Roadracers are junkies........

[r6_philly]

Dave, here are my responses:

1. It is not my job to come up with answers. it would be great that I have and can provide answers. But if I can't, it is some other people's job to listen to my complaints and work somethng out. I run a business, and I would never tell my clients, that unless they have an answer, they can't complaint. I just have a beef with telling CCS what my concerns are and get "we can't help ya" in return. I rather see them try to do something about it instead of turning me down to begin with.

2. No I have not donated to the air fense fund. Rather, I have in my business plans to donoate sections of airfence to cover that wall at summit, or just put in a gravel trap. Business has not been kind this year, and I don't have any extra money to spare, but I have in the plans to buy the air fence for summit. I am working really hard to push my projects going, so I can have new bike for next year, and then do something about summit.

So actually I do have an answer. And it does not depend on anyone else. I don't want to see any more people get hurt at that place, and I am going to try to fix that. By myself, without anyone else's help, seem like I can't get it anyway. Of course if I don't have the money, I can't do anything, and I would shut up if I have to. But When I do have it, you will see a fix at summit. from me.

3. Why not build a race track? Why you think I haven't thought of it. but logistics are not possible right now. If I win the Powerball, what do you think I would do?

All I am saying is, when I am in the position to fix the problems, I will. Until then, would people/orgs who ARE in the position be more PROACTIVE?

Case in point: all the money that we spend on our bodies and bikes at summit's turn 4, can't afford to put a gravel trap and airfense or move the wall further back? I am already out 10k this year at that turn, had I know, I would have spend it there. But I didn't know, and I am trying to learn from it.

Maybe if I am more proactive you would listen to me more. I shall plan then.

[1fastmofo]

Well said Philly.

Bottom line is there are unsafe conditions that exist. We all know what they are, and nothing is being done about it. People are getting hurt, and we're told that we have to accept it. Well, no we don't and we shouldn't have to.

We won't have to boycott tracks if we're all in the hospital or dead. Hopefully if I ever go down there is airfence, a gravel trap, or lots of runoff which is concrete wall free. I wish the same for all of you.

[Super Dave]

You guys have good ideas.

Dafan, first, don't go it alone.  There is power in numbers.  If you can get close to buying a section of air fence, get some other people on board.  Like I say, "Doing it yourself isn't good enough sometimes..."  I'm sure people would help.

CCS can't MAKE a track do something.  Sometimes there is nothing a track can do.  Sometimes problems with the DNR and drainage create the need for walls etc.  If you knew that info first, you might have a better feel for solutions.

There are only so many road courses in the US and only so many dates.  CCS is just trying to creat a viable series.

Talk to the ownership at Summit.  They'd be happy to know.  The ownership at Blackhawk asked a few of us to run the track backwards and give them some feed back.  I rode it and gave them two pages of notes.  At Heartland Park, the owner, who own's Blackhawk, sought me out to talk about the track.  People are willing to listen.  You just need to get their ear.

When I was young, a good friend of mine said, "Don't complain about anything to me unless you know the topic and have three solutions."   Talking about issues is fine, but unless you can give someone a solution...  There is a fine line between being adversarial and pro-active.  One will get things done.

[lil_thorny]

Hey Dafan,
what kind of "coach" are you, and why would you be an amateur roadracer and a coach at the same time?
just curious.

[r6_philly]

Hey Dafan,
what kind of "coach" are you, and why would you be an amateur roadracer and a coach at the same time?
just curious.

Well, I have been told that I am a good rider, but not agressive enough racer. I rode alot on the street, a lot more on the track, and I am always happy to help someone else's riding, and that makes me a good guy to "coach" someone on their riding at trackdays.

I started racing in 01. Did 2 weekends, got hurt. Did some of the season last year, didn't do too well because 1. never pre-entered 2. not agressive enough. So I ride well, but not fast. So this year has been great for me to get pretty fast, by working on racing, not riding.

So, I am not teaching a racing/riding school, I am however available to give individual attentions to riders who needs help on riding techniques.

[lil_thorny]

pre-enter.......are you kidding?
you must be slow if you use that as an excuse.
are you slow?  I hate slower traffic, passing is
sooo nerve-racking sometimes. Well, I'm kinda
slow myself, so maybe we can ride around together
at R.O.C. ;D
thirty.

[Super Dave]

Well, I'm kinda
slow myself,....

Oh, yeah...
 ;)

Isn't this your one year motorcycle road racing anniversery too?  Really, it was my August school last year right?

[lil_thorny]

nope dave, 3 more weeks till my one year anny.
sep 6 2002 i started.
and as i remember, i was in 3 races and started no better than 25th in all of them. but i think that i was
"on the box" in 2 of those races.
oh the memories!!!!

[r6_philly]

pre-enter.......are you kidding?
you must be slow if you use that as an excuse.
are you slow?  I hate slower traffic, passing is
sooo nerve-racking sometimes. Well, I'm kinda
slow myself, so maybe we can ride around together
at R.O.C. ;D
thirty.

I never said I was that fast. No pre-entry means row 12 starts in Mid-Atlantic. Plus the fact that I am not that fast, kind of become a problem. I constantly finish 6th from the back of the second wave. Oh well, what can you say.

ROC may be different. But Super Dave already said you are coming for our asses, besides you problem end up starting infront of me anyway. We will try to entertain all of you who will be coming from a couple regions away.

[Tezboogie]

Dave, I'm right there with you......I start to go nuts in the middle of winter if i can't go real fast on a bike or in a race car. I'm sure R-6 Philly feels the same way, as well as just about everybody that races a bike. We all need a fix sooner or later.
The risk will always be there, we all know that, and we race anyway......yes we do. But why in the world would someone invite you to race at a track with potholes in every turn and walls that sit only a couple feet away? Risk or no risk.....that's just wrong.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

I wont run at Gateway because I dont feel safe running a bike on a road course in an oval. Probably wouldnt run Daytona (like I ever go fast enough to race there ;D) either.


Like Dave, I've been in 2 SCCA races where a racer died. One at Sears Pt, Didnt see the crash, just passed by about 30 seconds after it happened. Didnt look bad either. Other one at Riverside I was involved in. Watched a very close friend die in the crash. Walked away from racing after the next weekends race's practice session. Couldnt do it anymore.

[Super Dave]

But why in the world would someone invite you to race at a track with potholes in every turn and walls that sit only a couple feet away? Risk or no risk.....that's just wrong.

Good questions.  

If you're talking about Mid-Ohio and the AMA National, you have a really big point.  Racers that are on the absolute edge will have a crash now and then.

Heartland Park had three AMA Nationals ('89, '90, '91) and an FUSA race there in '90.  CCS had club races there from 1992 to 1999, then one in 2001, and this last one.  The track was good enough for the AMA races, and the wall configuration has not changed ever.  One section of the track is not used now.  The only thing that has changed, is the curbing that was on the last corner that kind of divided the drag strip from the last corner.  The appropriate line was always to use the curb as a little jump.  Superbikes would be spinning a wheeling going over the curb.  Wasn't a problem then.  

The accident that happened at the track was unique.  Dale Quarterley crashed in the Pro Twins race in 1991 going much faster there.  He never got to the wall.    There aren't any walls a couple feet from the track, unless you talk about the ones on the straight, which are similar to many of those on many straights.  

As for the surface, I don't think there were any more crashes than usual.  Kevin Elliott would probably know more about that than you or I.  They do track that kind of info.  Regardless, having raced on street courses and race tracks, there are places that you have to ride at 95% because to make a mistake would be painful.  Back to that right hand again.