Thanks VMCC volunteers

[GSVR]

Thanks to all the volunteers that did the marshalling and organisation of the meeting today (20th May). I felt very safe in the way the meeting was run. There was a huge turnout of riders so every aspect of the job was that much harder. Then the drizzle putting just enough water on the track to lift all the slippery residues to the surface turned the meeting into a disaster. Crash crews and medical personal were busy continuosly until the meeting was abandoned.

Better luck for Manfeild.

[Nicksta]

yup.. .well done... as anticipated, it was a very tight ship....
I had a blast, the time i was out on the track.... and the marshalling, ambo and pick up crew did a great job... was a bit hard seeing the flags when they were held solid as apposed to waving... but you can all pat yourselves on the back...
bit gutted you called the day, but the track wasnt conjusive to bikes today :(

see you at manfeild!

[JayRacer37]

Thanks to all the volunteers that did the marshalling and organisation of the meeting today (20th May). I felt very safe in the way the meeting was run. There was a huge turnout of riders so every aspect of the job was that much harder. Then the drizzle putting just enough water on the track to lift all the slippery residues to the surface turned the meeting into a disaster. Crash crews and medical personal were busy continuosly until the meeting was abandoned.

Better luck for Manfeild.

Yea very good effort, shit happens I guess. Exellent oragnisation, the time lost while scraping up people that got their intentions confused with their abilities (not me today, phew!) was minimalised completly. See you all at Minefeild, can't wait.
Cheers

[skelstar]

Yeah you guys were great. Maybe not the most popular call, made more difficult with the bluw skies afterwards, but you stuck to your decision and committed to it. Was friggin scary to watch sometimes (pit crew not racer).

[moT]

yeah that wet track was getting slippy was getting used to drifting bike at end of day:niceone: but i think that the racing should of been posponed for an hour the track would of cleared up nicely.. and clubmans had to be restarted 4 times. how many ppl crashed in superlite after that?

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

There were 27 offs, 3 broken/sprained collarbones and quite a few bikes damaged. Clerk of Course, after consultation with riders, had to make a decision, the track was just not up to bike racing standards. I believe this matter is being taken up with Taupo Racetrack officials re the condition of the track. Progress on this matter will be posted on the VMCC website as soon as information is to hand.

As one of the volunteers, thank you for your appreciation of our efforts. I received some very positive feedback about it being canned. One guy who did coroner reports on bike accidents in the UK (where 3 people were killed in one day on the track!! what a nightmare) and who raced today said altho it was a tough call and it takes guts to make that kind of call - he deemed it the right one. As he said - how would you explain at an inquest "You had 27 offs - didn't that indicate that the meeting should be called off?"

Roll on Manfield. I also want to address the problem of bikes waiting too long at the dummy grid. Having worked in the pit crew side of things - I couldn't help but think - tyres are getting cold, gas is being used!!

It was a hard ride home on the bike for me - cold and I was conscious of being very tired so had to have a few coffee stops. I did enjoy myself and learnt heaps.

I know many were disappointed at the decision to can the meeting but I was amazed at the positive attitude of bikers and pit crews. With the exception of only one (and another experienced biker sorted him out) no-one nutted off.
The above comments also support a positive attitude and that's really neat.

Thank you.

[JayRacer37]

It was a hard ride home on the bike for me - cold and I was conscious of being very tired so had to have a few coffee stops. I did enjoy myself and learnt heaps.
.

Ahh....so it was BMW I ran into at the gas station in Bull's....how was that visor on the way home in the dark?

Good to hear it was a fun day anyways....

[et al]

Big thanks from Gunner and myself to all involved in the VMCC organisation today, I appreciate you guys making the decision to stop the meeting and agree totally that it was the best course of action to be taken. I am still trying to figure out why there were so many crashes today and have to wonder what is going on with the Taupo track surface. At Frosty's track day 2 weeks ago there were a lot more crashes than I thought should be normally acceptable, and although there was a little bit of rain on the track today who would have expected that to be responsible on its own for the carnage? There was a car meeting held there yesterday which I believe was an endurance race so maybe there was a bit of debris left over from that but seems to me like that track surface even on a good day is not offering up the sort of predictable grip needed for bike racing.

[HDTboy]

Thanks to the VMCC volunteers. I was happy to keep racing, but see the point in calling the meeting off.

[JayRacer37]

seems to me like that track surface even on a good day is not offering up the sort of predictable grip needed for bike racing.

Yea, for whatever reason ,the surface can be very, very unpredictabe and changable. This is something, along with other safety issues that myself and a few others pointed out to the MNZ steward of the day.

Hopefully Taupo circuit owners will pay some heed to our recomendations because personally, I don;t belive the circuit is fully safe for bikes to be competing on - nwither do MNZ apparently as they havn't scheduled a national meeting there.
The shorter layout we ran today is PARTICULARLY dangerous, and I would not be happy racing on that layout again, if it were to remain the same.
The club made the right call today, no doubt.

[limbimtimwim]

There were 27 offs, 3 broken/sprained collarbones and quite a few bikes damaged.Twenty Seven!!!!
<img src=http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/nucleus/media/21/20070403-bushclinton.jpg>

[bistard]

Yea, for whatever reason ,the surface can be very, very unpredictabe and changable. This is something, along with other safety issues that myself and a few others pointed out to the MNZ steward of the day.

