Hey guys, just wanted to get some info and feedback on MAM. I have never been there before and will likely go this year. Figured there would be no better place to get some feedback about the track than here. You know just the typical stuff, layout, surface, safety etc. Looking at pics, it looks like there is alot of runoff. Seems to be out in the middle of no where. I heard it's pretty flat. Other than that I know nothing. Thanks for filling me in.
Well, most tracks are out in the middle of no where... :biggrin:
MAM is an Alan Wilson designed track and has certain things like other Wilson designed tracks. It's good size and there are some interesting decreasing radius corners.
The asphalt apparently was a polymer base, but it began to tear up in 2002 already. I think the grip is reasonable, but it had gotten bumpy. Tire wear was really bad when it opened, but I believe that it has moderated there now.
The site engineering seems to have been poor as if it rains the pit area floods bad. You could be in nine inches of water or you could have beach front property. Select carefully.
The PA has always been a little weak. Because the grandstand has been between the track and the pit paddock, sometimes it's hard to tell if bikes are racing or coming in. Between that, and the PA, I've found it hard to recognize when a race is over and the next one is starting.
The pit road is steel lined off the track. It exits early from the track (turn nine?), then re-enters the track into the line from the exit of final corner (turn fourteen?). I guess I could say that it's unique that way. Start finish is up the straight and away from a good line of sight from the pit area. Most of the track is viewable from the grandstand.
The run off surface is a sandy clay. It will retain a bit of water rather than drain, so if it rains the day or two before, it will potentially be a little soft.
Near the track, there isn't a whole lot. A Juice bar that I haven't been to. Council Bluffs is right there north on I-29 and I-80. Omaha is across the river, and it has great restaraunts, if you know what you're looking for. If you're gonna be there for a while, the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo is top notch. There's a great aquarium and a whole indoor tropical rain forest and desert dome. Great place to visit this time of year.
i've only been once. yeah, it sucks bad if it rains. make it a point not to run off of turn one if it's wet. it's a lake and a great place to break bones. it is a neat track though. broke my shoulder and still had an awesome time.
the one hint i was shown to go that helped me a lot is to go into turn two right between the grass and the concret patch and run turn three about mid track. use the turn to scrub speed and when you get lined up with a tree that's out there, throw it to the apex. if you hit that one right it'll help set you up for the next left.
and the last turn before the straight is pretty bumpy close to the inside.
but it's a fun track. you'll enjoy it.
Dave pretty much summed it up. But he did leave out the wind & storms. be prepared for them, they are no joke...
Bah, that was my life in Omaha. It's just the way it is. Kind of like those nice 74 degree summer days in Wisconsin. Ahhhh....
When I was in grade school, I had an afternoon dentist appointment, and I stayed home from school. A little after school was out, we had this...
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crh.noaa.gov%2Foax%2Farchive%2Fmay1975%2F5675aksa.gif&hash=644ddf4b616fe17b33d297bd7a94298bd950b36c)
Just life on the Plains.
Oh, cool!
It's on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha_Tornado_of_1975)
I remember we were "number one" at the time. Guess my memory isn't so bad.
A good friend of mine and his neighbor watched it come over the rail road tracks that go right along I-80. I think at that point they decided that watching it from the roof was a bad idea...LOL!
I was at home with my mom...praying in the basement.
Life on the Plains...LOL!
Take a radio along so you can tune into the PA system.
This was in the days before color cameras were around. :biggrin:
Whats the deal with Milroy and the Moto rider club program at MAM
LOL! Yeah, I just watched a webcast about the guy that took the picture.
MAM? Politics. You can PM me if you'd like or email.
What about going wide open and be passed by car on the drag strip? My wife favorite track its like parking lot she can see everything.
They must have built the place on an Indian burial ground or something-I have been there probably 30 times or more and it almost always rains... The first race there last year was BAD! Watching Wu dangle from his canopy was priceless!
Runoff is pretty darn good though. You almost have to try to hit something.
QuoteYou almost have to try to hit something.
or lose a brake lever going into 1.... :ahhh: :biggrin:
Yeah you really have to be ALL outta sorts to hit something other than the ground. The only place I could see getting close is coming out of 10 is it? in front of the grandstands? I think Dean highsided pretty good there 2 years ago, never got to the wall though... I think JD somehow managed to end up on the dragstrip at a track day 2-3 years ago :wtf:
Paulie I'll give a quick rundown on it next time ya call :thumb:
haha! I think deuser is still the only person to red flag both the road course and drag strip at the same time!
Yeah, the runoff in T1 doesn't look quite as good when you can't stop...
How do you manage that?
Quote from: Spooner on February 13, 2007, 01:07:48 PM
They must have built the place on an Indian burial ground or something-
dude... you should read my race reports from the place. I'm more than confident that it wants me dead.
Last year we came to a brief understanding and it only came at 1 mechanical failure, but prior to that, it was russian roulette for me...
The last and only time I was there was in 2002 when CCS went there for the first time. It was dry and just hot as all living hell. I recall the asphalt coming up quite a bit and they had to roll out the steam roller to pack it all back down. Regardless, I loved the the track. It's got alot of fun corners and tons of runoff room. Turn 1,2,3 kinda reminds me of blackhawk.
I dig MAM. Tons of runoff. I don't like the paddock, the fact that there is no elevation change, or that you can only watch from one place. But for safe, fun racing it is a 1000% better than blackhawk.
