Hot track, cold track: F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix traffic flow plan revealed www.reviewjournal.com/sports/motor-sports/formula-1/hot-track-cold-track-f1-las-vegas-grand-prix-traffic-flow-plan-revealed-2923854/ Race organizers provided an updated look at what traffic conditions will be like before and during the inaugural Formula Las Vegas Grand Prix week. The plan, presented Tuesday to the Clark County Commission, features different levels of road and lane closures tied to what activities are planned to occur during the week. There’s cold track, warm track and hot track traffic configurations planned. As crews finish installing track barriers, lighting and temporary bridges the 3.8-mile track consisting of portions of Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane and Harmon and Sands avenues is considered cold. That means the track will be just about race ready, but no racing activities will be occurring. Koval Lane between Harmon Avenue and Rochelle Avenue will be closed to traffic from Nov. 11 to Nov. 25 to allow for vendors to load in before and stage during the race and to load out after after the event concludes. The closure will also allow for a planned broadcast booth to be constructed near the intersection of Koval and Harmon for the race. “Koval Lane north of Rochelle will be one lane in each direction, which will provide access to the businesses on the east side of Koval Lanes,” Denis Cederburg, director of public works with Clark County said. Cold track During cold track Koval will feature two lanes in each direction north of Flamingo, Cederburg added. Sands will feature two through lanes in each direction, with a turn lane on the westbound side when the track is cold. Las Vegas Boulevard southbound will have two through lanes and one turn lane, with The Strip northbound having three through lanes. There is a 25 percent lane reduction at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain, Cederburg noted. As pointed out by Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, traffic signal timing is an issue at that intersection due to the ongoing road work. “If there is an opportunity to get into the intersection while it’s still green or yellow, they’ll (drivers) get in the intersection even when there’s no place to go and they’ll block the other direction from entering the intersection,” Cederburg said following Segerblom raising his concern. “So it is a problem.” The intersections of Las Vegas Boulevard at both Flamingo and Harmon also have 25 percent lane reductions during cold track. Warm track Between Nov. 15 and Nov. 19 the track traffic conditions will change to “warm,” as race week begins and cars are not on the course. The biggest difference between cold and warm track traffic procedures will be seen at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon. “What happens there because of a number of barrier rails, metal curb, light stanchions and such, is that it is impractical to allow the east-west movement, move the barriers, move everything in order to provide that,” Cederburg said. “So during warm track at Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard there will be no east-west movements.” Hot track Then during hot track, or times there are drivers on the course for any of the rounds of the event, the entire track is closed off the general traffic outside of the Flamingo bridge being constructed over Koval, “Where access is still provided to the inner area of the race course, Cederburg said. Hot track will generally occur nightly between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19. Although the actual rounds of the race are scheduled for Nov. 16 to Nov. 18, the track will also be considered hot on the evening of Nov. 15 for pre-race testing to occur. “To make sure all the signaling and communications work prior to the race,” Cederburg said. “The second night is a practice. The third night is qualifying and the fourth night will be the race event itself.” The traffic plan will become final once the special event permit applied for by race officials is approved, Cederburg said.
The stands and track around The Sphere are finished. Looks pretty good. My seat is in the center of this photo. Should get a pretty good look at the twisty parts. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Watched a documentary about the construction of the sphere on National Geographic last night. Words fail to describe the engineering efforts that went into this "thing". Absolutely unbelievable. I was also stunned to see that they "only" use LED lights outside with huge (as in one foot) gaps between each other yet when the thing is lit, it looks like a flawless continuous monitor. Having the sphere as the background to the race is just another icing on the cake. And I still cannot believe they are actually racing on the world famous strip right in front of the Bellagio. People said this would NEVER happen.
I was in the Sphere a couple of weeks ago. The image at 16K resolution is pretty astounding. Its like VR but without the headsets. If they can hold their current Ad revenue, they will actually pay off the $2.3B it costed to make in about 5-7 years just on that money alone -- not counting ticket sales. That's way better than most commercial properties.
Are there screens for F1 in the sphere area or are they going to try and put the race up on the sphere?