Hopefully Taupo circuit owners will pay some heed to our recomendations because personally, I don;t belive the circuit is fully safe for bikes to be competing on - nwither do MNZ apparently as they havn't scheduled a national meeting there.
The shorter layout we ran today is PARTICULARLY dangerous, and I would not be happy racing on that layout again, if it were to remain the same.
The club made the right call today, no doubt.

I agree Jay,the short version of the track that we competed on was dangerous
Having been in Mals shoes,Clerk of the course,for many years,I think it was the right decision on the day & I now wonder if th Vic Club should have the final round of the series there also??
Other than the track surface I think the new facilities are first rate & the other tracks in NZ should take note

[Deano]

Big thanks to all those who were helping out at the track. You guys were busier than a British bricklayer in Bombay, what with all the carnage.

It was amazing to see so many bikes at a meeting - no wonder it's hard to get volunteers to help - every one wants to be out there racing !

[Shaun]

I agree Jay,the short version of the track that we competed on was dangerous
Having been in Mals shoes,Clerk of the course,for many years,I think it was the right decision on the day & I now wonder if th Vic Club should have the final round of the series there also??
Other than the track surface I think the new facilities are first rate & the other tracks in NZ should take note

Agree with the above, accept for the facilities?

The place was an absolute PIG STY! All the rubbish bins were full to over flowing, they need to clean the place up, you cannot hire some thing to some one, and hand it over in that condition, it was a joke

[bistard]

The problem was Shaun,that the track was used for a 24 hour car race the day before & remember we are only motorcyclists!!
Jokes aside apart from the rubbish & track condition it was good,does that sound better??

[Keystone19]

My added thanks to all the volunteers also. Very smoothly run by a very friendly and on-to-it crew.

The decision to call off was a tough one and big ups for making the call.

Hope all those who had offs heal quickly and bikes are easy to mend!

[Possum41]

i agree shaun, we would pay just as much to hire the facilities as car meetings so they should pull their fingers out of their bumholes and offer us what we pay for.
Thanks to all marshalls and those involved with running the day, after me finally getting some good results i was dissapointed with the cancellation but safety MUST come first.

Cheers

[Duke girl]

I would like to comment to those who thought the bikes were being held on the dummy grid 4 too long. The problem for that happening was due to riders not coming up to thier right grid positions and also riders going out in the wrong race and pulling up on the start line in someone elses grid position whos race it was. U have to realise that the club has responsibilities to make sure that everything is done the way it is suppose to and that safety plays a huge part in running a good meeting. Y should the volunteers b attacked for doing wat they r suppose to just because of those riders who cant sort themselves out once arriving on the start line. Also I would like to congratulate Mel Jackson for making the decision he did in calling the race meeting off due to the high risk to the riders being for the condition of the track. For those who didnt agree try putting yr feet into his shoes and c it from where he stands, as we all know who it would have come back on if there was a loss of life. Look forward to the next meeting at Manfield on the 16th. Happy motorcycling everyone.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

In reply to Dukegirl. Alot was also due to having to clean the track up - getting rid of the carnage and dirt off the track.

[roadracingoldfart]

Mel , your the god at the meetings and your decision is final. You made the call at the time based on the condition of the track .
My gripe is about the guys that crashed on the first lap being heros and just trying far too hard. When the track is like it was yesterday just ease into the bloody thing. I personally only had one slide when i was dumb enough to touch a white line at the side of the track but i could also see the tyre tracks of the guys that had been through before me so knew it was damp.
The clubmans guys, well they are new to this game and need to learn racecraft sometimes by getting spat off, although sad its just part of bike racing.
As brought up by BISTARD i also ask if we should go to the Taupo track for round 6 and i asked this question in a letter in the oily rag last year and still do ask it.
Its alot of money for a rider, its the highest track in the southern hemisphere (yes just by the mountains) in bloody winter,and its a track thats basically aimed at cars. The facilities are much of a muchness as only a small percentage of riders really use them but they are better than Manfeild i think, but hey, theyre new aye so they should be.
Thats probebly enough to get me in the shit but hey , free speech is a great thing.
Cheers Paul.

[Clivoris]

Thanks all for the understanding comments. Very tough call for The Clerk of Course and MNZ Steward, but they didn't have any choice given the carnage. Disappointing for all especially after the sun came out. However, my understanding is that the oil and other residues that had been brought to the surface by the rain showers, continued to sit on the surface of the track. This meant that the track continued to be too slippery, despite the sunshine.
I have to agree with the comments about how unsafe the T2 configuration is for bikes. I only managed two and a bit laps of qualifying before accepting that my bike wasn't going to play nice, and that was long enough to notice the tyre wall etc. I do know that Taupo have been suprised by the numbers interested in competing at our meetings and this will hopefully result in them taking our concerns and requirements seriously.

[MikeyG]

Disappointing for all especially after the sun came out. However, my understanding is that the oil and other residues that had been brought to the surface by the rain showers, continued to sit on the surface of the track. This meant that the track continued to be too slippery, despite the sunshine.

Having been out there in the crash van picking up bikes after we were all told the pin was pulled I agree with Clive. T1 and T2 especially felt as if bikes had ridden through oil earlier on the track and left a coating of it on the racing line.

