Who would like to race at Putnam...question number one.Question two is why don't we?? There's gotta be a reason,at least a legitimate one.Other than the last turn,which some air-fence,and not alot,would solve that...there's a ton of run-off,great track,in the Midwest,I guess it must be political.I've heard some of the reasons,second hand of corse.Can this be solved??Does CCS want to go there?? Just curiuos,seems like a waste of a great track.
No camping makes it a pain for racers packing up and leaving, hotels. I personally like IRP better "back in the day".
There were long standing issues between various individuals on many sides and some racer/rider deaths.
It's a nice track day facility. That's its design and market. Autobahn too.
I see,ACC, I don't care if I ever ride that track,but I can see the camping issue would be a concern...thanks Dave.See you this weekend!!
WERA use to run several races there a year - up to about 2004 if I remember correctly.
They were ready to sign on for the following season when the owner of the track got into a pissin' match about the timing of getting contracts signed over the Christmas/New Years time frame and gave WERA an unreasonable deadline. Bottom line is the owner decided to act juvenile and take his ball and go home - cancelled all of WERA's dates and they haven't been back since.
In addition to the no camping issue I think there were some significant problems related to how early the track would open the gate to get in each morning.
If you want to read a lesson in futility, do a search on the WERA board for 'Putnam.'
Gotcha,and I hear ya on the gates in the morning,been there for track days,takes forever to get in,I know they also shoe you out right away at the end of the event.These are all fixable real easy,but sounds like it's been beat to death already,huh.Too bad really.Great track....sounds like A.They don't need us and or B. someone's got their head up their ass...thanks for the replys guys.
Quote from: jigs on September 25, 2008, 01:18:58 PM
Gotcha,and I hear ya on the gates in the morning,been there for track days,takes forever to get in,I know they also shoe you out right away at the end of the event.These are all fixable real easy...
Actually, I believe they are zoning issues that they have to fulfill with the local government entities, neighbors, etc. Not an easy fix. Especially when they built the facility on those terms.
AAHHH,the plot thickens......maybe I should just delete this sucker!!
Yep, camping can't be worked out because of agreements they signed to build it.
We don't racer there for a number of reasons, the "discussion" I had with Dick was that he expected me to run into our office on a holiday to prove that his son said exactly what I posted he's said - in a fax that was from 8 or 9 months earlier. Still got that fax too :-) As much as I liked the track they were just too hard to do business with and certain contractual obligations we felt affected rider safety so we weren't all that unhappy with his being ridiculous on the board.
It really is too bad, it's a fun track.
I'm with you on this one Jigsy, I love that track. Fun layout and super grippy, smooth surface.
I often wondered why Putnam's track surface is always so good year after year while so many other tracks seem to be constantly fixing the surface from car and weather related-damage.
Who knows Ronny,maybe they used ground up sea shells or something.Same can be said for Canadian roads vs. ours.See you this weekend,,,should be a blast.
I don't think they have the freeze/thaw cycles that we have this direction.
I don't think they have seashells. I think little Talledega did a long time ago. Real abrasive. That's a track I'd like to go back to. Sean, I know you still have races there, even with the new layout. I know CCS had races there in 1993. Don't understand why they don't anymore, but that doesn't matter.
Rosno, I love little Talldega I say we do the Wera endurance there next year, I'll supply a bike and transportation, what da think?
Roeser
Quote from: roadrashroeser on September 25, 2008, 08:25:07 PM
Rosno, I love little Talldega I say we do the Wera endurance there next year, I'll supply a bike and transportation, what da think?
Roeser
We'll have to see. Not sure how my new job will work with it. But I like little Tally. I have a WERA license again too..
Putnam is only sanctioned to have people on thier property from 7:00am to 6:00 or 7:00pm.
Generally, the track makes a lot of it's money - and I beleive was built primarily to serve - as a testing facility to all of the motorsports (Indycar, IMSA GTP at the time of construction, also IRL, CART, and GT) teams based in Indianapolis.
It kinda seems that Putnam doesn't want any race orginizations there...
It's funny - Each season people question why we don't race there anymore. I've had some good races there before - alot of good memories - I like the layout itself - And the track surface - Wow....
But sometimes - Things are the way they are and there's not much we can do about it.... It sucks....