What can we do to make RRR a safer place to race?!

Do the owners of Roebling Road (SCCA) concern themselves with the safety of the facility? Do they deem it safe enough for cars and forget about the motorcycles that race there? Is the track land locked on all sides to not allow for some much needed run off area/ gravel pits? I for one would be happy to volunteer my time to work at making it safer.

Can we get an action group of racers, WERA, CCS, Track day, SCCA to volunteer their time, resources and equipment safer for us to race at?

We of course understand the risks that go along with what we do but shouldn’t the tracks do their part as well?

With most things in life you get what you settle for.

 

T1 and T9 at Roebling are wicked fast places to crash. I've seen some bad ones all over that place. It's one of tracks I've raced that always scared me to death. Never raced the new surface though. Daytona didn't scare me as bad. Rockingham? Yeeesh.

 

From the aerial view you can see about the only way to make turn 1 truly safe is to dig up the track and move it 200 yards to the right.
Airfence around that whole perimeter would be questionable due to the speeds involved and that some are "glancing" blows (but I'll leave that answer to the true AF pros).
That leaves using the chicane but I think that's going to cause way more issue resulting in more accidents (albeit probably less severe).



3 and 5 will be issues unless the house / showers and part of the paddock is removed.

The rest of the track looks like a little bit of land and some heavy equipment could make some nice runoff areas.

 

I love me some Roebling because i just like to go fast. I dont really care much for the braking and shit. Roebling is my favorite track (behind Road Atlanta).

I understand the safety aspect of it for sure, as all racers do. But as somebody who has also crashed in T1 at Roebling, I hope the configuration is not changed. I really don't want to use that chicane.

But then again, i guess it could be fun. It might make it to where we wouldnt even need to brake for the (now) T1, we would just exit that chicane, drive out to the left, stay in the gas and turn in.

But obviously i am just giving my opinion on it from a fun aspect. Whatever WERA thinks is safer will be fine with me.

 

Road Atlanta solution:

 

Imagine the braking duels going into that new T1 at the end of the straightaway.

But IMO, that would completely ruin the flow of the track. It would be too slow of a T1, sorta like the T1 at CMP that sucks ass. I would rather use the chicane.

 

Bullshit! Leave it alone! If you go off the track at RRR bail out asap or you will hit the woods! Just keep that in mind and get the frack off the bike if you are getting any where near the trees!

 

Umm ok. No need for your bullshit excitement. Settle down. If you will go back and read, you will see that my first comment was that i love Roebling the way it is and would rather it be left alone...even though i have also crashed in T1.

The comment you quoted, was a follow up to my previous comment, meaning if something HAD to be changed, i would rather use the chicane, than the "Road Atlanta" option in the last picture.

 

Sorry Dood! I was calling BS on the whole idea of changing it. Wasn't directing that at you! Given a choice I would have to take the chicane as well. And RRR is my favorite track.

 

I think there are several things that can be done, but it will change the layout of the track. I doubt they are going to spend the money on anything other than fixing the existing chicane they have.

 

I've been going there since 1994 and this is the first time I've heard this issue come up.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Obviously, don't jump the berm in one, but otherwise...

 

I've always thought it was then least safe track in the southeast by far.

With that said I race there with the same mindset as anywhere.

No matter what happens, just turn. Stand a better chance on pavement than you do in then dirt. And bail before you get to hard shit.

I do t think lack of runoff is the cause for most injuries there though is it?

It is just so damn fast and shit flips once it gets off track... be it bikes or bodies.

Of the big crashes how many of the bad ones are due to lack of runoff? And how many are because rider didn't turn?

Going fast enough, and go straight long enough and you will hit something at any track... other than the desert tracks I guess lol

 

Turn 1 has always been an issue. I know a driving coach that races corvettes that jumped that berm in T-1 a few years ago. Destroyed the vette and his back.

 

I don't think accidents happen there a lot compared to other places in the world. It's a pretty "gentle" turn, just scary as hell. But when stuff goes wrong it goes waaaaayyy wrong with little chance at a recovery.

I bet if there was a ratio of (run offs / crashes) / (catastrophic damage / injury) Roebling T1 rises to the top in the US.

In comparison I bet everyone and their mother has crashed in T7 at Road Atlanta but when you do the ratio it's a pretty small number because most people just pick their bike up and have to wait for the session to be over.

I guess all we need to do though is go back and tell Nikk, Joe, Randy (the tech official), P-star, Papa... just the ones I can name right off... to just not crash.

And no I'm no where near some champion trying to get Roebling changed. I don't even think using the chicane is a good idea. Hell I suspect if this exact layout was in the middle of the desert I'd still have friends that got to park up front at Piggly Wiggly because of that turn. The question was raised and I offered my opinion... and a cool drawing. The name of it was kind of tounge in cheek because of they solved their issues but if you haven't noticed: we still get to race there so those changes "worked".

 

What is interesting to me looking at Huey's track overhead of the runoffs is that T6-T7 runoffs don't exist which is makes it a good thing that nobody usually crashes there.

 

The ratio thing was one of the things in said in favor of then old t12 at road Atlanta.

Make up numbers to illustrate my point lol

Take Atlanta old 12 and say jennings t8 per 1000 bikes through each.

If 12 had 5 crashes 3 needing serious medical attention and 8 had 20 crashes 3 needing serious medical attention which is really "less safe"?

T1 roebling isnt a common crash spot really is it? Must when people do.it is big.

I'm more "worried" about 6/7/8 whatever number the turn before 9 is honestly when I ride there. Woods are CLOSE there. I fully plan a front tuck on purpose there should anything happen

 

PS:

I Like hueys plan. But I like technical and finding flow where there is none

 

Roebling Road has always been my least favorite track from a safety aspect. I don't dog the place out. I will just skip those rounds. I like the idea of the chicane. Funny thing is, I've never noticed it! lmao!!!