I hated the place. and I came to that conclusion even before I crashed, then crashed again. To me the track has no flow, everytime you get rolling and try to find your rythm you run into a poorly desinged corner that ruins momentum, the type of corner where your like ohh shit, I have to ride through this f'ing thing again. The grip is unbelievably bad in the wet, and it was very poor in the dry for me too, but the track was dirty and it was cold as balls so i cant say for sure on the dry, but the wet was as I said unbelievably bad. aside from that it is fairly safe, except exiting infront of the grandstands, the wall is fairly close, but what scared me was that if you ran off teh track and kept it on 2 wheels there was a wall that protruded torwards the chicane that would be really easy to whack. pit out is just rediculous, instead of running an extra 20 feet of concrete and dumping you out onto the front straight, they dump you right into the apex, sure you can stay wide of where the guy coming through should be, however when that squid is staring at you instead of his apex referance point you wont stand a snowballs chance in hell. the paddock is one of the worst I have seen, and I have spent alot of time at racetracks all over, but the showers were 1st class, and the batrooms very nice as well. I will most likely never go there again for the fun of it, only if it falls into the region I am racing, and even then I would consider skipping it, and I love riding in the rain ::) . ohh, and I suggest going, everyone has there own opinion, I hate MAM and enjoy the flow of blackhawk, while timmah t. hates blackhawk and loves MAM, so to each their own.
I don't mind the flow of Blackhawk as long as you stay on track. The problem with Blackhawk is that it "flows" right into tire walls and trees everywhere.
Quote from: Super Dave on February 13, 2007, 09:47:09 AM
LOL! Yeah, I just watched a webcast about the guy that took the picture.
MAM? Politics. You can PM me if you'd like or email.
Will do. I know it can't be anything to do with Milroy, he's a straight up guy.
Quote from: LMsports on February 13, 2007, 11:22:22 PM
I don't mind the flow of Blackhawk as long as you stay on track. The problem with Blackhawk is that it "flows" right into tire walls and trees everywhere.
X2.
that place freaks me out.
QuoteI hate MAM and enjoy the flow of blackhawk, while timmah t. hates blackhawk and loves MAM, so to each their own.
as rob mentioned... tree's, walls, and really whats up with the 6inch tall 90deg curbing???
I imagine I could grow to like BFR, but its no fun getting your ass handed to you from the locals that race their 47-48 times a year. :whine:
I think I dig MAM cause I have spent some time there. traction is finicky based on weather, but the runoff is width of the track is an appealing factor. Same with BFR though...locals do well there. Well, and I'm slow. :kicknuts:
Quote from: benprobst on February 13, 2007, 10:59:38 PM
To me the track has no flow, everytime you get rolling and try to find your rythm you run into a poorly desinged corner that ruins momentum, the type of corner where your like ohh shit, I have to ride through this f'ing thing again.
Broken flow. Typical Alan Wilson track. As Ed Key says... "Who decided that every new race track in the U.S. has to be designed by Wilson!"
That said, I kinda like the place. It's a challenging, fun and mostly safe layout. Good mix of speed and technical sections. Just rough and tricky enough that you have to know what you're doing to go fast there.
Quote from: tstruyk on February 14, 2007, 10:28:36 AM
as rob mentioned... tree's, walls, and really whats up with the 6inch tall 90deg curbing???
Are you talking about outside T6?? You got it all wrong! That's not a curb, it's a BERM. Hit it wide open with both tires and it keeps you on the track.
No wonder the "locals" are owning you... :biggrin:
If the track was smooth I'd like it alot more. With all the bumps I feel like I'm just twisting the throttle and holding on! Traction in the rain and cold is awful, but I've found it to be ok in the warm.
Of course I don't think I've ever been to a track I didn't like.
QuoteAre you talking about outside T6?? You got it all wrong! That's not a curb, it's a BERM. Hit it wide open with both tires and it keeps you on the track.
No wonder the "locals" are owning you...
its on now!!! READY THE CRASH TRUCK, someone hold my sign... :ahhh:
actually i was talking about the curbing on the chinany thing... dont ask me what turn, I think in S. Beloit they only count every other turn... i count 12 but they somehow only get to 7... best recollection its before the bus stop... been awhile since I've been there...
QuoteWith all the bumps I feel like I'm just twisting the throttle and holding on! Traction in the rain and cold is awful, but I've found it to be ok in the warm.
pssst Becka...thos lil dialy knobby lookin things on your forks and shock... some people believe that if you turn em just right they make bumps go away... :ass:
Quote from: funsizeracing on February 15, 2007, 10:54:51 AM
Of course I don't think I've ever been to a track I didn't like.
Crash more... It'll come...
im suprised dorn hasnt chimed in with a plug for the playhouse....ahhhh memories :spank:
Quote from: tstruyk on February 13, 2007, 01:13:15 PM
or lose a brake lever going into 1.... :ahhh: :biggrin:
or T9, that sucks almost as bad
With the right setup the bumps aren't that bad. Biggest pain for me was T4 with the bumps there, but now I have it working a lot better.
Cold traction isn't that bad-finally hit the 1:35's the last race weekend there and it was quite crappy that weekend. Can't comment much on the rain..the second I hit the wet part I fell down lol!
Quote from: LMsports on February 13, 2007, 11:22:22 PM
I don't mind the flow of Blackhawk as long as you stay on track. The problem with Blackhawk is that it "flows" right into tire walls and trees everywhere.
It's amazing to me that I hurt myself at BHF while going off in one of the few places that
isn't lined by trees/armco/tirewall. If it wasn't for the damn ruts! :wah: