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This is directly from the rulebook.
"Courses must be tight enough so that cars run the entire course
in their lower gears. Speeds on straight stretches should not
normally exceed the low 60’s (mph) for the fastest Stock and
Street Prepared category cars. The fastest portions of the course
shall be those most remote from spectators and property. Turns
should not normally allow speeds in excess of 45 mph in unprepared
cars. It must be remembered that sites themselves vary
and not all sites will safely support the speeds shown in these
guidelines (see Section 1.3). Conformity to these speed guidelines
does not preclude reasonable and prudent consideration of
the conditions encountered."
If the finish was too fast, it was only because the two turns before the finish straight were too fast, not that the straight was too long. The straight is desired because it gives the driver and the car time to settle in a straight line with the throttle wide open. If you looked at the incident with the driver hitting the lights, the problem started in the turn before the final straight.
Also regarding the straight line speed at the timing lights, in my opinion as a Safety Steward for 15+ years, we were marginally faster than we should have been. I was trapping at about 62mph and I am in the category of "fastest stock and street prepared vehicles", although obviously there were other vehicles present with much more straight line speed.
In the future, I hope we continue to use a significant straight through the lights. We just need to limit the speed more approaching that straight.
"Courses must be tight enough so that cars run the entire course
in their lower gears. Speeds on straight stretches should not
normally exceed the low 60’s (mph) for the fastest Stock and
Street Prepared category cars. The fastest portions of the course
shall be those most remote from spectators and property. Turns
should not normally allow speeds in excess of 45 mph in unprepared
cars. It must be remembered that sites themselves vary
and not all sites will safely support the speeds shown in these
guidelines (see Section 1.3). Conformity to these speed guidelines
does not preclude reasonable and prudent consideration of
the conditions encountered."
If the finish was too fast, it was only because the two turns before the finish straight were too fast, not that the straight was too long. The straight is desired because it gives the driver and the car time to settle in a straight line with the throttle wide open. If you looked at the incident with the driver hitting the lights, the problem started in the turn before the final straight.
Also regarding the straight line speed at the timing lights, in my opinion as a Safety Steward for 15+ years, we were marginally faster than we should have been. I was trapping at about 62mph and I am in the category of "fastest stock and street prepared vehicles", although obviously there were other vehicles present with much more straight line speed.
In the future, I hope we continue to use a significant straight through the lights. We just need to limit the speed more approaching that straight.
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