On T1 there was a 2-3m wide section on the inside of the corner beside the apex where I could easily slide my shoes across the track surface and I am not surprised by the number of crashes - in fact I am surprised there weren't more crashes on this corner.

Please no more crashing at the next rounds. I've got a sore back and shoulders from picking up bikes.

[Clivoris]

As brought up by BISTARD i also ask if we should go to the Taupo track for round 6 and i asked this question in a letter in the oily rag last year and still do ask it.
Its alot of money for a rider, its the highest track in the southern hemisphere (yes just by the mountains) in bloody winter,and its a track thats basically aimed at cars. The facilities are much of a muchness as only a small percentage of riders really use them but they are better than Manfeild i think, but hey, theyre new aye so they should be.
Thats probebly enough to get me in the shit but hey , free speech is a great thing.
Cheers Paul.
Fair comments Paul. It is a lot of money to get there but when there is traction it is a primo track, especially the full circuit. We had pretty full entries too so I think that shows that a lot of riders think it is worth going to. However, the safety issues definitely need to be looked at. They could have cleaned out the bins and the toilets too. My daughter told me she had to wade through empty beer bottles in one of the womens toilets. I can only assume they were from the day before.

Please no more crashing at the next rounds. I've got a sore back and shoulders from picking up bikes.

Sorry Mikey:laugh: . I think I forgot to tell you that this marshalling thing can almost be like exercise. Maybe someone here on KB will volunteer to be your assistant?

[Torque]

Yep, thanks to all the voluntary work at the track yesterday :yes:Was not happy with the call to not let myself and 15 other bikes on the track for a scrub in session though! We all got stopped because only a certain number of bikes were allowed on the track, not because we turned up late. I had to do the qualifing on new rubber so had very short time to put down a good time. I was allso one of the unlucky ones to bin my bike at a cost of at least $3000. 27 bikes down was a joke. Taupo has a cleaning machine i am told and it was not used after a car endurance race the day before. If you say all 27 bikes had damage like mine at a cost of $2000 thats $54000!! not to mention the brocken bones. I think the track surface needs to be looked at, i know we had a little drizzle but i raced all 5 rounds of the Nationals and we had drizzle at times and no offs. The track should of been in a fit condition to race on. Maybe the suface is new but you could see heaps of crap and oil after a small sprinkle of rain. Hope all the guy's and girls that fell off yesterday heal up quickly. Roll on the next round and i hope we stay upright.:yes:

[scracha]

yeah that wet track was getting slippy was getting used to drifting bike at end of day:niceone: but i think that the racing should of been posponed for an hour the track would of cleared up nicely.. and clubmans had to be restarted 4 times. how many ppl crashed in superlite after that?
It wasn't wet track that was the problem. In fact, a good healthy cloudburst was what was needed to clean all the $hite that the ickle drizzle had brought to the surface.



My gripe is about the guys that crashed on the first lap being heros and just trying far too hard. When the

Umm..that was me at T7. :dodge: I'd braked much harder for T1 & T5 without a hint of a slide or tyre chirrup so inexperienced moi hadn't got it into his thick head that not all braking zones have the same grip. At least my leathers are christened and I've learn't that crashing hurts.

I see that Taupo have invited the drifters back to fu#k up the track even more (again).

[HDTboy]

I see that Taupo have invited the drifters back to fu#k up the track even more (again).

We do have to share, it's not just our sandpit

[Possum41]

We do have to share, it's not just our sandpit

It does sometimes feel that because we are only bike racers and maybe because we don't attract big crowds to our events, that the curcuit organisers are not giving us a fair deal. Like i said earlier we pay the same price to use the facilities so we should have them handed to us the same clean way. Same with the curcuit it should be handed to us in a racable and usable condition, even more so to us because we only have two wheels (sometimes only 1) on the damn thing.
I personally (not sponsored yet) would have shelled out close to $1500 for this weekend only to have it ended the way it was, i wouldv'e got more enjoyment at the local strip joint but never mind. Heads up to the organisers for their call.

[Keystone19]

I personally (not sponsored yet) would have shelled out close to $1500 for this weekend only to have it ended the way it was, i wouldv'e got more enjoyment at the local strip joint but never mind.

Hey maybe you should ask the local strip joint for sponsorship!



On another note, perhaps it may be worth VMCC looking at getting a partial refund for the state of the facilities and the condition of the track?

[Possum41]

Hey maybe you should ask the local strip joint for sponsorship!


i would but can't afford to go to one cause all my money goes into trying to beat everyone hehe

[Clivoris]

Taupo has a cleaning machine i am told and it was not used after a car endurance race the day before. If you say all 27 bikes had damage like mine at a cost of $2000 thats $54000!! not to mention the brocken bones. I think the track surface needs to be looked at, i know we had a little drizzle but i raced all 5 rounds of the Nationals and we had drizzle at times and no offs. The track should of been in a fit condition to race on. Maybe the suface is new but you could see heaps of crap and oil after a small sprinkle of rain. Hope all the guy's and girls that fell off yesterday heal up quickly. Roll on the next round and i hope we stay upright.:yes:

Good constructive feed-back people. Thanks and keep it coming. Torque, do you mean that there is "cleaning" machine that does something other than sweep the track? The track was definitely swept for us but if there is something that actually does more than sweep, we need to look into it. Some decent rain certainly would have been better than what we got. I suspect it's been a while since Taupo has had proper rain to wash the oil etc out.
Maybe we need to get the Karts back to sweep the track for us?:dodge:

[Deano]

I'd braked much harder for T1 & T5 without a hint of a slide or tyre chirrup so inexperienced moi hadn't got it into his thick head that not all braking zones have the same grip.

Some areas of the track were still ok, but the greasy bits were extremely greasy. Makes it hard to judge alright.

[Torque]

I think the machine just sweeps the track not wash it. Good to here it was swept but i could still see a fare bit of rubber and oil in places . Dont really now what the answer is. I had a great day at Taupo a couple of weeks ago,Motto TT track day. It was dry all day and you could go as hard as you like.

[Quasievil]

My gripe is about the guys that crashed on the first lap being heros and just trying far too hard. When the track is like it was yesterday just ease into the bloody thing. .


Well I crashed on the first lap and it wasnt from being a Hero and trying to hard at all, I had a wide line (funny that with a row of 5 bikes in a corner) and next second im on my arse, not from trying to hard not from being a hero or from lack of experience, the track was very greasy and when its greasy you crash, thats what happens, Particulary when you are trying to swerve hard to prevent hitting a rider already down.

Big Ups to the organisers for calling it quits, fantastic ballsy choice well done !
And big ups to the Marshalls, I was in the ambo listening to the radio comms and you guys where working hard out there !!

[scracha]

We do have to share, it's not just our sandpit

If someone shits in the sandpit they shouldn't be invited back.

[moT]

i think more ppl should go to more raining track days its not the bike or the track that is the problem

[Quasievil]

i think more ppl should go to more raining track days its not the bike or the track that is the problem

Its Was the track period ,end of story no questions !!

Could you imagine a endurance car race at Phillip Island before the GP ? no you couldnt, the organisers would not allow that to happen.....why well they would realise that the cars would likely dump oil and crap on the road.

I know we arent GP riders but we are similiar in the most relevant aspect in that we are all alive and prefer to stay this way.
Taupo racetrack owners are obvioulsy a bit brain dead about racing not to realise this and they should be booking the track accordingly

It was a near disaster

Many many experienced riders on top spec bikes went down for no reason other than track condition

[JayRacer37]

Its Was the track period ,end of story no questions !!

Many many experienced riders on top spec bikes went down for no reason other than track condition


Seconded Quasi. Track serface is weird...same happen when I fell off at the KB trackday a few weeks ago.

Strage shit goes on there.....

[moT]

If you say so I guess the track was unpredictible and hard to judge

[Clivoris]

I think I have neglected to add my thanks to the volunteers. So here it is. Many of the grid marshalls and other helpers were first timers recruited from amongst our very own KB ranks. You all did an outstanding job and the reality is that we would not have been able to run the winter series without y'all. Thanks again and I shall pass on the same warning I was given. "Watch those Vic Club bastards, they'll have you racing next".

[GIXser]

thanks to all that helped , even though i was pissed at the decision, i would like to thank you guys and gals that offer your valuable time,for events like this,,

THANKS

[kickingzebra]

Cheers all who helped out... The right call was definitly made. I had a walk over the front straight an hour after the call was made, turn one had dried nicely, with the exception of cement dust still loose.

However the turn onto the front straight was still very greasy.

Felt sorry for the first timer clubmans guys, being let out like lambs to the slaughter. Absolute carnage.

I have raced in pouring rain etc, but that was the first time I have been genuinely scared on a wet race track. It was like ice.

Congrats to Guy and Mel making the call.

[Nicksta]

I guess i was either lucky or blissfully ignorant as my bike did not loose traction once, i didnt feel her slide at all....

reading your posts, there was a 4 hour car endurance event on saturday that a friend of mine attended. After the event, taupo track had rented the track for a night event under flood lights to I believe a private group of road cars. This is what created the dirt and mess on the track around T7. The mess and beer bottles is also attributed to the night group. Taupo track people should have been there cleaning the place up before we got there and as Cleve mentioned, a clean of the track should have taken place to wash away the petrol/diesel left from the night group also.

I love taupo and call it my home track. It is suitable for bikes (maybe not the short T2) but I believe the track needs to be prepared for bikes and care should be taken by Taupo management so we can continue to use this fun track. The last round is on the full A1GP track, which will spread the field better than the short track. I personally hope VMCC keep the 2 race meets at taupo, October is a warm time so the elevation should not play a factor.
just my noobie $0.02c worth and inside information.

[roadracingoldfart]

Its Was the track period ,end of story no questions !!


Many many experienced riders on top spec bikes went down for no reason other than track condition


The other side of the coin is many inexperianced riders on various spec bikes stayed upright for the same reason i have already stated, they rode to their limits and the track conditions.
27 bikes went down out of how many actually competing ????
Ya just cant beat the maths.
If i crash in the dry it was most likely my fault. If i crash in the wet its most likely my fault and if i crash on a slipery oily track its not my fault , is that what your saying ???.
Hell some people trip over on a flat piece of concrete but can do an ironman run on 2 feet all the time so wheres the balance!!!. Ahhhh yer its the comfort zone extension init . We are humans and can cock it up and embarress ourselves.

