Filed under: Etc., Tech, Chrysler, LLC.
Chrysler Proving Ground high-speed oval re-opens after rebuild
The Chrysler proving ground from space
After a six month rebuild program the high-speed oval track at Chrysler's Chelsea Michigan Proving Ground has re-opened. The first official test run on the new track was the 2007 Michigan State Police vehicle evaluation. The 4.71 mile oval was originally constructed in 1953 and had never been completely resurfaced until now. The increasingly bumpy surface has turns banked at an angle that allows for driving at 140 mph without steering input.
The old surface was made of concrete and repairs required significant amount of downtime for the track so that sections could be cut out, refilled and allowed to set. Rather than just resurface the facility, Chrysler completely ripped out all the concrete and rebuilt the base. The old concrete was ground up and used to build the base of the new track. Full drainage was provided around the underside of the entire surface of the track which allowed the ditches that used to line the inside of the road surface to be eliminated.
Continue reading about changes to the oval after the jump.
The new rubber-backed guard rails
The replacement of the ditches with a level shoulder improves safety for test vehicles in case of a loss of control. Another safety addition was guard rails lining the outer edge of the track. The rails are mounted on rubber blocks tied to the mounting posts. This allows out-of-control test cars to the pushed back onto the track instead of flying off into the surrounding woods. Previously, only the turns had guard rails. The new track surface is now comprised of four two-inch-thick layers of asphalt on top of the base made from the old concrete.
The full drainage system should help prevent frost heaves in the new surface. When the surface needs to be redressed every five to six years, now it can be done over a weekend instead of closing the track for weeks or months at time. The surface itself has the same coefficient of friction as the old concrete surface, but the smoother surface should make testing safer and more consistent than before.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SPG 6:10PM (9/17/2007)
Someday Chrysler Proving Grounds, someday...
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Vinny 6:13PM (9/17/2007)
So, it's a NASCAR track.
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Viv 6:24PM (9/17/2007)
Care to enlighten us by telling us which NASCAR track allows you to go 140 MPH with no steering input? I've been to almost every one on the east coast and i would like to know.
jg 6:55PM (9/17/2007)
Michigan and California require almost no steering input. Just let off the gas and you fall left. Not the same as NO steering input but fun either way.
Nick 6:55PM (9/17/2007)
I didn't know NASCAR required steering input!
Viv 7:12PM (9/17/2007)
If NASCAR requires no steering input, then why are "elite" F1 drivers like Montoya stuck in mediocrity?
jg 9:54PM (9/17/2007)
First I never said NO steering input.
Second JPM won on road courses and has done pretty well on the ovals. The fact that he's an 'elite' F1 driver means nothing since he's no longer in F1, they run different cars and they don't race on ovals. Other than that you might have a point.
Richard 7:51PM (9/17/2007)
Dontcha love Goog Earth?
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Frank 9:57PM (9/17/2007)
Yes, the 4 mile oval is very much like a NASCAR track because it's for - wait for it - hi speed testing!
Did you see all the other little squiggly lines in the picture? Those are the road courses to test for - wait for it - handling! In total from the pic it looks like there are 3 ovals and 2 or 3 road courses. I'm sure there is a skid pad to.
When it first opened in 1953 it was state of the art for automobile testing. And they have kept improving it over the years so that it is still one of the top testing centers.
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Glenn 12:59AM (9/18/2007)
As an interesting note: in Winnipeg, because of our cold winters, the roads are all concrete - and yes, as recent articles here about the slowness of repairs confirms, it does add huge cost and time.
They asphalt over the concrete. The repairs are really interesting too as they have to re-rebar it all etc. and the cement is very thick.
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Sandeep 1:39AM (9/18/2007)
They closed the track for six months?
So this is why the Nitro could make it to production as is...
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jeffinToronto 9:45AM (9/18/2007)
If I were Chrysler, I would open it to the paying public like the Ring, to make some extra money that they have to discount on their cars to sell. $25 for half an hour and you would have a 24 hour a day line up.
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Vinny 10:31AM (9/18/2007)
Sounds like a good idea but this is America. Land of sky-high insurance and sue-happy lawyers.
GaryPaul 1:40PM (9/18/2007)
I believe that legal concerns were why Ford closed the former Packard Proving Grounds (in Utica, MI) to any drivers, back 20 plus years ago. Ford operated a trim plant on or near the site and apparently the Packard Proving Grounds was part of the property. People were driving on that big ring at I think an event called the Carnival of Cars. Somebody out there can help me out with this recall if i am inaccurate I am sure... I wonder how that old girl is holding up. Heck I'd pay 10 bucks to walk around it and get a tour about testing big ol’ Packards and a few Studebakers out there (Studebaker took over Packard back in 54)!
I hope Chrysler actually survives under its new owners and that they actually use that proving ground to beat the daylights out of their vehicles and make QUALITY a part of Chrysler vehicles again. I know its a long way off but Chrysler execs who now claim they are thinking 10-15 years out beyond the present should be seeking a long term quality goal superior to Honda-Toyota as an internal company challenge. Chrysler desperately needs to become an engineering powerhouse again. The proving grounds would be a massive part of that.
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