In simple terms, track camber refers to the angle or slope of a road or track surface across its width.
Understanding Track Camber
Based on the provided reference, track camber is essentially the elevation change between the left and right edges of the track. This difference in elevation creates an angled surface that you ride or drive across.
Think of it like this: instead of the track being perfectly flat from one side to the other, it's tilted either upwards or downwards. This 'angle' in the surface is what is known as camber.
How Camber Affects Riding/Driving
The presence of camber significantly influences how vehicles behave on the track. As the reference points out, this angled surface means your approach to a section of the track, especially corners, will often change.
Here are some key effects of track camber:
- Cornering Stability: Positive camber (where the track slopes upwards towards the outside of a turn) helps vehicles corner faster and more stably by pushing them towards the inside of the turn.
- Drainage: Camber is crucial for shedding water from the track surface, improving safety in wet conditions.
- Vehicle Behavior: It affects tire wear, grip levels, and how a vehicle needs to be steered and controlled.
Understanding track camber is vital for riders and drivers to adjust their lines, speed, and lean angle (for motorcycles) or steering inputs (for cars) to navigate the track effectively and safely.
Camber Types
While not explicitly detailed in the reference, camber can be categorised:
- Positive Camber: The track slopes upwards from the inside edge towards the outside edge of a corner.
- Negative Camber: The track slopes downwards from the inside edge towards the outside edge of a corner (less common on race tracks).
- Flat: No significant cross slope.
Most race tracks utilize positive camber in turns to assist vehicles, while straight sections may have slight camber for drainage.
This fundamental engineering aspect plays a major role in track design and the dynamics of riding or driving at speed.