[Keystone19]

27 bikes went down out of how many actually competing ????
Ya just cant beat the maths.
If i crash in the dry it was most likely my fault. If i crash in the wet its most likely my fault and if i crash on a slipery oily track its not my fault , is that what your saying ???.
.

I think it was your assumption that everyone who went down was inexperienced and going too hard that rankled...

[scrivy]

Being a hirer of the Taupo racetrack also, I would not have put up with the mess left behind from the previous hirers.
The Taupo racetrack management (MIT) should have been notified immediately upon you finding the mess. (Otherwise they could accuse you for the mess!!)

Once again Chris Lawrance and I are holding our Road Race Spectacular on Dec 27th and 28th on track two. I hope we get the same size turn out that you guys had yesterday!! Amazing!! I hope all the bikes can be easily repaired and injuries to body parts healed quickly.
Did the riders briefing not mention the Taupo rules to riders?? That is: No falling off!!
:shutup:

[scrivy]

Getting into this thread, I think you're all nuts!! :yes:
How can you mad buggars race around on just two wheels in all conditions??
You're all braver than me!! Don't beat yourselves up as to experience vs inexperience. You all deserve a pat on the back!! How many people have the balls to do what you guys do for fun?

(I still need training wheels to get around a track.) :bleh: oh, and a co-pilot

[ajturbo]

Agree with the above, accept for the facilities?

The place was an absolute PIG STY! All the rubbish bins were full to over flowing, they need to clean the place up, you cannot hire some thing to some one, and hand it over in that condition, it was a joke
THAT was my first thought when i turned up at 7.30.... next was, we must be too early for the rubbish people....


on a side note... how many crashes in the SS class??????...ummmmm errrr

NONE!!!!!

why is that?

knees were being scraped. (not mine)
spits were seen on visors.. (mine... on the OUT side)
brakes were aplied at the wrong time..(mine)
gears were changed.... down instead of up....... woops (rg's CAN rev to 16k!!!!!!)

[HDTboy]

This is what created the dirt and mess on the track around T7.

Kyle key crashing in the first F2 race did that. I was watching it from behind

[Nicksta]

well, thanks again to VMCC for organising a efficient smooth event....
heres the times on Mylaps:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=210180

(ps. gav... the dirt was there in practice inside and outside...)

[sAsLEX]

Why dont they have a "Womble" machine come and sweep the track before an event?

Or a high pressure water blaster/cleaner machine like Airports and large malls have? I see cost would be a problem but its a once off cost basically?

something like this http://www.euromec.co.uk/aquadyne_scrubbers.html

[GSVR]

Why dont they have a "Womble" machine come and sweep the track before an event?

Or a high pressure water blaster/cleaner machine like Airports and large malls have? I see cost would be a problem but its a once off cost basically?

something like this http://www.euromec.co.uk/aquadyne_scrubbers.html

Maybe Taupo doesnt get enough rain or something. The track probably has the highest usable of any track in NZ at the moment and possibly many of these events are allowing vehicles without catchtanks and radiators full of glychol overflowing.

Also I could just imaging some old classic car going round the track for 4 hours on the same line every lap dropping a couple of drops of oil at the same point each lap. Hardly noticable but the accumulative effect after 200 laps would not be trivial.

Personally I think maybe all the track needed was a good dose of rain. But one thing I did notice on pitlane was the white painted lines where like soap when wet. Hope the ones on the track aren't like that too.

Those overflowing rubbish bins where not on. If they can't even empty them between events someones job should go. Surely they have a staff member to check if everything is ok before the next organisation hiring the track comes along.

[sAsLEX]

Maybe Taupo doesnt get enough rain or something. The track probably has the highest usable of any track in NZ at the moment and possibly many of these events are allowing vehicles without catchtanks and radiators full of glychol overflowing.

Also I could just imaging some old classic car going round the track for 4 hours on the same line every lap dropping a couple of drops of oil at the same point each lap. Hardly noticable but the accumulative effect after 200 laps would not be trivial.

Personally I think maybe all the track needed was a good dose of rain. But one thing I did notice on pitlane was the white painted lines where like soap when wet. Hope the ones on the track aren't like that too.

Those overflowing rubbish bins where not on. If they can't even empty them between events someones job should go. Surely they have a staff member to check if everything is ok before the next organisation hiring the track comes along.

So wouldn't a road cleaner like in that link solve the problem of requiring rain? And leave the whole track more uniform? and just take a volunteer an hour or so to do in the morning, and make cleaning up after a spill/drifters/incident much easier

and negative points are that it costs , but with the amount of use the track gets they are making a bit of dosh on it , and this will mean a better experience for all

but hey what would I know

[roadracingoldfart]

I think it was your assumption that everyone who went down was inexperienced and going too hard that rankled...

Bugger ----- i just dont remember stating inexperianced and certainly didnt insinuate or assume.

If you crash at turn one of a race then please dont ever think that you knew what the track was like as it IS only the first turn. I know you can crash by being taken out by another rider but that is differant and i accept thats a reason to slap whoever did it to you but falling like some did on turn 1 , 2 or 3 was just too fast too soon for the condition of the track.

[skelstar]

If you crash at turn one of a race then please dont ever think that you knew what the track was like as it IS only the first turn.
Dude, one of the riders that crashed on turn one will be more gifted at riding than 99.9% of any other rider on this site (at least).

Its pretty hard to make sweeping generalisations about how people crash eh?

[sAsLEX]

Dude, one of the riders that crashed on turn one will be more gifted at riding than 99.9% of any other rider on this site (at least).

Its pretty hard to make sweeping generalisations about how people crash eh?

That Elias guy crashes at the first corner yet where is he in the world scene compared to most?.............

[speed63]

A big thank you to the organisers. It is tough to make an unpopular decision. I was disappointed but understand the decision was made with the best interest of the riders in mind.

I thought the running of the event was tops and in particular, people giving up their time so that others could have some fun.

Cant do much about the weather. Being a winter series I guess you can expect greasy cold conditions, spesh in Taupo:yes:

Hope those hurt heal well

[robertydog]

Cheers to the volunters on the day. There were first timers out there waving the flags and i got to say they did a good job.

[moT]

The other side of the coin is many inexperianced riders on various spec bikes stayed upright for the same reason i have already stated, they rode to their limits and the track conditions.
27 bikes went down out of how many actually competing ????
Ya just cant beat the maths.
If i crash in the dry it was most likely my fault. If i crash in the wet its most likely my fault and if i crash on a slipery oily track its not my fault , is that what your saying ???.
Hell some people trip over on a flat piece of concrete but can do an ironman run on 2 feet all the time so wheres the balance!!!. Ahhhh yer its the comfort zone extension init . We are humans and can cock it up and embarress ourselves.

Very well put the ppl that crashed were not riding to the conditions and the conditions where that it was wet and slippery but you still can go fast for those condtitions

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Who were the two volunteers from Napier - could you please PM me. Many thanks.

[GSVR]

So wouldn't a road cleaner like in that link solve the problem of requiring rain? And leave the whole track more uniform? and just take a volunteer an hour or so to do in the morning, and make cleaning up after a spill/drifters/incident much easier

and negative points are that it costs , but with the amount of use the track gets they are making a bit of dosh on it , and this will mean a better experience for all

but hey what would I know

The Taupo track actually has/had an aircraft engine (jet) mounted on the back of a trailer. Don't know if its operational or not and it would only be good for drying the track really.

Whats a road sweeper going to do to remove oil? Almost nothing I would say. And anything bad would be spread out more and made worse.

The 4 hour car race is on My Laps. Seems there wheren't alot of entires.

[t3mp0r4ry nzr]

thanks heaps to the volunteers and organisers:rockon:

[Grub]

Whats a road sweeper going to do to remove oil? Almost nothing I would say. And anything bad would be spread out more and made worse.

Garry, the fine print in that roadsweeper link says that it can use detergent for oil and residue dispersal. Sounds like just what they need.

Just to confirm a few points.
- We pay a great deal of money for the circuit,what we get should reflect it
- The Taupo track management people are extremely difficult to deal with
- If you thought Mel worked hard on the day, you should see how much effort it took him to get Taupo to let us use the Tower for example ... and many other things
- One of the things that really got home to us about the circuit condition was the guys out there picking bikes and riders up saying on the radio that they couldn't stand up on some parts of T1 and T2 in particular.

It was a pleasure to work alongside Mel and see a seasoned professional at work.

[roadracingoldfart]

Dude, one of the riders that crashed on turn one will be more gifted at riding than 99.9% of any other rider on this site (at least).

Its pretty hard to make sweeping generalisations about how people crash eh?

Sweeping !!! yer rite.
I have been riding for a hell of a long time and racing on and off for the last 24 years . I was invited to start racing by a guy named Robert Holden after beating him on several ahemm road rides in days gone by so i too have had gifted ability before i lost it due to age. I have done 2 Castrol 6 hours and 2 Shell 2 wheelers ,and managed 2 other riders for these events , i have done Wanganui 2 times, I am a past Vic Club F1 race winner on an NSR400 of all things and have won the Post Classic Junior class 2 years ago and came second last year .I was the service manager of Sawyer Honda for 2 years and worked as a mechanic for 4 yrs before getting promoted to that position.
I have mentored riders for years and helped to start the Advanced Rider Course in Wgtn during the early 80s and coached the attendees in race craft and road skills with days at Manfeild saupported by the ACU of the day.

Ohhh fuck ---- maybee i dont have the qualifications to comment on racing . Ill just shut up aye.

[speed63]

Sweeping !!! yer rite.
I have been riding for a hell of a long time and racing on and off for the last 24 years . I was invited to start racing by a guy named Robert Holden after beating him on several ahemm road rides in days gone by so i too have had gifted ability before i lost it due to age. I have done 2 Castrol 6 hours and 2 Shell 2 wheelers ,and managed 2 other riders for these events , i have done Wanganui 2 times, I am a past Vic Club F1 race winner on an NSR400 of all things and have won the Post Classic Junior class 2 years ago and came second last year .I was the service manager of Sawyer Honda for 2 years and worked as a mechanic for 4 yrs before getting promoted to that position.
I have mentored riders for years and helped to start the Advanced Rider Course in Wgtn during the early 80s and coached the attendees in race craft and road skills with days at Manfeild saupported by the ACU of the day.

