Firebird

[Team_nuclear123]

Anyone know if we are going to be racing the East course ro the main track at Firebird? Ive heard rumors that we will be back on East, which was just repaved because an Idy team has the main track or, or, or , or...

Whats the story??

[Rrider]

Since the online schedule says Firebird and not Firebird East (earlier and later dates do say Firebird East), I'm planning for the main track. Unless someone finds out otherwise.

[Mark_Weiss]

The races are scheduled for the main track. T.E.A.M. Arizona is not going to be running a practice on Friday because we could not get a definitive answer from CCS as to wether or not Saturday would be a Lockhart-Phillips trackday.

Some advertisements say yes, some don't say. When we called CCS directly we were told both "no" and "yes". Soooo, we're not going to be there.


Mark Weiss
AHRMA  #407 S-750
CCS SW #407 LW Sportsman
1972 BMW R75/5
Chandler (SE of Phoenix) Arizona

[Team_nuclear123]

So not only do we not know what track we are racing on, but there isnt a trackday to learn it on??

Great.....  

Anychance on Firebird having an open test day like Buttonwillow has?

[duc995@aol.com]

The race at the end of september is on the long "international" full course, and the race Nov 14-15 is on the East course.

[Mark_Weiss]

An "open" day is what we normally do on the Friday before a CCS race, but for September we could not get a clear answer on the Lockhart Phillips day. If an LP day is to run on Saturday, it would be foolish for T.E.A.M. Arizona to run an open trackday on Friday. We need to charge about $100 per rider, maybe more for the main track, just to cover the minimal track rental fees. There is no way to be competitive with an LP day when they charge only $50 to $60 for the day.

On the other hand, T.E.A.M. Arizona is going to be running a winter racing series this year. We are going to be using Arizona Motorsports Park and there will be plenty of opportunity to practice. During October, December, January, and February, we will have a full weekend of trackdays a week or so before the race weekend. Each race weekend there will be practice and novice races on Saturday, sprints on Sunday. I expect to have more detailed information posted by the end of this week.

Mark

[Team_nuclear123]

Mark,

The problem is that the team LP days suck.... Sure its 40 or 50 bucks, but its only 2 or 3 real sessions for us, as we run GTO and GTU both. So this leaves us with only a couple of practices to learn the track, get gearing, etc...

Maybe we could convince the track to run a test and tune day.... Im sure they will be there anyways, Hell, Ill pay at least $100 for my part in the day, double that even....

[Mark_Weiss]

A Friday test and tune is what I had planned for T.E.A.M. Arizona. The LP days screw that plan over though. For a one day rental we don't get any special price break so at $125 each I'd need over 40 riders just to cover the track and ambulance. This DOES NOT include paddock rental!

Since we've already done two Fridays this year, I just don't see that kind of racer turnout happening this time either. Both of the dates this spring attracted less than 25 riders. We scraped by because the East track is cheap and we had a financial guarantor for one of the dates. If we had race weekend income to balance a potential practice day loss, it might be a different story. Unfortuately the economics don't work out for us and CCS does not make it any easier when you cannot tell what they are going to do. I just looked at my new issue of Roadracing World, the CCS ad on page 93 lists the LP day on Sept 28, that's SUNDAY!!!!

I know that it really sucks to not have sufficient practice. Especially on a track that you have not ridden in over a year, but T.E.A.M. Arizona just cannot afford to bankroll CCS. If we could guarantee at least a break-even turnout, I'd go for it. I'd risk the payroll for course control and my admin time, but the dates this spring show that we'd be unlikely to even get close.

Mark

[Team_nuclear123]

Mark, can you email me the contact information.... I may just rent the day, cost be damned. Its cheaper than a practiice crash....

drduc996@yahoo.com

Thanks

[AZ-MilleR]

Does anyone know if they re-sealed the Main track like they did East?  I just rode a track day there, and the pavement seams are downright scary.