REDNECK racing at Grand Bend. | GTAMotorcycle.com

REDNECK racing at Grand Bend.

TLDeano

TLDeano

Well-known member
Last weekend was interesting.
"Racing through the trailerpark!",
Look out for the airplane landing and taking off beside the backstraight!
Yes, thats a pickup truck parked on shoulder of the front straight.!
Maybe ill ride there someday when everything gets more organized and safer.
 
Well, you're basically riding through the pit roads..I was wondering how that would go over..
 
invictus43 said:
Well, you're basically riding through the pit roads..I was wondering how that would go over..
Click to expand...

.....it went fantastic.

It's a new track, and there were issue's being discovered and addressed all weekend long. Thanks to the riders who RODE the track, and gave us feedback so things could be fixed, changed, and improved over the course of the weekend. The track was very safe, and I have no doubt that Paul, and the Grand Bend management will be working on things so that next round the track will be even better.

Ya the track was a little visually distracting in a few places, but the layout was SAFE, FUN, fast, technical, and offered up some great racing at a new venue. I thought the airplane was pretty freaking cool (yes I was ON the track when one took off and landed during the endurance race). There was AMPLE room for that to happen, but I could see how it looked sketchy from the pits, or the internet....

Grip was a little absent at the beginning of the weekend, but as the weekend went on and rubber got laid down it got better and better. Even the wet races weren't that bad (I was in one, on DOT's and it was surprisingly pretty grippy, mind you the track was damp and a dry line was forming during the race).

The trailer (burgundy) 90* to the short front straight at the start finish line was the timing and scoring trailer. It was off the track out of the runoff area, and I didn't find it to be that big of a visual distraction.

Yes I'm part of the SOAR staff, so feel free to toss my first person opinion out the window due to bias. I'm just telling it as how I saw it. Thanks to everyone who came out, it was a great weekend, and I'm really looking forward to going back next round.
 
Sorry OP but you're wrong, it was awesome at Grand Bend this weekend.

I'm easily distracted and didn't have a problem at all with visual distractions on the track, I WISH a plane had been landing during my race, and there were no trucks or trailers or any unsafe items in impact zones.

Fun, fun times. The track seems eager to sort out issues and I can't wait to be there next round when it's even better!

P.S. Awesome way to end the Lost Era race Dan :)
 
There are some issues.Did SWOOP have a jump aircraft on the runway while a race was underway? Don't know how the pilot would ever agree to that!The only way anyone will ever have a problem with a trailer is if they "target fixate" on it while running wide and,well you can imagine the rest.But that is just the kind of thing that most operations need to protect themselves from.
I'm still surprised that i didn't have to sign a waiver (i was there on thurs and fri) and could wander around pretty much where i wanted to.Barriers and "spectators keep out" signs need to be erected in a few places.
With the late start they got this spring because of all the rain,i'm still quite impressed.The layouts look good.Now...about the smell!
 
Oddly enough I find Cayuga to be more distracting because you can see other riders in the infield.

I had NO issues like this at Grand Bend.
 
It's recognized that the track is a work in progress. For something that basically didn't exist a month ago, it was pretty darn good. It's recognized that there are some issues.

There are two uneven pavement transitions that need to be fixed: the transition off the new pavement onto the old at corner 3 (? - the second right after start/finish), and the transition off the old pavement onto the new at the first apex of the corner leading into the long straightaway. Both are dips that need to be filled in. The latter one almost got me, and I think that's where Aubrey Bailey went down later on.

The edge of the pavement needs either concrete strips (not raised) or grass planted to avoid dirt being dragged onto the track.

Separation of paddock from track obviously is a "to be done". It might have helped with regards to the idiot in the pickup truck who dragged dirt onto the track on Friday night at some point.

The airplanes are not a problem. It's small aircraft only; their takeoff and landing speeds are 60 - 70 mph so it's us catching up on them, not vice versa, and they're easy to see, and there is PLENTY of pavement along that straight to allow this to happen. And it is very occasional, a few times per day from what it appears. It ain't exactly Pearson International.

Traction is fine and the track dries very quickly.

The parked trailers are nowhere near the track surface, not in impact zones, and are only a visual distraction. Non-issue.

The vehicles parked along the front straightaway were on the opposite side of the track from impact zone and well back from the track.

Keep in mind that this is the only track around with NO WALLS.
 
CrazyKell said:
Oddly enough I find Cayuga to be more distracting because you can see other riders in the infield.
Click to expand...

I like that at Cayuga. It's a big advantage during the endurance race for me to be able to gauge where the other teams in our class are in relation to me. It was really tough to figure out when and where to push and when to relax and rest at grand bend.

Ric, ya, I think there were 3 planes that took off and landed during a live track. 2 during the endurance, and 1 during the sprints on Sunday. The general consensus I heard amongst the riders was that the "plane flag" was more of a distraction than the plane itself. Having personally experienced both a takeoff, landing, and the plane taxing out during the endurance race, I can say that I saw no safety hazards. My only complaint was that I didn't get to drag race the plane. 1 rider during the endurance did during a take off (bike won BTW). Oh, and the smell just made me hungry all weekend. Bissonette made a comment that it reminded him of a toasted western, and after that it's all I could think about, so Sunday morning I headed into town and got one :) problem solved.

Thanks Pepper. I'm not kidding myself that it was anything more than a tricky tire decision that worked out in my favor. Sucks for Andrew but that's racing, and I'll take it any chance I can. I've got a lot of work to do to make that happen again.
 
