A few laps around Grattan

[grasshopper]

http://winsome.cnchost.com/ghop/windows/

Now how do we get CCS to book a weekend at Grattan? 

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

Man when I was there in the late 90's the track surface was crap, did they ever pave that place?

I have only run it clockwise, it was definately a challenging track to learn the 1st time I was there.

[endoracing]

I love grattan .. I almost bought a wera license this season JUST for the grattan event..

If CCS picked up a weekend I'd be there in a second

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

I remember that day!  Man, it's funny listening to the engine and remembering how little throttle we use compared to how much speed we carry in the esses!
That SV sound PHAT, yo!

[grasshopper]

I remember that day!  Man, it's funny listening to the engine and remembering how little throttle we use compared to how much speed we carry in the esses!
That SV sound PHAT, yo!

Yea I love how the flat slides whistle at me. They whistle a tune... a melodious tune of "Ride on" by AC DC.

[J Farrell / Speed Tech Motorsp]

I'm all up for Grattan. That is my favorite short track and my other favorite is Road America.
I believe that track helped me a lot in racing. Blind corners builds up your instincts on when to turn. You really have to go off of feeling instead of reference points since there weren't many there.
The garages are nice. The pits are cool. Grattan I think is one of the only tracks where you can see the whole thing from the top of the garages. The jump was my favorite. It taught me how to trust the front tire since there is an immediate right sweep after landing the jump.
Safety was pretty good there. My only complaint was the hairpin in the back. A few trees with a little bit more runoff there and I'm satisfied.
The track was getting a bit bumpy back in 2000 (the last time I rode there). If they repave it, that track would be golden.

I really believe that's why the quality of riders have diminished in recent years. Go ride that track and tell me different. I'm sick of the same old flat race track with no runoff.
It will bring more racers back into it. Since I hardly see anyone from MI racing in the Midwest anymore. Give them a track they can run at too.

[Jeff]

I only ran Grattan once.  I liked the facilities and the layout was awesome, but the surface was unacceptable IMHO. 

I haven't been on a worse track since Summit Pt in 99 before they repaved it and they had orange paint and cones on the track to keep you out of pot holes.

For me, Grattan rocked because it FORCED me to use reference points since you couldn't see the turn.  You just had a spot where you threw it in and by God it was right.  I like blind corners because of that fact.  You can't cheat the corner because you can't see it...  You turn at point X and that's that.

[MELK-MAN]

that is a nice flowing track.. would love to ride there..

[grasshopper]

It is a bit bumpy but doesn't bother me. And the patches are more sticky and gritty than the regular pavement. The owner says its his own secret blend of Patch material.

[truckstop]

Grattan is probably my favorite track so far. The bumpy surface was a little annoying, and I wouldn't have any idea if it's really safe for racing on, but still loved the layout and all the crazy blind corners and downhill, off camber silliness. And yeah, the fact that you can see a huge percentage of the track without walking very far made it great for spectating.

[J Farrell / Speed Tech Motorsp]

Jeff my riding style must be much different. I remember it as always turning the bike off of feeling. Just know from the horizon the feel of the bike. Track postioning speed, grip as to when I needed to turn. Like going down the hill into 3. Turning when it felt right. The only other spot was up the hill after the hairpin making that right. I just turned off of feeling. Knowing when it was right and just doing it.
I don't remember every having reference points like brake markers or a crack in the track to turn at.
I guess I'm just a bit weird like that.

[Jeff]

yeah, it's one of those things where you do what works for you.  If I go off what 'feels right', I end up turning early and screwing up my exit.  If I go off reference points, I turn at the proper time and apex the corner correctly.

If I have a ref point, I know where I have to turn.  Without it, I guess and go from that 'feeling' which for me flips the 'SAFETY' switch which says "MUST TURN EARLY MUST TURN EARLY" despite the fact that it's more dangerous to do so... 

Just one of those mental things..