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2019 North Central thoughts

Discussion in 'General' started by Mongo, Dec 18, 2018.

  1. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Okay, thinking about minis at Nelson. Would run both days of DH rounds and Sunday with the Endurance.

    Grattan question - do you prefer one direction over the other and if so why? The why is important and please be honest if it's just a personal preference versus an issue you have with the layout or the like.

    If you don't race either track stay out of it please.
     
  2. svracer22

    svracer22 Well-Known Member

    At Grattan I prefer the clockwise direction, the safety features, gravel traps, armco, etc. are where there supposed to be. I feel running backwards the armco at turn 1 (last turn backwards) is too close. Also the armco at the bus-stop is close, not sure what turn that is.
    Also, trying to re-enter a live race is a little tricky.

    Not sure if it's a weather coincidence, but it feels like the attendance is better when running clockwise.
     
    j cal and skidooboy like this.
  3. Tristan

    Tristan Well-Known Member

    Only run Grattan CCW once and liked it, really don't have a preference- but if you're running 2-3 rounds there I'd like to see both directions run (not on the same weekend for logistics sake) for variety.
    Having an Endurance race might be the only way you'll get me to give NL another chance...
     
  4. JJJerry

    JJJerry Well-Known Member

    I prefer Grattan clockwise, but am fine with running it both ways. I just think the track is more fun CW vs. CCW.

    If there are 2 rounds, I'd probably prefer to have one of each though. Adds variety and evens tire wear :)

    Similar thoughts to Tristan on Nelson.
     
  5. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Nelson has been repaved, rebuilt, and tires pushed back. I think people will like it. I personally think Grattan is about the same either direction but have had some bitching so wanted to get more input from those who may not say anything if they're cool with it.
     
  6. Sprinky

    Sprinky Well-Known Member

    the Jump is better CCW :D

    I"m out of the game but Grattan was fine to ride both ways IMO, but it was more intuitve for track access when it is run CW.
     
    galloway840 likes this.
  7. renegade17

    renegade17 Well-Known Member

    Glad Nelson is back, run Grattan in whichever directions guarantees good weather and i am fine with it.
     
  8. 5axis

    5axis Well-Known Member

    The repaved Nelson is really- really fun. Nice candy-cane curbing, and cleared back trees changes the visual perception a lot.
     
    JJJerry likes this.
  9. cav115

    cav115 Well-Known Member

    Prefer CCW @ Grattan.
     
  10. jkraft

    jkraft Well-Known Member

    Grattan is fun both directions.
    Looking forward to a repaved Nelson.
     
    galloway840, JJJerry and renegade17 like this.
  11. 2Big4Bike

    2Big4Bike Well-Known Member

    I prefer Grattan Clockwise, but if there are TWO or MORE weekends I'll attend both CW and CCW.

    Better flow Clockwise.
     
  12. ghetto customs

    ghetto customs Who's that Parrish guy?

    +1 Endurance at Nelson
     
  13. grasshopper

    grasshopper Well-Known Member

    Grattan CCW is awesome but it's pretty dangerous going backwards down the back straight into CW turn 12 with that huge drop off on the outside. Everywhere else in my opinion is safe enough. Google earth really doesn't do it justice but if you go off where the red arrow is it's going to be bad.

    upload_2018-12-19_9-30-45.png
     
  14. ChemGuy

    ChemGuy Harden The F%@# Up!

    Ive only ridden it once and it was cold so....I prefer grattan w/o all the sealer. So if you can make that happen...that'd beeeee greeeaaat. thanks.
     
  15. skidooboy

    skidooboy supermotojunkie

    turn one, the bus stop, and the above mentioned end of the straight are all concerns to me CCW. i dont ride it ccw, even for track days. i rode it once ccw on the 450 supermoto, and loved it but, on a modern sportbike, i am not interested in participating. Ski
     
  16. Pneumatico Delle Vittorie

    Pneumatico Delle Vittorie Retired "Tire" Guy

    Wow North Central will have a few rounds at Grattan and the Sledges? So things seem to be recovering for the region for the first time in what 10 years? Very good news and all you Midwest peeps better show up and race at these events!
     
  17. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Oddly enough you can ride that out but it's better to just toss it into the corner. It's way better than when there was the drag strip tower above where the ambulance is parked. I remember a bike hitting the door of it long ago.
     
    kiggy74 likes this.
  18. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Thanks for the input. It is interesting, a number of people feel the same. Not arguing or saying you're wrong - you have to do what is right for you - but we don't see any more crashes or more serious ones either direction.
     
  19. ekraft84

    ekraft84 Registered User

    I used to be of the same opinion that CW was safer than CCW. However, after racing CCW for several years, a few thoughts:

    - 10B CCW: Yes, there's drop-off, but I've seen people ride it out through there. It's rare for someone to completely bail on turning the bike and just run straight off. It's better than the tire wall you could potentially hit going through 10A CW (I've crashed there and rolled up just short of the tire wall there, fortunately). Also CW, there is the guardrail coming onto the front straight. Not frequent, but incidents do happen there.

    - Bus stop: Is less "safe" CCW, although if you tuck the front on your own, I don't believe you make it to the guardrail. Speed is slow, which helps. However if you tangle with another bike into the braking zone, run-off is limited.

    - Sweeper: safer CCW. If you're overzealous CW when the track drops off, things can get dicey. Highsides, bikes into the woods, etc.

    - Bowl, Esses, Jump: No major differences IMO. You could argue the "ess" before the bowl going CW is less-safe as the track drops off. You don't encounter that going CCW. Wheelies over the jump are better, CCW.

    - T4: If you completely miss this turn CCW, the run-off is misleading. But its uphill and a DR corner, so chances of that are slim. If you tuck the front going CW, there's enough run-off, but it's downhill and faster, so the crashing scenario is generally more intense.

    - T3/T2: T3's off-camber crash risk shifts from entry to exit, CW to CCW. T2 is the same - maybe a little more risk going CW, actually - given lean angle and speed.

    - T1: CCW, I used to be one to preach that the guardrail here was an issue. However, the way the turn is setup, you're apexing the "corner" early, straight-lining the bike onto the straight. I don't even think twice about the guardrail anymore. All braking is done in the super-wide part of the track. It's like an abyss of asphalt. By the time it narrows up, you're clipping the curbing with your knee and trying to get vertical and to WOT ASAP. If you look at a track map, it looks dicey. If you draw the race line on that map, it's significantly different (many don't know the proper race line CCW, BTW).

    Over the years, I've seen more serious crashes CW. Makes sense given there are more CW events, but T1, T4, the sweeper and coming onto the straight are common higher speed areas. To me, CCW becomes less flowy with late-apex corners everywhere. I'm not sure this lends itself to being safer, but it started to feel that way to me over time - even though personally, I've done faster lap times CCW compared to CW. I was just never that good CW.

    Dragging me out to ride nowadays. Grattan CCW or Nelson would do it. PIRC of course as well.

    My two cents.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2018
  20. DJ Baker

    DJ Baker Well-Known Member

    nattarG Rocks!
     

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