Diego - Bike Question

Van · Post by **Van** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:02 pm

Between T-Hill, Sears Point (Infineon) and, obviously, Laguna Seca, SoCal doesn't compare for tracks.

Buttonwillow is an armpit and Willow Springs is okay, if you like wind and sand.

Even though T-Hill is a very high speed track it's still an absolutely safe track. No walls anywhere that matter, and endless runoff where necessary. If you have a smaller motor you'll get to top out in sixth and if you have a liter bike you'll at least get to use some of sixth, unlike a place like Sears Point where you'll likely never even see fourth gear. T-Hill is a great track. Not very technical though, especially compared to a place like Sears Point. Also, for some track days they split it into two tracks so you can ride all day, non stop, and both sections are awesome in their own right.

Van · Post by **Van** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:56 pm

Nope, I've never been to Alabama. I know they have an incredible Moto Museum there and the scenery in the area is spectacular. I also know that Barber's been angling for some World level events to go there but the pit/garage facilites aren't even close to being World level spec and the track itself there is far too small and tight to ever host Moto Gp...

The AMA riders love the locale but they consider the track to be a bit of a joke; more of a go-kart track than a 200 hp Superbike track.

Myself, on my bikes, at my level of riding? I'm sure I'd think it's heaven.

Van · Post by **Van** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:44 pm

That, and again, the relative lack of pit/garage facilities.

Even though the F.I.M. might've homologated the track for us in Moto Gp the riders who've ridden there mostly describe it as a go-kart track and wholly unsuitable for 240hp/220mph Moto GP bikes. Those guys hate tracks where they can never do more than third gear.

Van · Post by **Van** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:30 pm

Yeah, they built a beautiful (albeit far too tight) track and they built it in a beautiful locale. They even built a world class museum.

What they still haven't built are proper pit facilities and a proper amount of garages to support those pit facilities. Barber still looks like club racing in terms of having little to no support facilities/infrastructure in and around the general area of the racetrack. That's the main reason Laguna got the nod over both Barber and Road America, even though Road America's track is far better suited to GP level racing and Laguna needed (and still needs) a lot of work to satisfy the safety concerns of the F.I.M.

Laguna offers proper facilities to host a world level event, both at the track itself and in its location on the Monterey Peninsula. Even so, the vast majority of the Moto GP riders hate Laguna. Despite their unanimous love of the Monterey Peninsula and the idea of racing a GP in America they think the track itself is ridiculously tight, bumpy and dangerous and better left to the IRL.

Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards (two Americans, with the most experience there) are really the only two defenders of Laguna's honor. Biaggi also actually claims to enjoy Laguna. Mostly though guys like Rossi, Bayliss and especially Melandri think that track is a joke and that it has no business being the host of a GP...

So, the bulldozers are out in force again, with Yamaha footing the bill. This off season they leveled the bump leading into the Corkscrew (the Euro riders were pretty vocal about their displeasure over the way they'd catch air as they'd crest that hill), they opened up Turn 1 (in an effort to prevent riders from being squeezed into a bridge abutment!) and they still keep endeavoring to move the wall further back from Turns 6 and 11...

Bascially, our tracks here in America are totally bush league compared to the tracks and facilities found in Europe, Asia, Australia, South Africa and now even Shanghai and Qatar.

Van · Post by **Van** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:07 pm

That, and one other word: NASCAR

In terms of racing and track construction everything money related in this country is geared towards that Holy Bacchanal Of Lowest Common Denominator Racing...NASCAR.

Nobody's going to build a track in this country right now that caters to GP racing. Everything's got to be catered to NASCAR, which means big, stupid ovals, with lots of walls and grandstands that can view the entire track.

This leaves the U.S. with two options: Use what tracks we've already got, or take to the streets, such as open wheel cars have often done in places like Long Beach and Monaco.

The problem with the tracks we've already got here is that they were all designed a long time ago. They weren't designed with current GP bikes in mind, including the necessary run off space required for homologation by the F.I.M. Today's GP bikes are simply far too powerful to be safe on all our tight little tracks that primarily relied on tire walls for crash safety! Also, obviously, there's no way the litigious U.S. could ever allow Isle Of Man style real road racing, and such racing with today's GP bikes would be utter carnage.

(I sure as hell though would love to see a U.S version of the Isle Of Man TT races! Hwy 1, Beartooth Pass, Skyline Dr, Mt Palomar, Angeles Crest, Mosquito Ridge or Deal's Gap...wherever, doesn't matter. It'd be awesome, but since at least a few people die every year at the various TTs in Europe we'll never see such an event here.)

So, basically, yeah, we just suck. NASCAR is where we as a nation have cast our lot, and that's that in terms of new racing facilities.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:33 pm

I really wish cycle road racing was more popular on this side of the pond. It is way more exciting to watch, particularly live than nascar is.

i have seen it live once during laconia bike week at loudon. they use the entire 1.5 mile track plus a road course section on the hill behind the back straight.

after watching those fukkers get grass stains on their leathers as they cut the apex at the end of the front straight, i have to wonder if there is another sport that requires a bigger set of nads than mc road racing. and the skill level required is, imho way higher than draftathon nascar.

Van · Post by **Van** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:55 pm

Get yourself a DVD of the 2004 Isle Of Man TT.

If they get even slightly off line...they're into the side of a building.

150 mph, and suddenly they're in a wet, narrow, shadowed cobblestone bend.

Coming into the town, side by side, catching air as they fly towards a bridge abutment.

No run off...anywhere. Exposed buildings, the occasional hay bale, that's about it.

Those guys are insane.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:08 pm

Van wrote:Get yourself a DVD of the 2004 Isle Of Man TT.

Did Wade Boyd show up in 2004?

Very, very few Americans running Isle Of Man, yet Wade is always welcome. If I'm not mistaken, they even get him to show up ealry and host something of a "pre-game" show. I've talked to several English folks who just "love that funny American."

I know the first time he showed up, he CRUSHED the records for the 600cc class.

Truly a stalwart of American motorcycle racing, and very few have heard of him. Hell, he's better known in Great Britain than he is in the USA...sad.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:11 pm

Upon further review (Google), Wade did indeed show up for 2004. He races 900cc now.

Dude is like the honorary mayor of Isle Of Man for a couple of weeks a year.

Van · Post by **Van** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 6:24 pm

Sucks that Joey Dunlop died while racing a TT...the Estonian TT, not the Isle Of Man.

Dude's funeral though was incredible. You know you lived well when you have a funeral like that.