2008, 17:02

Originally Posted by dino3310

they've probably built that corner up to allow it to sink and settle before they complete that part of the track, the peat soil is only about a 800-900mm then sand and when the rivers up and theres heavy rainfall the water table is very high and all the flats along there to the drag strip turn into a bog hole, so i wouldn't be suprised if that corner sinks if it hasn't all ready.
they reckon theres gona be more tarmac on the run offs to give racers more of a chance to recover before they get into the sand- cant wait for it to be finished it's gona be one hell of a track.

Close but not qute. It is a teqnique called preloading the underlying soil in order to bring on settlement as a result of the extra weight. This should eliminate the chance of any further settlement in the future.

THe soil used for preload will be removed as required to construct the sub-base and basecourse that form the pavement structure.