IMO, jumps are a nice addition to a track, but all too often their design is not carefully considered. I think the following things apply for jumps to compliment a track:
- Average drivers should be able to clear jumps comfortably and consistently in all classes that drive on the track (for stock classes this may mean a big jump can't be cleared as a double, but not negatively affecting the track's rhythm).
- Jumps should not interfere with the ability to have close racing on the track.
- Jumps should be forgiving when a car goes out of shape somewhat.
- If a car crashes around a jump the chances of damage or ending up on another section of the track should be minimized.
- Jumps should not form a safety hazard for marshals.
I've seen too many tracks where jumps are so difficult to clear well (particularly 2WD) that you're not racing anymore, but you're trying to manage your car over jumps to prevent damage. They become race-deciding features due to the amount of crashes and mistakes people make there (even pro's) instead of how closely drivers can follow each other over those jumps.
And don't get me wrong... this doesn't have to stand in the way of big jumps... it's just that a jump should not just be designed only for the perfect situation, but also allows for a fun drive with a wide variety of speeds and driver skills and not an RC graveyard behind the jump.
As a nice example of nice big jump IMO is
this jump at the track of Kampenhout in Belgium. It's not huge (and the early landing on the picture doesn't do it justice), but it's a clean and relatively flat ramp, the jump is long, structures surrounding the track minimize influence by wind and the landing slope is long - the perfect recipe to scale up further if desired. The jump is not the challenge though, it's in landing it so you get through the slippery cobblestone hairpin just right. Too fast and you'll go wide, not far enough and the rear end kicks up and the car spins out. Get it just right and you can break out the rear end on the cobbles, straighten the car and floor it before you get off the cobblestones. Hitting is well is perfectly feasible, but chances are slim you'll hit it perfectly each lap for an entire heat, which gives drivers the opportunity to race literally race alongside each other into the next corner(s)
