Just a question, maybe someone here can lay some light onto the subject. Carolina motorsports park in Columbia is on the list of CCS tracks but for the last 2 years I have not seen them run there >:(
Is there a reason ???
Or just b/c the SE region runs at RR twice :-X
Just a question.
Well, it's an Alan Wilson designed track.
He's a car guy.
Seems to put steel barriers in places that bikes can, and usually do, fall down.
I haven't been to CMP, but people that I know race with AHRMA have been there. They tell me of their concerns.
oh and the CCS web site is a misinformation center. Keeps everyone guessing.
i have also noticed that they (who ever monitors the website) does not keep up on things very good.
Quotei have also noticed that they (who ever monitors the website) does not keep up on things very good.
Monitor's the web site or the BBS?
If you are talking about the BBS, this is the 'unofficial CCS' BBS. Kevin Elliot, Tiffiney Kelcher and the others from the CCS office may hop on here once in a while, but in no way shape or form have they ever stated that this is an approved channel of information.
We're all racers here, that's it.
Dawn :)
Quotean approved channel of information
When someone does happen upon the approved channel of information for CCS, please let us know what it is! ;)
I think he meant the website. It means well, but could do so much more for CCS.
Heather
Back to the original question, CMP should be on the southeast schedule. I live in SC and would love to drive two hours instead of five plus.
QuoteWell, it's an Alan Wilson designed track.
He's a car guy.
Seems to put steel barriers in places that bikes can, and usually do, fall down.
I haven't been to CMP, but people that I know race with AHRMA have been there. They tell me of their concerns.
ROTFLMAO
You haven't been there yet are willing to talk bad about it? Thought you knew better than that.
CMP is a great track, nice mix of tight and open flowing stuff. Good and safe too with plenty of runoff where needed. No barriers where they will affect motorcycles. Safer than a huge number of tracks that people consider safe.
If I recall correctly Kevin has pretty plainly stated he didn't have the support of the CCS riders to justify ruinning CMP - as in not enough income to pay the bills. A call we've all made form time to time to stay in business.
Oh yeah - Dave - that car guy designed GingerMan too....
You know, come to think of it I don't know of one of his tracks that isn't good for motorcycles.
Have you raced on any of his tracks or do you just stick with BHF and Road America? (serious question, wondering where you got he car guy thing from)
Um, I've road raced motorcycles at:
- Laguna Seca
- Sears Point
- Pomona Fairplex
- Phoenix International Raceway
- Steamboat Springs Street Course
- Park City Street Course
- Second Creek Raceway
- Texas World Speedway (the all inside configuration)
- Talladega GP (both directions on the previous configuration)
- Daytona (current and previous chicane and a course that cut from left after the kink onto the back straight)
- Road Atlanta (with and without the gravity cavity, but no the new three section)
- Hallett
- Charlotte Motor Speedway (I think there were races there for three years and each had a differenc hay bale/2x4 chicane)
- Loudon (didn't make it there before the speedway...missed that one)
- Mid-Ohio
- Indanapolis Raceway Park
- Summit Point
- VIR (North)
- Robeling Road
- Heartland Park Topeka (current and the original full course and something in between when we had a flooded area)
- Grattan (both directions)
- Gingerman
- Putnam
- Mid-America Motorplex
- Brainerd (with the fast turn nine before WSB and with the slow nine)
- Gateway (current CCS configuration and Gateway before there was a speedway)
- Blackhawk (old configuration and current and backwards)
- Road America (with and without the new "BEND")
Gingerman, Putnam, and Mid-America are Wilson tracks...
Each one has a neat pit entry that IS dangerous. Hey, there's a steel barrier there! My body can't handle hitting that. And that's what I'm up against.
Yup, never been to CMP, but given my experiences (please see above), I have some room to generalize based on some information that I can get.
I know a couple of people here and there too. CMP may not be as bad as some tracks, but when several people not related to each other tell me one thing, I have reasons to generalize on the potential for problems. And those experienced came from some AHRMA guys that I know (old, slow bikes?) and from someone that runs a track day program.
I know someone that works for Mr Barber at his museum. He also does some work for the Corona Suzuki team. He's a racer at heart, riding for Mr Barber...getting to race his Matchless G50's, MV's, and even the Britton... He had some feelings of discomfort about Mr Barber's track and all the barriers. Some of that was the FIM. Yup, haven't been to Barber yet myself, but should this year.
It's a Wilson track. Am I concerned? Yeah, given his consistency, tell me why I shouldn't?
Yep when i was at Pridmores school at Barber last year, he pointed out several areas of concern about saftey during our track walk.
But i still thought its pretty good. I like the wide tracks where the race line doesnt bring you from edge to edge. Gives me the newbie "messup" room.
QuoteIt's a Wilson track. Am I concerned? Yeah, given his consistency, tell me why I shouldn't?
Because you're wrong. Pretty simple no? You made the insinuation that he's a car guy and can't design tracks, Gingerman is one of the safest ones I've run a race at. Same for CMP. I've heard really good things about Mid-America. Wanna go over your list and talk about the unsafe designs?
Since you do no Endurance racing the pit ins shouldn't be a concern. At all of the tracks you listed I can find well over 75% in just a quick perusal that have a pit in that isn't what any of us would consider perfect at full race speed. A lot of them have no redeeming qualities as a race track in the first place but that's a moot point since what we're discussing is Wilson designed tracks.
Barber - we've raced there 3 times now. The Armco isn't an issue even if Chuck doesn't like it. It's not pretty no and it does seem to be everywhere but the reailty is - it's in the right places and not the wrong ones.
CMP - oddly I can think of some places I'd like to have armco added but not one single spot that I'd even slightly consider dangerous - what exactly did your witnesses have issues with?
I heard cmp was dropped cause the track rental prices went up....
I've been to cmp. It's run off areas are ok..but I've almost ended up in the trees coming in to hot off the back straight....the straight before the straight with the speed bump in it! :o Hit that bump at speed on a poorly setup bike and your toast!
QuoteSince you do no Endurance racing the pit ins shouldn't be a concern.
Well, we won the endurance race at Mid-America. I think we did too at Gingerman.
Back to Gingerman...coming at a steel barrier hard on the brakes from fourth or fifth gear...well, there is concern. Fall down in a straight line and you end up in the barrier?... Crash in the middle of the corner and you and the bike will follow the tangent of the radius at that point...putting a rider in peril.
As for any case on the other tracks I've been to...
What's your point, Sean? Yeah, some of them are pretty interesting to say the least. But some of them are decades old yet have better run off than some of Wilson's tracks, which are new.
Chuck can go pretty darn well. If he gives me that look, the look of concern...I go back to the Wilson thing. Sorry, I can generalize on many of my own experiences, which are a few.