Good for them. Still took major cohones to take on that much credit in the hopes to pull it off. Major kudos to the developers. As well as to the engineers. They created a global icon, no doubt.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/norris-assessing-whether-hand-warmers-are-needed-for-new-las-vegas-f1-race/10535038/ Norris assessing whether hand warmers are needed for new Las Vegas F1 race Lando Norris says his initial preparation for Formula 1’s new Las Vegas race have included assessing whether drivers will require hand warmers to perform best in the expected cold conditions. Author Alex Kalinauckas Updated Oct 20, 2023, 2:41 PM As the Vegas race will take place on 18 November and with a start time of 10pm after qualifying gets under way at midnight, temperatures have been predicted to possibly drop as low as four degrees Celsius. This has caused a different challenge for the preparations of teams used to racing in a championship that typically and famously races in hot climates. There has already been plenty of speculation into how the low temperatures will impact car performance in Vegas – particularly tyre warm-up and how the cold could also be a factor into how the tyres interact with a new track surface, which is expected to contain significant slippery surface oils. When asked by Autosport what preparations he has completed so far ahead of the Vegas race, Norris quipped he was “learning how to play poker, things like that” as well as outlining his thoughts on the possible problem for drivers quickly losing sensation in their hands while driving at rapid speeds in close to freezing conditions. “There's a lot more you do than normal,” the McLaren driver explained. “I've already done my simulator work for Vegas. The temperature is one to prepare for, both in terms of a driver's hands [and usual car set-up and driving preparation]. “You know, you need your hands to work well when you're driving, so being on top of all of that is something we're already looking into. “Just simple things sometimes, with hand warmers and gloves and whatever.” Also speaking in the Austin paddock ahead of the United States Grand Prix this weekend, Haas racer Nico Hulkenberg recalled how low temperatures at previous F1 winter tests have also caused this issue for drivers. “After like a few laps your hands, your fingers, get so cold it’s kind of stuck in that position and you kind of lose feeling,” said Hulkenberg. “I haven’t thought about [how to address that for Vegas].” Hulkenberg also said his experience of testing at the Barcelona circuit in the European winter could be “bitter – I remember fingers freezing”, which meant drivers “couldn’t open the fingers” after a short time behind the wheel. On the problem of tyre warm-up in low temperatures, Hulkenberg said it meant Vegas was therefore likely to be “challenging in a different way” for the drivers used to keeping the fragile Pirelli tyres in narrow premium operating temperatures and not getting too hot and therefore creating added car sliding. He added: “I guess you have to, instead of keeping the tyre cold, do something to switch it on. Usually I’m pretty good at that.” Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz reckons based on his 50-60 laps of simulator running using the track that the new, fast and straight-heavy layout could actually add to the tyre temperature issue. “[There are] very long straights,” said Sainz. “So, a tyre will cool down on those straights. “Then getting into a corner on a very low downforce setting, like we’re expecting in Vegas, on a cold tyre, on a new surface, I think there could be many variables for tyres and temperatures in general to be a big talking point that weekend. “And graining, if it's very cold, like we've seen in winter testing. Not in Bahrain [where F1 now typically holds its pre-season running], but in other venues. “So yeah, I think those are the things we will be keeping an eye on, but until we get there – you can be as prepared as you want – but until you see what happens on the car, you cannot react.”
Walked from Virgin hotel to Ellis island today. Still lots of work going on. Walked past the pit entrance and up Koval where a lot grandstands ate. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
We were supposed to be in H2, approaching start/finish, but our stand is not being built now and we’ve been “upgraded” to stands over by the sphere. Hoping we’ll have a big screen within view.
One of the big problems now is they are still trying to figure out how to get all the workers who normally work inside the track area and explain it to them. And I think a lot of workers may not show up or take sick leave. So hotels are putting in incentive plans for employees to come to work. Also the Unions are threatening a strike from an agreement like 1 year old. Could be a real mess if they strike during the event. I don't think they will but it just adds to the stress.
I wonder what would happen during the race, if fire alarms were set off various hotels around the course? Would emergency vehicles have access & without stopping the race? BTW I do not recommend doing this but the way people are now, it wouldn't surprise in the least.
Uncovered. But it never rains in November in Vegas. It might be a little chilly though. Its at night so we don't have to worry about the sun.
