Pukekohe alterations... COMPLETED!!!!???

[racer6]

At long last the issue over the Armco Barrier that has stopped bikes racing at Pukekohe for some time and made it a less safe place for all of us to ride has been resolved...

The story as I heard it today is that Gary (who essentially runs Pukekohe Raceway) was driving a forklift which had an unfortunate accident that effectively lifted and removed the 100 metres of Armco that caused the long running issues. Gary is okay, as is the forklift, but the Armco was damaged beyond repair and has been completely removed from the Raceway.

Subsequent to this a new Armco has been erected very similar to the previous one that allows considerably more run-off area in the event of an unfortunate incident. In addition a tyre barrier will be placed in front of the Armco to reduce the force of any impact.

So the bottom line is... Pukekohe is back to where it was at a year ago and, from what I'm told, has been given the okay for bikes again as it is at least as safe as it used to be... Thanks Gary!

[Sketchy_Racer]

wow. 100 metres of armco with a fork lift!!

I guess when you work at a track, you'll be fast around there on anything!!!!

[sAsLEX]

I heard those forklifts can be a bugger to steer when you're drunk!

[Sketchy_Racer]

Mate. They should have instaled Ohlins suspension.

That would surely fix the huge understeer issue!!

[thealmightytaco]

But is it safer to scrape along a wall that's closer or to go head on into a wall that's a bit further away? Mind you someone'd find a way to head on a closer angled wall I'm sure.

[sAsLEX]

But is it safer to scrape along a wall that's closer or to go head on into a wall that's a bit further away? Mind you someone'd find a way to head on a closer angled wall I'm sure.

The old one is straight on from a left hand bend so any crash would send the rider straight into rather than along the removed armco.

[BornToLean]

The Classic Motorcycle Racing club paid to have that bit of Armco removed for their race meeting last weekend. As of last Sunday, it was suppose to be going back in..........

[bugjuice]

the run off area was/is fine.. it's the brief stop that's the problem. They should be fixing that. The slanted amco was better imho, not this again

[trumpy]

I have never ridden a bike at Pukekohe so I can't make any comment from that point of view. However having driven single seaters here, with this arrangement, a good nudge from the side in this area would almost certainly result in a Radisich type stop (grass on its own does diddly squat to slow down 420+kg of car plus driver). For us, the side on attack was a better deal.
"Outcroppings" like this are dangerous. Ever seen anyone hit the one down the front straight? Always results in major carnage and then to rub salt in the wound the bastards send you a bill for the damage!

[Damon]

from what i heard, i think from the amcc news letter the corner was going to be re-aligned to make it tighter into more of a corner rather than a sweeper to slow people down which would resolve need for such a big run off

[justsomeguy]

What's the fuss about??

I thought the next corner was the one people had trouble with.

By the time you reach there you are either rolling off or braking anyway as you can enter the two left handers there faster than you can enter the sweeping right hander over the hill. (Correct me if I'm wrong).

I don't know if the slanted Armco was better as you may slide along it or you or your bike may get bounced back onto the track.

[boomer]

What's the fuss about??

I thought the next corner was the one people had trouble with.

By the time you reach there you are either rolling off or braking anyway as you can enter the two left handers there faster than you can enter the sweeping right hander over the hill. (Correct me if I'm wrong).

I don't know if the slanted Armco was better as you may slide along it or you or your bike may get bounced back onto the track.

your shittin me arent ya?? as soon as you come out of the hairpin your throttle on and never let off until you come into jennings!

[justsomeguy]

your shittin me arent ya?? as soon as you come out of the hairpin your throttle on and never let off until you come into jennings!


No you don't let off - but don't you hold it steady and stop accelerating when you swap from left to right after the 2nd left from the hairpin until you enter the right hander over the hill???

Or do you keep accelerating right through the left to right transition??

[enigma51]

No you don't let off - but don't you hold it steady and stop accelerating when you swap from left to right after the 2nd left from the hairpin until you enter the right hander over the hill???

Or do you keep accelerating right through the left to right transition??

By the time I hold it steady is when I am going up the hill even then its a slowly openeing the throttle till the top

[enigma51]

I must say that having no more armco there was a blessing!

[enigma51]

What's the fuss about??

I thought the next corner was the one people had trouble with.



Yip that one is also an issue but if im not mistaken the removed armco is where two smoke had his off !

[justsomeguy]

Yip that one is also an issue but if im not mistaken the removed armco is where two smoke had his off !


I see.

I originally thought they were repairing the corner near the hill - as that off camber turn scared me the most even at the slow speeds I do compared to you guys.

[racer6]

As I ride at Pukekohe often... very often... this is much better than having the Armco along side. Sure the replacement is essentially head on but it's a long way further down the track than where you would have hit the Armco as it was up until Gary's unfortunate accident(?).

Once it has the tyres etc. in front of it it has to e better than it was and, from my point of view, it's still a far better/safer place to ride fast than on the open road...

[quackquack]

They are also going to put a chicane in on the run out of the hairpin to slow down people over the top of the hill.

[R6_kid]

ok then, why not make the grass a sandtrap and then have a tyre wall 3ft high running halfway between the track and the 'new' wall, that'd provide a lot more stopping power than the grass thats there at the moment.

[RM125king]

they need tyres right around the whole track on the inside of the armco. causes so much damage when you hit them. im still rebuilding my bike. should be finished this week :bye: