Bring back the International Horseshoe !!

[scottg22]

Just curious if Kevin or Eric know if we will be running the real International Horseshoe in Daytona in Feb/March. 

That 2nd rate piece of paving for a so called "new" horseshoe was awful and I highly doubt the AMA riders (Mladin & Company) will approve of it.   

I believe the merging of riders on the exit this fall was just as dangerous (if not more so) than it was with the orginal layout.
 

[Super Dave]

Thanks for the input, Scott.  I was wondering how that all worked.


That goofy, huh?




Any luck on your R6 sale?

[scottg22]

Still got the R6.  A couple of tire kickers and one guy thats looking at it tomorrow. 

The thing with the horseshoe, as I understand, was they were trying to avoid a repeat of a collision that 2 guys had last year (Ed Key?)  on the entry of the International Horseshoe and avoid people coming from Pit Out and getting hit by people going into the turn.

I am guessing the Moto-ST people wanted the change.

It was a band aid at best.  I know a young rider from the northeast that was involved in a crash on the exit of the new turn with another rider (one of them was merging onto the track from pit out and another was on the race line exiting the turn).

Also, they said it had the same radius as the old international horseshoe, but it was much tighter because you had to enter from mid-track.  It also had a low spot at the apex which made the front push.

I am all for improvements for safety.... but in this case I think the old setup is better. (Better of course, IF the riders have enough common sense while coming out of the pits to stay far left and not try to drive into the race line.)

[steelcityracer]

I didnt get to go to the ROC, but judging from an onboard vid that I saw, it looks pretty sh#tty!  That used to be a good passing zone, but I dont think much passing will occur there with the new horseshoe.

[PJ]

+1. I don't like the new horseshoe at all. It's narrow, tight and if you're really hanging off, you can't see anyone coming out of pit exit. During the 8 Hours at Daytona, I was really careful coming out of the pits to make sure I re-entered safely, but I can see how that accident happened.

BTW, I followed Scott Russell through there a couple of times and was hoping to learn a good line. But he was backing it in big time (on a Kawi 650!) and flat tracking the apex. That's how tight it is. Eventually he highsided.

[Ducmarc]

watched the 8 hr saw a few guys really get a run on the bikes in the race line comming out of the old horseshoe

[eh427]

I definately like the old horseshoe better. I got used to the new one but never got to like it. I didn't see it being any safer, actually I found it just the opposite.

[Johnny B]

I sat in the grandstands at the exit of 3 and watched for a while. It seemed like riders were overshooting the "tight" horseshoe with such regularity that I was wondering if the old horseshoe was an optional turn for those who chose to use it.

[PJ721]

and the way the cones were lined up going down into the old horseshoe - made for a visual nightmare .. 

[Eric Kelcher]

We are aware of the issues with the new horseshoe, inconsistant radius is one comment I heard while at Daytona, in addition to the pit exit issues mentioned.

As to which horseshoe will be used in the spring, I don't have an answer at this time.

[scottg22]

Thanks Eric.

[MELK-MAN]

We are aware of the issues with the new horseshoe, inconsistant radius is one comment I heard while at Daytona, in addition to the pit exit issues mentioned.

As to which horseshoe will be used in the spring, I don't have an answer at this time.

Glad they are at least considering the old layout. THat new turn sucked.. I was just waiting for a lowside heading into the turn taking out someone entering the track. OR..(and this did happen) the rider entering gets a big run onto the track and the riders exiting the new turn (at slower pace) sideswipe the rider entering the track as they run wide using all the turn.