watching the f-extreme, i noticed the sand traps were groomed with 'mini-whoops'. didn't this type of surface prep come under suspicion as a contributor to w.rainey's accident? is there a legitimate concern here concerning the surface prep of the traps?
There are definitely differing opinions on the prep of the traps however I don't believe anyone has any actual proof that one way is better than another. I've seen both styles used and seen both styles be successful and unsuccessful. Personally I think that one style may be better for certain types of crashes and the other style better for other types of crashes. Neither way is perfect for everything.
Yeah....I can see how if you whack those "ripples" or "waves" that they would introduce an element of deflection into your otherwise straight-line bodily slide. (Assuming classic style low side.) What benefits are there to the ridges? (Aside from more flavor in potato chips.)
WHat Brad said. With flat a sliding rider can skip across the top and not slow down any more than on hard ground. With the Ruffles have Ridges your body will actually get into the trough slightly and then hit the next peak and in scattering some pebbles around you decelerate. However, if you are on two wheels the flat doesn't upset the ride as much and due to the narrow tires you sink in and decelerate. Riding off and then into a trap with ridges seems to actually cause crashing. However my take on that is that there are times where being on the ground and tubling thorugh a gravel trap is preferable to having a rider try to ride out an unrideable off. See what I mean, no perfect solution.
Even more screwy, look what the FIA is doing at some tracks - removing gravel traps and *paving* the run-off. I think this is more for cars, but I would hope they looked at the effect on motorcycle crashes as well. - Roach
Paved runoff areas might be the best solution, but I'm sure the extra paving costs would drive already high construction and renovation costs even higher. Personally, I like the idea of paved runoff areas. ***(provided there is adequate distance between the racing surface and solid objects.)
You're right about the cars, Brian. The FIA is paving with some type of material that will help "grab" the tires and assist in slowing the cars down while they are braking. I do not know exactly how/what/why though; nor do I know how it works for motorcycles - or cars that are upside down. As racing evolves and gets faster, it is the responsibility of the tracks and sanctioning bodies to evolve safety as well. Mark Deery
Cagers aren't dragging along the ground. I think it would hurt like hell to have paved runoff. To be effective, sand/gravel traps have to be graded uphill as you approach the barrier. You want the bike and rider to dig in, not skim along the top.