Ohhh fuck ---- maybee i dont have the qualifications to comment on racing . Ill just shut up aye.

That is a pretty damn impressive CV...:yes:

[sAsLEX]

The Taupo track actually has/had an aircraft engine (jet) mounted on the back of a trailer. Don't know if its operational or not and it would only be good for drying the track really.

Whats a road sweeper going to do to remove oil? Almost nothing I would say. And anything bad would be spread out more and made worse.

The 4 hour car race is on My Laps. Seems there wheren't alot of entires.



The sweeper/cleaner thing I linked to uses a large tank of water to pressure wash and sweep the surface, with detergent if you wish to facilitate removing oil and grime, and there is one that sucks up most of this to leave the track clean and nearly dry........

Aquazura Street Scrubber Dryer

Aquazura is the first machine of its type, in the world. It combines two cleaning actions; scrubbing and suction. This is the best method of cleaning urban areas. It is also environmentally friendly as it collects the waste water used to clean with.

Aquazura uses the same scrubbing head as the Aquadyne. Five independent brushes adapt to the profile of the surface, while rotating so that waste material is collected within the machine’s footprint. The Aquazura has two water tanks; a 1500 litre clean water tank to supply the scrubbing head and a 1000 litre recovery tank for the debris and used water. A 600mm wide suction nozzle and 1200mm wide squeegee collect all the litter and waste water as the machine travels along. Aquazura will leave the pavement spotlessly clean and virtually dry. As all waste material is collected, disposal can be controlled.

And after that solar heating would quickly clear the remaining moisture. Its is interesting to note that most of the "racers" didn't complain about the wet but the inconstancy in the grip.

[scracha]

If i crash in the dry it was most likely my fault. If i crash in the wet its most likely my fault and if i crash on a slipery oily track its not my fault , is that what your saying ???.

So if you crashed on an oily patch on a public road would it be your fault too?

[ajturbo]

It was a pleasure to work alongside Mel and see a seasoned professional at work.

i was talking to him in M'd's in bulls... he seamed quite calm after the days events...
he even let slip the REAL reason he stopped the racing....
was it beacuse it was too slipery?
was it beacuse there were so many crashes?
was it beacuse frosty was hiding UNDER his bike?
was it beacuse of all the injuries?

no...!
it was because he wanted to get home in time to watch the motoGP!!!
sneeky bugger

[skelstar]

Ohhh fuck ---- maybee i dont have the qualifications to comment on racing . Ill just shut up aye.
I did write something but realise now that I'm not a racer so i should just be quiet.

[DEATH_INC.]

I wonder how many of those that went down were on unsuitable tyres for the conditions? I know of at least a couple.....
Whilst being pissed at the cancellation of the event, I still appreciate the time of all involved to run the day. Many thanks to you all. :first:

[GSVR]

The sweeper/cleaner thing I linked to uses a large tank of water to pressure wash and sweep the surface, with detergent if you wish to facilitate removing oil and grime, and there is one that sucks up most of this to leave the track clean and nearly dry........


And after that solar heating would quickly clear the remaining moisture. Its is interesting to note that most of the "racers" didn't complain about the wet but the inconstancy in the grip.


Thank sAsLex and Grub for pointing that out. Sounds like a good machine.

Other solution would be not to allow any vehicles out that are leaking fluids. The track has to make money so I'm picking they let anyone make a booking that has the funds. Some spills can't be stopped like in a crash but in other cases a users will go out aware of a leak. Only way these guys are spotted is the oil they leave in the waiting area or their pit. Some cars don't have catch tanks and blow oil out the overflow at high revs or load.

Cleaning a whole track sounds like a long process at the almost walking pace street cleaners operate at.

Don't really wanna discuss this anymore here as this thread should be a thank-you to the helpers.

[roadracingoldfart]

So if you crashed on an oily patch on a public road would it be your fault too?


I dont think the comaprison can be made between road riding and racing due to these points...
On the road you come across an oily patch out of the blue and yes i have crashed on diesel etc on the road. But on the track you know what the corner was like and the track condition is because you have just been through there on even just the warm up lap so you do have knowledge of the condition. If you see a patch of cement laid down then you would have to be quite silly to use that particular area of track .
Dont get me wrong folks im not trying to be a smart ass but it started of with people blaming the track for the crashes. The track is an inanimate object that just sits there and we are in organic item capable of good/ bad decisions, not the track. The fact is the rider falls of his machine for whatever reason with nothing else but phisics aiding him / her. Our aim as riders is to overcome the natural effects of phisics to ride fast and safe but there is a limit created by more parameters than we can throw a stick at.
I was lucky to have talked at length many times to the wonderful man known to many for his work with phisics/bike riding and raced to many NZ titles and race wins. Dr Roger Freeth. He had very solid theories and i dont think i can remember more than a couple of crashes by the man.
I have remembered what he told me about and utilise it all the time, it works.
I dont want this to go on for ever but i am wanting to pass all i have learned on to another or multipal riders and thats why i am sponsoring a rider to race my own bike from next season on.
Last Sunday was a classic case of the need to get more people to understand what can be learnt, if only people listened.
Cheers Paul.

