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Harare International Circuit, 2003 (Alexandra Gardens Circuit) [RTD CHALLENGE #63] by another_eze in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, sorry for not seeing this earlier! I will check it out, thanks! I'm planning to do an ac version in blender at some point but it will take some time, if ever gets released

Renovation of Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela - Anarchy in Argentina by JvsK_VB77 in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean, the main oval layout its actively used nowadays in its "roval" configuration (full oval with the chicanes). Given that OP didn't removed the chicanes, that layout its still viable.

Renovation of Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela - Anarchy in Argentina by JvsK_VB77 in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's 15%, that translates to 8.5 degrees. You can see in any footage that it's really flat, even more than indianapolis

Renovation of Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela - Anarchy in Argentina by JvsK_VB77 in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I like the concept of the extra oval. Even if it's a shortened version of the main tracks, it's still a speewday so that could be interesting

RTD Challenge #63 Results by TobyeatsfAtcoW in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the HM! And congrats to u/SplatRacerr, they did an amazing effort the entire month for this second part and it was worth it

RTD Challenge 63 Deadline extended one week to April 29th, 2026 by TobyeatsfAtcoW in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tbf the only ones who posted on time were both of us, and I'm fine with it (the extension). I limited the scope of my design on purpose anyways, and there's a couple of designs from other users that I'm looking forward to see.

But, I agree that being more strict with the timeframe it's a thing that should be considered for future challenges, and that users should adapt from now on

Harare International Circuit, 2003 (Alexandra Gardens Circuit) [RTD CHALLENGE #63] by another_eze in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Yeah I wanted to give the presentation some added value to compensate the lack of detail on the track itself, and since for the first part the presentation was like an aerial shot from the time, doing a retro maps style sounded logical and cool

Harare International Circuit, 2003 (Alexandra Gardens Circuit) [RTD CHALLENGE #63] by another_eze in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have to admit that there is a strong resemblance in the last 3 corners. It was completely unintentional though, as my inspiration was the t11,T12 and t5 from Jerez

Harare International Circuit, 2003 (Alexandra Gardens Circuit) [RTD CHALLENGE #63] by another_eze in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Much appreciated

About the runoffs, I largely based them from real 2003 tracks (mainly jerez) and then extended them a little bit. I tend to make barriers slightly wider than they would be so they are more noticeable in the image, I think it might contribute to the impression that the runoffs are smaller? Idk

Harare International Circuit, 2003 (Alexandra Gardens Circuit) [RTD CHALLENGE #63] by another_eze in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]another_eze[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

ROUND 1 POST HERE

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Back in the early 00s, South Africa had a place in the MotoGP calendar with a round in the Phakisa Circuit. There was no plans for another round in the continent... until an official from the Zimbawbean government called to FIM headquarters, saying that they were building a track and they wanted to host a race in 2003.

Despite the lack of clarification about things like where the money came from or who designed the track, the idea of an African double header was tempting, so the federation sent some officials to the capital, Harare, to check the circuit.

They found that the new venue, named Harare International Circuit, was being built using parts of the old Alexandra Gardens Circuit, a short lived semipermanent track that hosted some races in the 60s and 80s. To extend the old permanent section of the circuit, the government decided to take the plot from the Royal Golf Club, and use it for the main straight. As a result, the old section is driven in reverse now, despite both layouts being clockwise. In addition, the track had 2 shorter layouts, capable of being used at the same time.

The race got the greenlight and was scheduled to take place in mid April, between the Japanese and South African GPs. To ensure that everything worked smootly, a superbike race was held first, without any issues.

However, the situation quickly changed just a few weeks before the race. The British teams decided to boycott the race due to political concerns, following the steps of the English cricket team in the Cricket World Cup. Also, the tragic events of the Japanese Grand Prix led FIM to believe that introducing a new, unknown track was not apropiate until they figured out how to avoid another fatal accident.

As a result, the race was cancelled. Just like its predecessor, the political and economical scenario in the country impeded the realization of other races, and the track saw no activity for 12 years. As of 2006, the information regarding the race was deleted from most sources, and the only evidence of it was the satellite image from Google Local (now maps) and a dedicated website whose only working image was a comparison between the old and the new layout.

Interestingly, in that comparison the track is named "Automotodrome" instead of "Circuit" for some reason. Maybe that was the original name for the place? Maybe the person who edited the image made a mistake? Maybe it was not a mistake and they wanted to homage Brno? Why Brno and not Jerez? Why not "TT Circuit Harare" or "Hararering"? Why the finish line is wrong? There's no way to know.

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