Tag: Daytona

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In presa diretta da Daytona!

(pubbicato da ReportMotori.it)

Da sempre Daytona è nell’immaginario collettivo di noi appassionati di Motorsport.

Riccardo alla guida approccia una delle paraboliche di Daytona...
Riccardo alla guida approccia una delle paraboliche di Daytona…

La 500 miglia e la 24 ore di Daytona, rappresentano appuntamenti immancabili e riferimenti storici sportivi indiscussi.

Tutto è cominciato più di sessanta anni fa dalla spiaggia in sabbia naturalmente battuta di Daytona Beach con le scorribande delle tipiche‘muscle cars’ americane, ‘auto muscolose’ con i poderosi V8 truccati che davano il senso della velocità nei lunghissimi dritti e poi lasciano a desiderare nelle curve, ma questo non importava. Le curve iniziarono a divenire più importanti quando fu costruita (su un terreno altrettanto piatto e sabbioso) la pista che da tempo ha varie configurazioni: dal triovale di 4km con curve paraboliche (fino a 31 gradi di inclinazione!) utilizzato per la 500 miglia o altre configurazioni di percorsi misti come quello che viene usato per la 24 ore di Daytona.

23 Agosto 2014. Sono a Daytona all’International Speedway che dapprima volevo semplicemente visitare, trovandomi per ragioni lavorative in Florida, poi mi sono reso conto che potevo pure girare in pista con unaNASCAR!

Tutto grazie ad un programma che l’organizzazione Richard Petty Driving Experience ha iniziato a sviluppare dal alcuni anni fa su varie piste negliUSA. Petty si è ritirato da molti anni dalle competizioni ma continua ad essere una leggenda negli States per i numerosi titoli vinti in NASCAR e soprattutto per il modo deciso con cui lo ha fatto. Nel creare il programma ha utilizzato al meglio la sua immagine, il suo ‘brand’, per dare a tutti gli appassionati l’opportunità di vivere sulla propria pelle emozioni racing veramente uniche ‘Authentic Nascar Entertainment‘ e’ lo slogan chiave del programma.

Mi iscrivo al programma sul loro sito, tutto ottimamente organizzato e molto chiaro: cosa comprende, cosa non comprende, responsabilità, rischi e da subito si mette in evidenza che si tratta di un programma di High Performance Safe Entertainment (divertimento e sicurezza sono valori chiave che permeano concretamente, in tutti i dettagli, il programma). Sono con un amico e arriviamo alla pista che dall’esterno sembra un vero e proprio megastadio; ha un che di maestoso che incute un senso di storia e di rispetto; si notano subito le colline artificiali create ad-hoc per le paraboliche.

Nell’ingresso centrale c’è una sezione dedicata al programma dove una signora dai candidi capelli bianchi e dal sorriso rassicurante di una nonna verifica la tua iscrizione e ti stampa il dorso di una mano, pronti a partire! procedere in auto verso la parte interna del circuito attraverso il sottopassaggio 4! arriviamo al  (il testo originale continua su Reportmotori.it ) …

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‘Innovation full throttle!’ at Daytona ;)

Riccardo laps at Daytona pushing up to 164,31 mp/h (264,37 km/h) and evaluating an overall High Performance Motorsport Entertainment Program… These are some of the first impressions he shared about the experience, some inspiration for new sections of the upcoming international edition of the book is no doubt present here.

“I always wanted to try American style racing with pure American style cars. As it always happens, you create your own opportunities… This is what happened yesterday at Daytona… driving at around 265 km/h is incredible fun and even relaxing even if there were some quite different driving aspects that I was not used to (speed not a problem).

Weirdest thing: the incredible set-up to pull on the left that you feel mostly in the straight… the high banks (around 31 degrees) are very interesting: they push to go flat-out right away even if, when you realise the strength of that continuos pull in the straight, you become thereafter more cautious to make sure you don’t mess up in the straight ending up too close to the wall for the next entrance and exit.

The instructor Robert Portano was great and as we can see at some times I got him a little scared because of my hi banks exits… ;) I am sure he played a little bit with the power tool to cool me down (and it could be rightly so even if during the last two laps – basically we got six overall excluding the warm up and cool down ones – I felt more and more comfortable also with the seating position not easy to adjust to (many people and of all different sizes jump in) I felt either crammed or too much laying back… much better to be crammed with this kind of cars and tracks ;) and that is what I picked.

Overall just need to learn to: foot down all over (done that) work well the wheel in the very unnatural way to many (got better and better) and keep the right lines (got better and better). If I had listened to Rusty (crew chief) and added right away some more laps (why not a credit card swipe right in the car ;) ) I would have reached the very top of the car given car potential (set to no go over 170 mph for insurance purposes).

Overall a great experience. The Richard Petty Driving Experience is no doubt a unique program driven by focusing on Pure Speed matched by Entertainment and Safety for all! Only in America! ;) (at least for now…).”

 

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Always a new fun challenge! This time lapping at Daytona with a NASCAR at 265 km/h!

I always wanted to try American style racing with pure American style cars.

Well, as it always happens, you create your own opportunities… This is what happened yesterday at Daytona… driving at around 265 km/h is incredible fun and even relaxing even if there were some quite different driving aspects that I was not used to (speed not a problem).

Weirdest thing: the incredible set-up to pull on the left that you feel mostly in the straight… the high banks (around 31 degrees) are very interesting: they push to go flat-out right away even if, when you realise the strength of that continuos pull in the straight, you become thereafter more cautious to make sure you don’t mess up in the straight ending up too close to the wall for the next entrance and exit.

The instructor Robert Portano was great and as we can see at some times I got him a little scared because of my hi banks exits… 😉 I am sure he played a little bit with the power tool to cool me down (and it could be rightly so even if during the last two laps – basically we got six overall excluding the warm up and cool down ones – I felt more and more comfortable also with the seating position not easy to adjust to (many people and of all different sizes jump in) I felt either crammed or too much laying back… much better to be crammed with this kind of cars and tracks 😉 and that is what I picked.

Overall just need to learn to: foot down all over (done that) work well the wheel in the very unnatural way to many (got better and better) and keep the right lines (got better and better). If I had listened to Rusty (crew chief) and added right away some more laps (why not a credit card swipe right in the car 😉 ) I would have reached the very top of the car given car potential (set to no go over 170 mph for insurance purposes).

Overall a great experience. The Richard Petty Driving Experience is no doubt a unique program driven by focusing on Pure Speed matched by Entertainment and Safety for all! Only in America! 😉 (at least for now…)