Riders Sign Off On Losail Lighting System, Setting Stage For First Night GP

[APP_Racing]

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?lnk=rss&article=30751

This seems like a very cool change to the normal GP series, interested in everyones thoughts, especailly those that have been around when this was done before.

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Riders Sign Off On Losail Lighting System, Setting Stage For First Night Grand Prix In 2008

Nov 12, 2007

From a press release issued by Dorna Communications:

MotoGP set for first night GP after successful test

November 12, 2007

Barely two months after the announcement that next season's MotoGP curtain raiser in Qatar would be run under floodlights subject to approval from the Riders' Safety Commission, a successful test at the Losail International Circuit this evening gave the project its final go-ahead. As such the 2008 Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar will become the first motorsports World Championship Grand Prix to take place at night, an historic moment for MotoGP and Qatar.

[Jeff]

If you've never ridden a track in the dark, under lights, it's an incredible experience.  It's totally serene and surreal.  You don't see all the shit that scares you (consciously and subsconsciously) during the daylight.  You just see the track.  No weird shadows either.  It's very cool.

I ran faster laps at a practice track in the dark than under normal lighting.

[PJ]

Racing at night is a blast. Coming off NASCAR T4 during the 8 Hours at Daytona and heading into an amazing sunset with that big American flag flying over your right shoulder is an image I'll never forget. Daytona had the entire track pretty well lit and our PIAA spotlights did the rest. Our lap times were pretty much the same at night as they were during the day.

The only other night racing experience I've had was during the WERA 24-Hours of Willow Springs. During that race they just had lights over head on the corners and on the main straight. You had to rely on your own lighting system to get from point to point. For a first timer at Willow, that was pretty intimidating!

[CounterSteerer]

Racing under the lights at Daytona during the Moto-St was an amazing experience. I still perfer the sun light but the track was well lit and our PIAA lights worked great as well. You got use to seeing your shadow on certain parts of the track. Like Jeff said "It's totally serene and surreal". It will be interesting to hear what the Gp guys will say before and after they run under the lights. My prediction the top 3 podium finishers will be thrilled to have raced under the lights and the rest of the field not so much.