So the track is sharing a runway? With active aircraft traffic?
 
I find it very interesting that everyone that seems to start these threads are people that #1 dont race and #2 havent even ridden the track? The track is the safest track in Ontario on my opinion and yes I have ridden all of them and raced on all but one of them. There are further improvements already on the way. The management at the track is onboard and willing to do what needs to be done. They wanted our input and that was stressed at all riders meeting the the big cheese himself was around all weekend getting feedback. From the pits the trailers "look" bad but really are not any kind of concern. the pavers are coming back to change the grading and adding some radius to a couple turns. I rode myself last weekend and again Thursday and the transition that Brian speaks of was brought to managements attention. The owner and track manager were on site at 6:30 that night patching the section until the proper fix ix done. There are roofed marshal stations being built a two lever observation deck on top of the new road course office. The truck beside the front straight was on the OPPOSITE side of the track from any kind of impact area, thats also where we did the starts and flagging. Again IF you have ridden the track before commenting you would understand that. It never ceases to amaze me how people are so easy and quick to condemn without actually knowing the facts.
A man spends a huge sum of money building a NEW road race track in the western part of the province. The ask for expert opinion from various motorcycle folks BEFORE they make it dangerous. Get it done as promised and do nothing but constantly improve it and still after three weeks people expect BRNO. Wow.
 
I wouldn't really say "sharing a runway" As they are two distinctive pieces of asphalt that run parallel and it's WIDE. More like sharing a direction of travel
 
invictus43 said:
So the track is sharing a runway? With active aircraft traffic?
Click to expand...

No...the track runs BESIDE the runway. Lots of room for planes and bikes!

I thought the track was great...the trailers worried me at the beginning, but once you're out there you realize they aren't an issue.

Some turtles and some smoothing out of the two corners BrianP mentioned (I think the bump/hole leading onto the long straight got bigger by Sunday!) and it's going to be even better. The layout was great..flowed nicely.

Lots to do in Grand Bend too. Looking forward to round 5. WooT!!
 
Paul said:
No...the track runs BESIDE the runway. Lots of room for planes and bikes!
Click to expand...

Well that's not too bad..Probably be a good idea to have a wall or catch fence between the two at some point..it's never a problem until it's a problem..then it's a BIG problem!! :) Have to get out there and check it out one day.
 
I think the OP's big concern was the truck parked near the straight. Last year at TMP, a rider looped it and landed 10 feet into the grass, he was still out by the time the real ambulance got there, the OP witnessed that...that's why it's a concern.

We all know how even a big *** berm at TMP isn't enough to stop a flying bike...it can land in the pond on the other side. Point being, **** happens...
 
Maggie there is a concrete wall in exactly the same place at TMP and Shanny and Bogie and ARMCO at Mosport all of which run for 1000's of feet long (TMP and Shanny on the wrong side (the impact side)).......thats ok but a truck in a non-impact zone is an issue. Really? My pointy is its a silly misleading comment from someone who has'nt turned a wheel on the track. For the record I didnt get a Single complaint from a single racer who turned hundreds of laps (between them) some of who are ripping it up at warp speed.
The two fastest guys there Scott Rupert and Aubrey Baily both loved the track and felt comfortable out there at 1:06s. I spent last night with Aubrey and his family and he loved the track.
 
Last edited:
Yamaha_Gurl said:
I think the OP's big concern was the truck parked near the straight. Last year at TMP, a rider looped it and landed 10 feet into the grass, he was still out by the time the real ambulance got there, the OP witnessed that...that's why it's a concern.

We all know how even a big *** berm at TMP isn't enough to stop a flying bike...it can land in the pond on the other side. Point being, **** happens...
Click to expand...

That's sort of my thought process as well. People may be blind to a problem until there's an incident. Then again, bad things can happen anywhere.. I suppose as long as you mitigate the risk as much as possible that's all you can really do. Like Ken said, I've never seen the track or ridden on it..but I trust Brian P's judgement implicitly so if he says it's not bad, I'm inclined to believe him.
 
kneedragger88 said:
Maggie there is a concrete wall in exactly the same place at TMP and Shanny and Bogie and ARMCO at Mosport all of which run for 1000's of feet long (TMP and Shanny on the wrong side (the impact side)).......thats ok but a truck in a non-impact zone is an issue. Really?
Click to expand...

To be fair, the walls and armco generally run parallel to the track..a truck is an immovable object.
 
Last edited:
kneedragger88 said:
Maggie there is a concrete wall in exactly the same place at TMP and Shanny and Bogie and ARMCO at Mosport all of which run for 1000's of feet long (TMP and Shanny on the wrong side (the impact side)).......thats ok but a truck in a non-impact zone is an issue. Really? My pointy is its a silly misleading comment from someone who has'nt turned a wheel on the track. For the record I didnt get a Single complaint from a single racer who turned hundreds of laps (between them) some of who are ripping it up at warp speed.
The two fastest guys there Scott Rupert and Aubrey Baily both loved the track and felt comfortable out there at 1:06s. I spent last night with Aubrey and his family and he loved the track.
Click to expand...

Sorry Ken, all I'm saying is that I have seen that sometimes weird accidents happen (I do watch thousands of laps per year, snap snap), could the truck be moved for the next round? Just to be 100000000% on the safe side? :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom