go real fast, then turn, then go real fast, then turn, wheelie then turn, pick up speed turn then turn again, then get on the throttle and haul a$$ until you have to turn, then brake and turn turn turn drag knee thru horseshoe then flip over and turn get on gas then turn, brake turn turn turn and rap it out to 6th and pin it. start again. That is one lap on the long course. It is a fast track, real smooth save a few sealer spots, and lots of lefts. www.texasworldspeedway.com is the site i think and they have track maps. we'll be running the 2.9 mile road course. Hey Mongo, do you have any idea how many teams will be entered? [This message has been edited by Texracer85 (edited 02-20-2001).]
Nope but if what I heard at the Indy show is any indication it'll be a good year for Endurance racing
From what I remember the long course goes outside the oval track????? Looking at the map there is a pretty tight little corner right before you go back inside the oval??? Is there a wall/gate that leads back inside the oval? That could pose some danger issues?
Give us some credit... We will not run an unsafe track when an obviously safe one is already there. You cannot tell what a corner looks like from a map, wait until you get there and see it with your own two eyes before posting something that will only serve to unnecessarily get people worried about nothing.
Well, it's not the safest turn in the world, but I don't think it's horrible if the hay bales are set up right. It is the turn were Ryan Smith was killed in '99, but there were no bales in place then, just tires in front of the Armco.
Unfortunately Racing poses some danger issues. The corner you are referring to is a right hander immedeately after a left and while run off is not huge, it so so heavily bailed that I personally don't have any reservations about it. I have seen about 5 guys go down there and all ended up sitting on top of the bails waiting for the crash truck. In 2.9 miles of track there are so many passing oppertunities that if nobody ever passed there it wouldn't effect the outcome of a race I don't think. Like Mongo said, if it was a real safety issue clubs wouldn't race it.(we have 2 here that use it)
The turn coming back into the old course is safer than before (it's all relative though) now that there are bales set up. As long as you don't try to go banzai through there or try to force a pass everything should be okay. There is a short chute (approx. 45-50 yds.) leading to the horseshoe turn that allows for a better passing opp. than the off camber turn in question. Not to say that people don't pass there, however, those people are usually running FUSA and AMA rounds and run close to track record speed.
ip Mongo, if someone died there I don't think it is worrying about nothing. I know you will do everything in your power to make it as safe as possible. Essentially I am asking...Why even risk it...or put the huge amounts of time and effort into making the corner safe when "there is an obviously safe track already there." I though we had some awesome action there last year. The ESSES section was totally cool.
AIP. I can't speak for any clubs, but if you put 40 teams on 2.9 miles of track I think the available passing room and seperation of riders creates a safer enviorment than 40 riders on a 1.8 mile track. the back section offers at least 4 or 5 more safe passing spots. I for one would rather be passed on the back straight by 3 guys battling for the lead than in those Esses. I am not a WFO balls to the wall rider, but the longer track in my opinion offers greater saftey over the broad spectum than shoe-horning multiple riders on the short track. I think last year there were only 22 entries, so it was cozy, I think this race will see at least double that. And I repeat, this only MY opinion and does not represent the powers that be.
You make a very valid point it can get very hairy when you get 45 or 50 bikes out there. WERA rule of thumb is 25 bikes per mile of track with a few exceptions (track width etc.) As a photographer the Armco allows me access to a photo opportunity. But as a friend of several of the riders I felt it important to pose the why question.
Well, maybe. Remember that there's a CMRA race the same day at Cresson, I imagine that's where most of the locals will be, particularly the faster ones.
[/b][/QUOTE] Well, maybe. Remember that there's a CMRA race the same day at Cresson, I imagine that's where most of the locals will be, particularly the faster ones.[/B][/QUOTE] Good Point Rich, forgot about that. But I think there is more contingency money going on with the WERA race, so bounty hunters will probably be there looking to make a few duckies. If only the top 50 get into cresson from the CMRA series I think WERA should see a full grid. Who knows??? Until they pay from last to 5th to last I am out of the money race. Guess I'll keep doing it for fun. [This message has been edited by Texracer85 (edited 02-20-2001).]
I think that there will more of a turn out than you might think from the CMRA guys, because of the $$. It depends though on how the TOP teams do in their Rd.1 and where they stand. Still the guys who run the WERA National circuit are not slow by any imagination, and I think the long track will show this better than the 1.8 mi. I think that this is going to be a fun weekend all around, and as far as the turn that everyone is talking about, I think that as long as everyone uses their head everything will be fine.
After having covered and raced at events where the TWS 2.9-mile course has been in use, I think that I have some insight here. Once racers run the long course, they will wonder why they didn't run it all along. Yes, my friend Ryan Smith was killed right in front of my eyes in that corner. Yes, it was dangerous. Was it more dangerous than turn 15 at IRP or the last turn at Putnam Park? No. The next event that was run on the 2.9-mile course saw three riders lowside into the same corner that claimed Ryan. There were so many haybales that none of the riders made it to the wall and walked away. A little common sense in that corner goes along way. I repeat, once you run the long course, you will never want to go back! This is my personal opinion.
