Pukekohe Alterations... Coming Soon!

[racer6]

Pukekohe had a track inspection yesterday due to safety issues and the decision is to revise the southern end of the track. The aim is to reduce the speed over the coming onto the front straight. Representatives from both car and motorcycle racing organisers were present and the attached image illustrates the unanimous decision.

The modification will be made in approximately six weeks time (mid-October). This will also require the removal of a large armco barrier that is a real safety hazard at present for motorcycles in particular. Time will tell how it affects the track…

[digsaw]

Now thats a very good idea,next fix the Jennien homes corner EG fix the bumps and it should be all good :scooter:

[R6_kid]

are they going to be doing something about the extension of the pit entrance wall? Last I heard bike racing was banned at pukekohe until a resolution on the temporary removal of the new extension had been reached. This was only for racing though and did not affect track day use for motorcycles apart from making it that little bit more dangerous.

[racer6]

The armco (pit wall extension) you refer to will be completely removed as part of the changes. The aim is to slow the track down including speeds over the top of the hill. The changes were apparently agreed to by officials from MCNZ and the various car race organisers (incl. V8 supercars).

[DEATH_INC.]

Looks like a good idea 'cept that it'll aim you straight at the wall onto the front straight....hope they create a little more runoff there....

[Kickaha]

Now thats a very good idea,next fix the Jennien homes corner EG fix the bumps and it should be all good :scooter:

:lol: it's been like that for at least 15 years, what do you reckon the chances of the sorting it out now are?

[cowpoos]

Now thats a very good idea,next fix the Jennien homes corner EG fix the bumps and it should be all good :scooter:
why.....its got personality...bumps are all part of learning and riding a track...

[Toast]

Decent idea, although it doesn't solve the problem of there being virtually no run-off in that area.

I reckon that they should shorten the front straight, bring Jennian back a bit, and then Castrol can have some run-off (or they could pay for the train tracks to be moved out a bit.

While they're at it, put a right-left just after Castrol...fuck the horses.

I agree with Poos, bumps are all good. It helps to even out the power wars too...powerful bikes can't put as much of it down when there's bumps for the suspension to deal with too.

[Two Smoker]

Personally i dont think it will slow down the speeds over the top of the hill due to the acceleration of 600's and 1000's... The track is fine... Its the run off that needs work...

The bumps add excitment and bike control, the speed is incredible all it needs is an extra 50-100 metres run off area, which wont happen due to the stupid fucking horses...

[twinshock750]

True unfortunately Puke will never get the money spent to make it a place with great run off. The money is just not there.

At least the proposed change has most official parties happy and a chance to slow the entry into the right over the hill and thus it will reduce ultimate velocity.

The entry may be around about a second gear corner, not a 4th gear one...so it will slow people. The physics of it can't be denied.

Heard a fact that I didn't know - that about 3 car drivers have been killed there in the last few years...So as it transpires they are keen to slow things down also.

Got to be better than the armco and make things a little more interesting.

[racer6]

It is a dollars and cents thing and this is really a cheap fix that 'should' make it safer make it safer... but the Jennian bumps remain!

[loosebruce]

Too fucken late for some people out there, should've been done a long time ago, stuff puke, bring on Hampton Downs.

[twinshock750]

"I cant see the alteration making a great deal of difference once everyone gets used to the new layout, the speeds will creep up again and whamo.. someones in the wall. DED"

Apart from the obvious fact that the entry speed will be about 1/2 current...

Any self respecting racer would only need 10 laps to find the fast line (as in speed doesn't creep up when you are racing, you are "there"), but if you start at the bottom of the hill in second like the track diagram is suggesting you won't get the same exit speed and that same new proposed slower speed right hander before the hill will put people onto the proper line (ie on the left) at the entry over the hill rather than the half arsed one we all use that puts us wide at the top.

Twat racers will always find al wall even if they have to go out of their way.

What would I know though, I've only been racing there for 20 + years and have highsided coming over the hill....

[racer6]

When you stand there and see the markings on the ground the new layout is going to be pretty tight... the left hander will be 2nd gear at best. 2nd, not 4th, must mean dramatically reduced speeds for everyone.

The bottom line is it's happening and they are doing it to try and reduce crashes and injuries.

[Cleve]

Personally i dont think it will slow down the speeds over the top of the hill due to the acceleration of 600's and 1000's... The track is fine... Its the run off that needs work...

Dunno Chris. If it is a slow 2nd gear left hand corner now on a 600 we may be lucky to get up enough speed to put your knee down coming onto the front straight. Agree that it is not the speed of the corner that is the problem but the lack of run off.

I guess the only way we will know is when it is finished and we actually get to go around the place.

and yes as Bruce says.. BRING ON HD. Quickly!!

