Just got home from an awesome day of riding at Blackhawk Farms and I'm happy to report MAJOR safety improvements along with many other changes that will definitely make your race weekends there more enjoyable. The biggest news is the MAJOR gutting mother nature took from the outside of turn one all the way through three. You can literally see the entire carousel from turn one! So many trees were removed I feel the need to apologize to tree huggers everywhere! I can't say for sure that the guard rail on the outside of two was moved but it seems like it was. It could be an optical illusion cuz I'm telling you there are so many trees gone it's insane! I'm not one to rant and rave about improvements because they are usually a let down but when the track manager is out and about seeking feedback that says something. There is also a new consession stand along with the turn ten (?) building by the race gas pumps and a new Med shed. Looks like alot of trees between Buell alley and the main paddock were also cleared to improve drainage ( looks like the creek there was opened up) BIG THUMBS UP TO BHF FOR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS! :thumb:
Awesome news Tommy!
(but you still suck)
That's great news. Although it's ironic that they'd do all these improvements as I'm preparing to move to Terre Haute in. BHF may cease to be my least favorite track...
And they fixed the bus stop a little and covered the sealer patch that was nice!
Awesome...thanks Champ,can't wait to see it!!
The guard rail, tires etc were pushed back on the "inside" of corner 2, nothing pushed back on the out side of the corner. And as mentioned some tree's are out. For the tree people, a local 4H is supposedly coming into plant trees in other areas at some time.....just more and more airfence all the time around the track.
Photo of the new view from turn 1 to turn 3 at Blackhawk..........................
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phototravels.net%2Fnamibia%2Fndp2%2Fnamib-desert-air-p-50.2.jpg&hash=a2c4de0fa7288219fd3c92fb6c002f4a83f34c36)
this thread is useless without photos............. real ones
Why would the inside of turn two be moved back when the barrier on the outside is by far the most dangerous part of the track? I'm happy to hear they're making improvements but to me there are only two or three things that really needed work and they sound like they weren't changed.
My wish list
#1 More run-off in 5.
#2 Some run-off in 2.
#3 Some gravel traps. Maybe it's because I went into the woods last year but a gravel trap at the end of the front straightaway would be a great addition.
My uncle somehow knows the owner through SCCA, he says that hes probably the best thing for BHF to change its rep as a hillbilly track. Everytime I have run into him hes super nice. When you drive towards the track, there is a grandstand looking out onto a field, I wonder if that was a football field or moto-cross track or something at one time.
Quote from: GIGOLO on April 18, 2009, 02:04:11 AM
I wonder if that was a football field or moto-cross track or something at one time.
They did some CORR off road truck events there years ago.
Quote from: R1Racer99 on April 18, 2009, 12:16:54 AM
Why would the inside of turn two be moved back when the barrier on the outside is by far the most dangerous part of the track? I'm happy to hear they're making improvements but to me there are only two or three things that really needed work and they sound like they weren't changed.
My wish list
#1 More run-off in 5.
#2 Some run-off in 2.
#3 Some gravel traps. Maybe it's because I went into the woods last year but a gravel trap at the end of the front straightaway would be a great addition.
Turns 1,7 and I believe 5 as well have been grated and extended at points....So when you go off its a nice smooth ride :)
In turn 1 you are gonna have to go real far now to reach the woods!
These are from right when 2 was done....you get the idea
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb87%2FKTGMEASAP%2Fbhf2.jpg&hash=074d9d5a0d15c3cdf793dc1be1515b00ae60e38c)
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb87%2FKTGMEASAP%2Fbhf1-1.jpg&hash=91d958a9298617b4a878b62c9297608d52e2b851)
Ok, so the inside of the track has been grated off? That's nice for cars that spin often to the inside, but that won't help a rider that falls down or has to stand up a bike following a larger radius or even a tangent from their previous radius. In one second, a rider will easily cover about 150 feet heading toward the barriers. Seems to be the location of more and more issues as years go on as the technology in bikes continues to increase while the technology of the rider is still the same.
The sun is nice, yes. And I know what it costs to move the barriers, in addition to upgrading them to various SCCA standards. Not a cheap deal. Sucks.
Quote from: weggieman on April 17, 2009, 06:33:31 PM
this thread is useless without photos............. real ones
Nothing useless about improvements at BHF
Quote from: Super Dave on April 18, 2009, 11:09:41 AM
Ok, so the inside of the track has been grated off? That's nice for cars that spin often to the inside, but that won't help a rider that falls down or has to stand up a bike following a larger radius or even a tangent from their previous radius. In one second, a rider will easily cover about 150 feet heading toward the barriers. Seems to be the location of more and more issues as years go on as the technology in bikes continues to increase while the technology of the rider is still the same.
The sun is nice, yes. And I know what it costs to move the barriers, in addition to upgrading them to various SCCA standards. Not a cheap deal. Sucks.
The grating was done to the outside of 1,7 and I believe 5...obviously 2 is on the inside...
I might have to come out of unofficial retirement ro see this...
Rode there a week ago. Track is looking good!