Forum : Thoughts on Lincoln AirPark surface

Having run the ProSolo at the site for the 2009 National Championships, I have to say that I am utterly amazed at the size!!! You literally cannot see the end of the pad!!! Grip was moderate to good, getting better as the sand and junk was lifted or otherwise blown away by the constant barrage of tires. The racing line went from open to narrow but, unlike HPT,  opened back up as the surface got cleaner. By the second day, there was enough of a path and the line had grown to allow for some variety in choosing where to put the car. In my opinion, the grip level fell somewhere between Toledo Airport and Grissom Aeroplex/Forbes Field. Getting offline wasn't the end of the world, as the car could be recovered somwhat easily….nothing like HPT where if you went astray, you were gone for good…or going for a ride. One thing I noticed was that the surface doesn't hold the rubber like Grissom or Forbes. Any rubber laid down was picked back up by sticky tires. I have a feeling the tire scrubbers will be used in ALL classes, including ST. I've got pictures of Bridgestone RE-11's carrying as much marbled rubber as our Hoosier A6's. I got to joking with a car owner, commenting that those “street tires” sure do pickup alot of rubber, while pointing at my Hoosiers for comparison.

There wasn't a whole lotta tail wagging or spinning in this event, which leads me to belive that the grip is there. Tire wear was moderate to agressive. It's been compared to other places that seem to be a bit high on the wear side, but not extraordinarily high. Our tires seem to have a relative amount of wear for the number of runs taken. Freshly scrubbed tires will be a key to surviving, as with any surface. Marginal tires will likely how the wear quickly. Scrubbing only seemed to multiply the wear while smooth inputs seemed to generate very good grip and wear.

Got grip?

http://gotcone.com/pgallery/20…..mg_4017-1/ 

There is also a good discussion regarding the surface over at sccaforums.com.

Some people are going to plan on 2 sets of sticker tires to make it through the pro finale and nationals…..food for thought.