[GSVR]

Its very hard to tell just looking at a drawing that doesn't actually show the true width of the track.

The new short track at taupo has a chicane that comes onto the back (long) straight that may slow cars down alot but for bikes theres a very narrow straight raceline through it. This actually has the effect of making the track very narrow at this point if you want the good line where you don't have turn the bike.


I've never riden on Puke but this makes the track more interesting and appealing to have a ride around. Most of what I've heard about it is its a very simple track to learn and horsepower is what you need and plenty of it.

[paturoa]

It will prob cause more bins coming up over the right hand sweeper onto the front straight as will be on the gas and changing gears. As opposed to now being shit scary but constant-ish speed.

The bins should be lower speed but... I've always thought it would be cheap to put a bull dozer thru the front of the bleachers and make a bigger run off / sand trap there.

[RiderInBlack]

I too would have thought it was the exit of the Hill corner that is the main problem, not the entry. Would be happier if they had a better run-off exiting that corner with the armco not as close.

How about this imsead? (see green bit on attached pic).

But at the end of the day putting time and money into finnishing Hampton Downs would be smarter, IMHO.

[paturoa]

Thats excellent RIB and solves the run off problem too.

I was always a fan of the old track too - in blue, should do all 3 mods.

Now all we need is some good rate payers to front up with $s -- oh silly me.

[GSVR]

I too would have thought it was the exit of the Hill corner that is the main problem, not the entry. Would be happier if they had a better run-off exiting that corner with the armco not as close.

How about this imsead? (see green bit on attached pic).


So where do you propose you put the huge expensive drainage channel where your idea for the track runs over?

[Two Smoker]

Dunno Chris. If it is a slow 2nd gear left hand corner now on a 600 we may be lucky to get up enough speed to put your knee down coming onto the front straight. Agree that it is not the speed of the corner that is the problem but the lack of run off.

I guess the only way we will know is when it is finished and we actually get to go around the place.

and yes as Bruce says.. BRING ON HD. Quickly!!

I tend to disagree... Second gear through the tight left hander, hook third on the short straight before the hill then hook 4th coming up the hill... Speed will be about the same, maybe a touch slower... But as Paturoa said, the likelihood of bins is increased as you will be on the throttle through the corner, rather than carrying a constant speed through it...

Also as Bruce said, it is too late for people like me... That one crash has serverly stuffed my racing up, and im only now just getting back into the swing of things financially, physically and on the racing side of things too...

Dont know about you guys, but when i race at the nationals im there to go hard and race hard... Not pose and pussy foot around...

[Two Smoker]

Aww c'mon, chris, what with those pretty new leathers and gear!! And that doll, of a girlfreind you got, damn, I would sure be posing bro!

But i roughed up the leathers..... hehehe just wait till you see the paint job i have in mind and the new promo clothes Chloe is getting...:blip: :blip: :blip:

[loosebruce]

The new short track at taupo has a chicane that comes onto the back (long) straight that may slow cars down alot but for bikes theres a very narrow straight raceline through it. This actually has the effect of making the track very narrow at this point if you want the good line where you don't have turn the bike.

In regards to that chicance ever taken the time to look straight ahead of you at that nice concrete wall on the other side of the straight, with the speed of the big bore bikes bearing down on that chicane that wall isn't very far away at all if a mistake was too happen, two bikes fighting for the racing line one shoved on to the grass and............

Yea the new puke alteratin will slow speeds down but as chris said, instead of carrying a reasonable constant throttle through the hill, obviously not constant but coming out of a slow(sih) corner and being hard on the gas all the way up the hill, even at the "slower" speeds that wall is still not that far away.

[trev]

2 questions if anyone knows the answers :-

- when are these changes happening ?
- how long will the track be shut during the changes ?
- is Puke now part of the nationals again ?

O.K. - so I can't count

[Quasievil]

Well here is my pennies worth for easy changes

[keza]

ive had two goog mates die their now they think of fixing things not that it would be that different should redue the whole track or forgrt it go to taupo

[Two Smoker]

ive had two goog mates die their now they think of fixing things not that it would be that different should redue the whole track or forgrt it go to taupo

Completely agree...

[Kickaha]

Well here is my pennies worth for easy changes

They don't adress the issue of speed and insufficent runoff over the hill and neither do the proposed alterations,if it wasn't for the fact a National round is held there I wouldn't ever bother with the place.

I thought the place was shithole when I first went there in 1989 and the last few visits certainly haven't changed my opinion

[racer6]

I think we've just about reached the "wait and see" time. It's only when it's done that everyone will know how fast or slow it is, how much run-off there is, how much it affects speed over the hill etc. etc.

My understanding is they may even be sealing a larger area than necessary and (believe it or not) using cones to mark variations for people to test before the final shape is finalised. At that stage the excess seal will be removed. This sounds a bit unscientific to me but if that's what they decide/need to do to achieve the desired result then why not...

