Iowa track unsafe?

[Sig]

CCS is coming up there in a few weeks...........

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=29603

[123user]

It can't be anymore dangerous than Gateway... Oh wait!  Its totally irresponsible to saction races @ that s**thole. 

I guess promoters are just trying to get some safety improvements to Iowa speedway.  Remember how the safety system works.
1st: racers complaint-  walls don't get moved
2nd: racers get hurt-  walls don't get moved
3rd: racer dies (major liability)-  track decides to move walls...maybe!

The BMW team did the right thing, unfortunately, the rest of the competitors didn't pull out and punish MotoST for choosing a crappy venue.

What we really need is a racing association that CCS, WERA, SCCA, AHRMA, etc would use to petition changes at tracks.  In recent memory, it seems that none of the above organizations have been able proactively improve safety conditions... maybe we just need a larger pool of money to wave in front of greedy track owners.

[BrianC636]

It can't be anymore dangerous than Gateway... Oh wait!  Its totally irresponsible to saction races @ that s**thole. 

I guess promoters are just trying to get some safety improvements to Iowa speedway.  Remember how the safety system works.
1st: racers complaint-  walls don't get moved
2nd: racers get hurt-  walls don't get moved
3rd: racer dies (major liability)-  track decides to move walls...maybe!

The BMW team did the right thing, unfortunately, the rest of the competitors didn't pull out and punish MotoST for choosing a crappy venue.

What we really need is a racing association that CCS, WERA, SCCA, AHRMA, etc would use to petition changes at tracks.  In recent memory, it seems that none of the above organizations have been able proactively improve safety conditions... maybe we just need a larger pool of money to wave in front of greedy track owners.

+1   It wouldn't bother me in the least if we got rid of Gateway.

I have not been to Iowa yet but by the sounds of it, it's scarier than GIR. 

[yetidave]

While were bitching about unsafe tracks,  how about Summit Shenandoah? I hear a lot of people trying to convince others that it's really a safe track and that all the safety concerns are overblown and unfounded. Bullshit. Other than motards, bikes have no business on that track.

[gonecrazy]

I actually kind of like gateway, seeing its my home track, trust me  we have made several changes to make it a safer track. we have added airfence  to the walls additional hay bails ect.. I dont know about iowa though. the local club that puts on the trackdays at gateway went out of thier way raflles and fundraisers to get money for airfence. Granted gateway still is a shit hole compared to the better road tracks but its like any other racing there are tracks you hate and track you love and tracks you learn to like.

[123user]

gateway is my home track too... its kinda embarassing!  The layout is fine, but the transitions and walls are a joke.  The chicane was implemented to slow down the transition to the straight, but it points you at a wall. 

Airfence is NOT a substitute for poor track layouts.  Relying on airfence is like relying on your car's airbag and not wearing your seatbelt.

The racing organizations' should be spear-heading the safety agenda... not individual racing teams (like Ulrich's- great job guy's!!!)  Individual racers have little input in the racing schedule- but we can vote with our dollars.  The racing organizations should be voting with their dollars too! 

An unfortunate example is Gingerman, which was left of the schedule this year.  Its probably the safest track on the circuit- but poor attendence last season doomed it for this year.

Also unfortunate, our nations largest race promoter, the AMA, is more concerned with fighting for the rights of idiots that don't want to wear helmets, than truly improving the racing conditions.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Gateway would be nice if it wasnt inside an oval track. That chicane scared the hell out of me every time. Nearly tossed me off my F2 once. Plus rolling along next to a wall is slightly un-nerving on a bike.


I was watching the Rolex race at Iowa today and I dont see how anyone in their RIGHT MIND would get on a bike there. As 123user stated, its not until someone gets seriously hurt or killed do some tracks start actually thinking of safety.

[BrianC636]

The walls are the scary part of GIR.  The layout was REALLY fun I thought but all of the walls are un-nerving. 

[FFRacing]

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=29617

[Sig]

Not good. :(

Prayers sent for the injured.

[123user]

So... Parriott tries to do the right thing, and MotoST fines him?  Now two riders are critically injured?      Its obvious that MotoST is putting itself before the safety of its riders. 

CCS doesn't need to be affiliated with an organization like that!!!

[Noidly1]

Any track can be safe or unsafe.
The biggest probs are the inexperienced street riders going over their abilities trying to make a race out of a track day.
If you ride SMART, you can handle any situation or track.

Gateway is a rather technical track.
T6 has 3 parts to it. 6a has no particular line. 6b is one you have to stay outside. and 6c cuts hard to a straight. Google Earth it, you'll see.
T7 has a dip 6ft out from middle, either keep it tight or go around.
The chicane could be improved but serves a purpose.
The walls do not bother me at all. Get them out of your head. Kenny can show you how to knee drag the front wall. HeHe

If any of you remember the OLD Gateway track, It was a real blast.
Quarter mile drag ,other way, down the strip, hard brake into T1 right , T2 reduced radius right, T3 T4 left right switch, T5 full speed left down the shutdown lanes, soft right into T6 hairpin left, T7 decent 3rd gear layover to the right, T8 was a hard brake then right, T9 was a full throttle sweeper to the right, T10 cut in good to the left on the brakes setting you up for T11 hard right leading you to T12 that tuned left back down the drag strip. watch out for drag armco...

That was the day...