I know its early, but we are officially over the MW off season hump.
I was just curious about HPT since I have never been there and there is not a whole lot of info about it.
I have been told a few things about it.
-Its a fun track
-Its in the middle of nowhere
-Its windy and usually r&!ns part of the weekend
Any other info would be great but there are a few things in particular i'm interested in.
-How difficult is it to learn?
-It it easy or hard on tires?
-Recommended gearing for GSXR-1000?
-Lodging/food recommendations?
Thanks!
Yeah...fun track....not super difficult to learn,but to fast,especially againts locals..nother' story...first time there I rode great ...5 podiums...secpnd time there,suckin' hind teet...couldn't get the poop in a group..that kind of track,for me at least...Alpha will get your attention..after a long/fast straight,there's a riser...then T-1...lotta late apex corners..get some vid and check it out....also,bring a radiator guard,little stones and what not get blown in and I know of 3-4 radiator issues last year...gearing,not sure for a GIXXER..we'll be there!!
HPT is one of my favorite tracks to race. For some reason I seem to go well there. I've been there a number of times, so I can't say how difficult it is to learn. You're not likely to come out your first weekend and expect to be one of the top guys in a few practices. If there is a team challenge, that's your best bet to learn it. It has a few pavement irregularities that should be noted, but nothing super treacherous. The carousel is fabulous. There are blind corners, but they're not terrible. The back section from the back straight to the front straight is a great over taking area.
Drop me a message if you want to talk about it more in detail.
I thought it was easy to learn. IIRC there's a kind of pit in T4 that is sometimes marked and has claimed a couple bikes.
It is fun, it is kind of in the middle of nowhere, and both times I've been there, we had pretty awesome thunderstorms and tornado warnings. It is Kansas after all. Getting and/or sharing a garage is recommended when the weather goes sideways (literally).
It's really not that far outside Topeka, which is a decent sized city with some food and lodging options. I think you can also camp at the track, and the facilities are decent.
front half is fast a flowing,secound half is slower and more tech.
Thanks for the info. I'm excited to ride on a counter-clockwise track. It also looks pretty wide compared to Blackhawk. I saw people taking a bunch of different lines in the vids.
Are the pits really spread out? I'm curious if I should bring the bikes or not.
Pit areas are pretty spread out - much more so than Blackhawk. It can be quite a hike to the bathrooms and showers - depending on where you pit.
Definitely bring a pitbike. It feels like the showers are Nebraska when you pit on the lower paddock by the bleachers.
Make sure you throw a snow shovel in your trailer and a pair of studded race tires. Racing in the end of March does not excite me.
I hear ya but I'm crossing my fingers that the winter continues the way it has.
Has anyone rented a garage there? Was it worth it?
Quote from: alocker on February 07, 2012, 08:23:17 PM
Has anyone rented a garage there? Was it worth it?
Yes and Yes. Especially in March. Easy to put 4-6 bikes in the garage so look for a share...
Quote from: alocker on February 07, 2012, 08:23:17 PM
I hear ya but I'm crossing my fingers that the winter continues the way it has.
Has anyone rented a garage there? Was it worth it?
Seriously, if you only do one thing, rent a garage. Every year I've been there the weather has been interesting. Rain, hail, wind, lightning, rain, more wind and a little sun. All in one day. :)
Yeah, a garage rental is a good thing there.
Your other option is to bring an awning and set up on asphalt. But expect winds that will claim your awning. So...garage. Did we mention that they have electricity and compressed air hook ups? :cheers:
Anyone have info on tire vendors for that weekend? dunlop would be nice.
Cole, I think they will all be there.
Quote from: jigs on January 09, 2012, 12:48:17 PM
Yeah...fun track....not super difficult to learn,but to fast,especially againts locals..nother' story...first time there I rode great ...5 podiums...secpnd time there,suckin' hind teet...couldn't get the poop in a group..that kind of track,for me at least...Alpha will get your attention..after a long/fast straight,there's a riser...then T-1...lotta late apex corners..get some vid and check it out....also,bring a radiator guard,little stones and what not get blown in and I know of 3-4 radiator issues last year...gearing,not sure for a GIXXER..we'll be there!!
Johnny who you going down with? Got any room?
hey Tommy....I'm with Dirt-nap and we're full...it'll sort out as usual.....
Quote from: jigs on February 23, 2012, 10:46:49 AM
hey Tommy....I'm with Dirt-nap and we're full...it'll sort out as usual.....
alright catch ya down there!
Last I heard, Pirelli would be there.
Does anyone know for sure if pirelli will be there?
FYI.... I just booked a King room at the Super 8 next to the track for $59.99/night. Much better rate than I remember from past years. Last I remember was about $70/night. Early season rate maybe? Booked it via Expedia by the way. :thumb:
I just booked there too. It looks like a pretty nice hotel. The 59.99 is the advanced purchase 2+ night rate. I opted for the non-comitment rate of 69.99 per night.
How much are the garage rentals?
$100 per day. I think he said 16x34 which is huge. Power and Air. You only need a CC to reserve.
Alex... running a 1000 this year? I was reallly hoping to run Jennings the first CCS event out. Too bad it's the same freeken weekend as Topika. Last year it was on Easter weekend.
Yes, same bike as last year.
I'm starting to get stoked.
http://www.ccsracing.us/schedules/2012/2012%20schedule%20pdf/HPT%20April%20SCHEDULE%20.pdf
Quote from: Boober on February 26, 2012, 07:56:29 PM
Does anyone know for sure if pirelli will be there?
I was at a meeting last night and talked to the guy who will be handling Pirelli at Topeka. He just got the phone call confirming it on Monday. Contact James Hammon at Good Grip Racing to make sure he's got the tires you need with him. n-j.hammon@sbcglobal.net
636-744-6417. James will also be handling Pirelli and Michelin at MCRA Track Days this season.
What time do the gates close Thursday evening?
Gates open by 7am Friday
Thursday there is dry camping available outside the paddock by paddock entrance gate.
Quote from: Eric Kelcher on March 28, 2012, 12:19:06 PM
Gates open by 7am Friday
Thursday there is dry camping available outside the paddock by paddock entrance gate.
With camping available outside the track, that's all good for a self-sustaining camper or RV, but for those of us who don't have that, we're forced to make a choice. We can either: a) sleep in the cab of our trucks; b) unload the race trailer outside the track so we can sleep in the trailer, with our bikes, tools, and gear completely unsecured, and then load it all back up in the morning just to pull into the track and set up again; or c) spend money on a hotel and have to decide which races during the weekend that I can no longer participate in because of budget constraints...which I think is not at all what the organization would want, with continuing struggles to keep grids full.
If that's the way it is, I guess that's just how it's going to be, and I'll have to plan my budged accordingly, which unfortunately will likely cut down on the number of races that I'll be able to enter. :-(
Call the track tomorrow AM. Obviously Eric has a good idea of what's going on but I was told by Brian at HPT that there would be a guard 24 hours to let people in before 7am Friday. This could be completely inaccurate info but its worth the phone call to HPT directly.