Shenandoah Circuit a.k.a. Concrete Death?

[justraceit]

In case no one wandered over to check out the progress of the Shenandoah Circuit this weekend at Summit Point - here are a couple of pictures. Bill Scott - owner of Summit Point - recently claimed in a Roadracing World interview (after a kart racer was killed after hitting a deer on the main circuit) :

-"You put up Airfence to keep guys OK, but you could hit a rabbit and die. I’m a racer. I come from that background. So we try to make the place better and safer every year. You’re not looking at an owner who tries to side-step problems, but this one is very difficult. We know the problem exists, and we’ll do whatever it takes to not let this happen again."

It's gonna take alot of Airfence to make Shenandoah safe Bill. Even if you took away the concrete barriers, the track turns back on itself in enough places that bikes would cross the grass and hit bikes going in the opposite direction on another part of the track.

If I'm off-base or wrong - let me know.

http://home.earthlink.net/~justraceit/remain.JPG 429Kb (be sure to scroll to the right)

http://home.earthlink.net/~justraceit/bowl.JPG 256Kb
I don't believe the bowl would be a part of the track that motorcycle races would use - but it demonstrates how most of the track is lined with barriers.

Also - the day after the kart racer was killed - there was a MARRC track day. No one mentioned the deer problem at the riders meeting.

[limy_1]

It looks ok to me





























IF the track was for amusment go carts

[Canadian Bacon]

Won't see me there.

[SV81]

yeah, me not think I will be racing there or riding it period.

[cmra325]

Jesus, are those walls temp or permanent? It reminds me of the go kart track down at the local Putt Putt.

[MarkB]

ITs not a place to put modern sportsbikes. PERIOD.

Simply dont run it - the dangers are obvious.

[SV81]

Gonna have to be permanent in spots. You can see where it folds right back on itself. Ya know, he had the land..why not just make a damn track that is safe for cars and bikes.

[Paigebert]

Wow, that looks insane.

[wlindsay]

I spoke to Sean about the Shanandoah Course and he said he would take a look at it. I shared my feelings about the track. In short, I hope motorcycles never race there.

[mtiberio]

I can hardly wait to race it.

[BiZ]

I was under the impression that the track is supposed to be very flexable, with the less savory portions not being used by 2 wheelers. I know they made a cut off to elimate the bowl section, but I haven't heard anything about the "folding-back on itself section". Maybe this track designer and the guy who made Englishtowns' track need to go back to school...

[SV81]

Yes, please have Sean take a look at it....looks like medevac central

[GSXR6Pilot]

Looks like a lawyers wet dream!!!

[D-Nice]

I rode on it back during the last WERA regional on my mountain bike. I was not a fan. Too many spots where "running off" is not the best option. I gave it the benefit of the doubt because:
1. It isn't finished.
2. I don't know what configuration we would run.

But from what I saw, the current circuit will be much safer IMO.

D

[Mongo]

I never got a chance to look at it sorry. Will do so before we schedule any event on it so for now no worries.

[The CHAD]

I say let the cages and the kart's have the new track and tear it up as much as they want but at the same time repave the enire main track and use it for 2 wheels ony... Okay now that I'm awake what I was going to say is, I hope that the end result is better than what I see in the pictures!

[Sean Jordan]

Originally posted by justraceit


Also - the day after the kart racer was killed - there was a MARRC track day. No one mentioned the deer problem at the riders meeting.

Did they mention at the rider's meeting that racing motorcycles was dangerous? No? Well, someone needs to do something about that! Riding motorcycles at speed on a race track is dangerous. Period. Anyone throwing a leg over a motorcycle and taking to the track that doesn't know this is foolish and/or severly misinformed.

Summit Point is in the middle of a rural area - of course there are going to be animals nearby, and possibly even crossing the track! Why is there any need to mention this "deer problem"? Did you still run the track day? Do you think anyone would have packed up and gone home had they known about the incident.

At any rate, people have been running over animals at Summit (and other tracks) for years - I've seen snakes, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals get hit over the years. When I was at Grattan, there were deer near the track there too. It goes with the territory - quite literally, in fact!

[Silo Pete]

holyeeeeeeeee shit.

Only if I wanted that "Isle of Man' thrill, which I don't.

[justraceit]

Originally posted by Nemesis
Did they mention at the rider's meeting that racing motorcycles was dangerous?

No. However - every other riders meeting - especially those attended by Roger Lyle - have mentioned specific details about safety and the track.

No? Well, someone needs to do something about that! Riding motorcycles at speed on a race track is dangerous. Period. Anyone throwing a leg over a motorcycle and taking to the track that doesn't know this is foolish and/or severly misinformed.

This was never in question. I've been to 100+ riders meetings. Roger Lyle's last words have always been "Today you are Superman, tomorrow you are Clark Kent. Be safe so that you can return to work tomorrow." How many riders meetings have you been to?

Summit Point is in the middle of a rural area - of course there are going to be animals nearby and possibly even crossing the track!

We know. But most of those animals are not big enough to kill you instantly if you hit them.

Why is there any need to mention this "deer problem"?

Because it was the first time that anyone was killed when hitting a deer, and it was only the second or third time that anyone ever hit a deer there in at least the last 25 years, and the fact that IT HAPPENED JUST THE DAY BEFORE!

Did you still run the track day?

Yes

Do you think anyone would have packed up and gone home had they known about the incident.

Of course not, but it's about AWARENESS!!! When you're haulin' ass down the front straight at 150mph+, it might be nice to be aware of a RECENT fatality, and that I should be EXTRA cautious on the straights!

At any rate, people have been running over animals at Summit (and other tracks) for years - I've seen snakes, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals get hit over the years.

And I've run over a snake. But there is a big difference between a 2 pound snake, and 150 pound buck! Do you not get it?

The whole point of mentioning the deer in the first place - was that the owner was trying to convince the public that he cares about safety. Anyone with any experience at Summit Point knows that that is bullshit. This was just another example. How hard would it be to acknowledge the riders/racers the day after the fatality to be aware of a potential problem?

[justraceit]

And - if this was not important, then why did the deer story appear on the Roadracing World website ... followed by at least 2 more follow-up stories based on reader's comments?