None of us will really know until it's done...

[R6_kid]

Racer6, would your name be murray by any chance?

[twinshock750]

I'm impressed by the lack of logic behind Quasievil's suggested alterations at turn one and down the back straight....

1) There's a small problem with a horse stable and removing probably the fastest corner in the country...
2) So what's the change down the back going to achieve? All that will will do is remove the last place in NZ to let the big dogs off the leash...

The other sugesstion (By RIB) that puts a chicane at the top of the hill...hmmm. That exit points you at solid shit as well and does nothing to slow people down on the way in like where TS bit the dust.

What you all forget is that the places to get hurt are in to AND over the top of the hill, not so much on the very exit....eg

1) Where Twosmoker bailed off ie at the second left and
2) Up over the top where Pete Summers was fatally injured a few years ago. I was led to believe Pete's accident was not all the "track's" fault. As in his bike's gearbox was playing up and he was riding around a problem which meant he was having to do odd things mid corner . Or where Cary fired the ZX10R at the VK300.

So can anyone explain what or how these two suggestions would have stopped those two riders falling off?

Let's think about physics for a minute. The faster you go, the more energy you have. This means that the faster you go, the longer it takes to slow down. So the fast you are going when you fall off, the further you are likley to slide. Still with me here?

Behind the crash bags that get put there every meeting at considerable expense for every meeting, there's a big concrete wall and behind it you may have notice there's a big hill....hope you are hanging here....

Last year they moved a similar sized hill at laguna Seca before the GP and the costs was 7 figures US. Anyone got that to spend? Staying with me still here I hope as we working to a FACT based solution here using resources that may be achieveable and not in someones pipe dream.

So lets go back down the track a little and add a sequence which will slow the entry. That fixes the entry (problem 1) above) and It will most likely mean everyone is on a better line into the proper entry of the right hander for the hill and less oblique to the wall, going slower.

Now the going slower bit is quite critical here - it means you won't slide as far and the angle gives you more room as well. When you are steering with your feet and dragging your palms on the track trying to slow down, every inch counts as far as I'm concerned.

Kickaha - that answer your question about speed and run off? It may well be a shit hole, but it's our shit hole and some idiots did bad shit which meant we couldn't use it. The boys here are doing all they can to make it better than before. I can imagine you being pissy if some car driver groups did a similar thing at Ruapuna.

Another bit for RIB - why would Puke put money into Hampton Downs? be like Suzuki giving money to Honda to develop the next Fireplace that they may or may not build....

Seeya

[RiderInBlack]

The other sugesstion (By RIB) that puts a chicane at the top of the hill...hmmm. That exit points you at solid shit as well and does nothing to slow people down on the way in like where TS bit the dust.Sweet as:niceone: But I still don't think the alteration they are planing is going to fix the risks of that corner enough to be effective ether.


Another bit for RIB - why would Puke put money into Hampton Downs?I was not suggesting that the Puke Owners put money into HDowns. They are Horsey Racing buggers that have on more than one occasion threatened to close the track to motor sports.
I am on the other hand suggesting that the local Track using motor sport groups get behind HDowns so that they will have a track more suitable for them and not waste their time with Puke (where they run the risk of getting kicked off).

[twinshock750]

duped post refer below guys.

[twinshock750]

Sweet as:niceone: But I still don't think the alteration they are planing is going to fix the risks of that corner enough to be effective ether.

I was not suggesting that the Puke Owners put money into HDowns. They are Horsey Racing buggers that have on more than one occasion threatened to close the track to motor sports.
I am on the other hand suggesting that the local Track using motor sport groups get behind HDowns so that they will have a track more suitable for them and not waste their time with Puke (where they run the risk of getting kicked off).

1) Still don't think it will make a difference? Yeah, and based upon what known facts is that? I've attended almost every motorcycle race meeting or ride day at Pukekohe since 1979 in one shape or form, including spectator, mechanic, sponsor, competitor, official and steward. Many of the problems at the top started as a result of the few extra knots everyone was carrying as a result of the change to the section from the hairpin to the entry to the hill. Granted bikes are making shit loads more horsepower than 15 years ago when the ciruit was changed, but at the same time the tyre and suspension has come along way too. But the fact remains, the entry speed screws people at the top too because they get in too hot on the wrong line and run out of road.

2) You don't think that they aren't already? Why should it just be them - what are you and all the other riders, drivers and spectators doing to make HD a reality? Talk is cheap unfortunately and it's getting the talk into action that HD needs more than anything right now I think.

And HD is not certain so we need to make sure we have something which is Pukekohe. This process is called having a plan B.

I know I'm hanging for HD too, but I'm not sure any any of us could affort it....