The two banked turns in the new design of Circuit Zandvoort have proven their entertainment value at three Dutch GPs. Indycar driver and oval specialist Rinus van Kalmthout discusses the art of mastering banked turns. “There were all these burst blood vessels.”
“You don’t necessarily need a special technique for banked turns. What is true, however, is that the faster you go, the more pressure is pushed into the asphalt. That’s the most comfortable, then everything balances out. I was recently in Iowa, coincidentally thinking about bankings, when I was behind the safety car. I could see that when you drive like that, it seems like the banking is normal and everything outside the track is curved. You even start to think ’tilted’, so to speak.”
The Indianapolis Speedway has a relatively low banking, while Daytona’s is really high (32 degrees): you hang very sideways, especially when you’re behind the safety car and not going so fast. Then you just hang all the way to the left in your seat. Daytona is one of the steepest bankings I’ve experienced, Iowa comes close. But Indy remains the most beautiful, can I say that?
The Thrill and Challenge of Oval Racing
My first oval race in the IndyCars was at the Texas Motorspeedway. During the training, I steered into turn 3 (24 degrees). However, I hadn’t taken the banking into account, which caused me to steer too quickly and end up under the banking. This is extremely dangerous, as it creates a massive imbalance between all four wheels. The speed in Texas was intense and the banking was so steep… At some point, it becomes ‘normal’, so you’re relaxed in the car. But then your lips are also just leaning to the right. Truly bizarre. On the right side of my torso, all the blood vessels had burst, one of the most extreme experiences I’ve ever had. You feel everything in your body, your skin also leans to the right.
I’ve mostly driven on the old circuit in Zandvoort and a few laps on the new track in a Porsche, a street car. When you look at Zandvoort: the Arie Luyendyk turn is the same, you just have the banking now. It’s not very complicated, but you can make mistakes. If you go under the banking in ‘the Luyendyk’ with a formula car, you don’t have much margin to keep it on the track. There are a few things you shouldn’t do when it comes to banked turns, otherwise, it’s pretty simple. The centrifugal force pushes your car extra into the track. This way, you can take turns that normally can’t be taken at full throttle, at full throttle.