[JayRacer37]

I wonder how many of those that went down were on unsuitable tyres for the conditions? I know of at least a couple.....
Whilst being pissed at the cancellation of the event, I still appreciate the time of all involved to run the day. Many thanks to you all. :first:

There wasn't an 'unsuitable' tyre for the track. At no point was there a layer of standing water, it was never 'wet'. Using a wet tyre in those conditions would have been worse after about two laps, cause it would have been torn apart. So long as a tyre has temprature, in those conditions, tread and pattern of tread can only have up to "5% influence on outright grip" (from Conti attack range designer). If there isn't standin water, there is no point having tread.

someone said about that the racers didn't mind the wet; just the unpredicability - exactly. Wet is fine - not knowing whether this corner is the same as the last is not.

Crashing on the first lap IS understandable in those conditions, as grip was NOT at a level that is acceptible - lower than a crappy piece of out state hiways in similar conditions, and not good enough.

Someone also asked about the paint compared to the pits - one and the same. Rediculous. And Dangerous - the inconsistancys are crazy.

Also, on the exit of turn 4 (just after going over the top of the hill) there is a black patch that is a repair; it covers most of the track for about ten meters. This has the same gri pas the paint and is unavoidable. Every lap I rode over it and had BOTH front AND rear let go till I got to the other side of this repair.

Taupo Circuit needs some MAJOR suface workto bring it to what I would consider to be an acceptible level for racing on. THEN we can worry about the neumourous dangerous walls.

NOW - who keeps bagging Puke?? its a padded playground compared to this place. Taupo's only blessing is that its speeds are so slow. Which also makes it kinda boring.....can we just go back to Manfeild please :D

[moT]

The thing is you have to learn to ride and adapt do different conditions if the track is slippery ride on it like its slippery.. "if you put water into a cup it becomes the cup put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle put water into a tea pot it becomes the teapot be like the nature of water." Bruce Lee

[mikey]

Ye I was allso one of the unlucky ones to bin my bike at a cost of at least $3000. 27 bikes down was a joke. Taupo has a cleaning machine i am told and it was not used after a car endurance race the day before. If you say all 27 bikes had damage like mine at a cost of $2000 thats $54000!! not to mention the brocken bones. I think the track surface needs to be looked at, i know we had a little drizzle but i raced all 5 rounds of the Nationals and we had drizzle at times and no offs. The track should of been in a fit condition to race on. Maybe the suface is new but you could see heaps of crap and oil after a small sprinkle of rain. Hope all the guy's and girls that fell off yesterday heal up quickly. Roll on the next round and i hope we stay upright.:yes:

A blamer eh.
did someone else make you go race?
did someone else sign your disclaimer/idemnity from?
did someone else look at the track condition for you and say" nah, that shit looks awesome sticky mate, go HARD INTO THAT FIRST CORNER"?

[Torque]

It is true we make the call to race or not, but when you here guy's on the radio telling the staff in the tower, they are having problems staying on there own two feet because it is very slippery on the track. You have to wonder if the surface is good for racing on at the time. Racing at wanganui was way safer.

[skelstar]

O boy is this going to a mind-game for the last round at Taupo!

[roadracingoldfart]

Taupo Circuit needs some MAJOR suface workto bring it to what I would consider to be an acceptible level for racing on. THEN we can worry about the neumourous dangerous walls.

NOW - who keeps bagging Puke?? its a padded playground compared to this place. Taupo's only blessing is that its speeds are so slow. Which also makes it kinda boring.....can we just go back to Manfeild please :D



Ohhhh yes :rockon: Please can we, can we please , pretty please can we.

[roadracingoldfart]

O boy is this going to a mind-game for the last round at Taupo!

I cant go fast enough to qualify for that round . I dont have the mind for it.

[ajturbo]

i want to thank a couple of the RACERS.. who gave their time to help others..

they made themselves avalible for any questions/concerns or even a friendly
chat..
they gave their time to take/show some lines to new racers

so thanks for all your help guys!!!
and don't worry, you WILL be aproched again at manfeild

JAY Lawrence
and
Graeme Billinger

these 2 guys were aproached for assitance for the new racers/juniors in the street stock class, and without hessation they said yes.



(shit i hope i have spelt your names right!)

[scrivy]

Was the track really in that bad of a state??

I've raced at the Manfeild long circuit in winter before (1995) with then passengar Chris Meads (his first ever outing). We aquaplaned severly at quite horrendous speeds, with Mr Meads seriously considering not passengaring for me!! (But thank god he did - we went on to win two titles!) But the track was an abolute ice rink at the time!! :cold:

Going back to 1993, the new Ruapuna extension. This was so slippery and unpredictable in the wet, that people were going around at walking speeds!!

I just think that racing at Taupo in winter time (or in winter like conditions) has to make people respect the track conditions just that much more. If its cold enough to make our hands friggin cold - imagine what our poor bloody tyres have to go through!!

Do we minimise the winter racing we do at Taupo to avoid any further carnage??

[ajturbo]

Was the track really in that bad of a state??

I've raced at the Manfeild long circuit in winter before (1995) with then passengar Chris Meads (his first ever outing). We aquaplaned severly at quite horrendous speeds, with Mr Meads seriously considering not passengaring for me!! (But thank god he did - we went on to win two titles!) But the track was an abolute ice rink at the time!! :cold:

Going back to 1993, the new Ruapuna extension. This was so slippery and unpredictable in the wet, that people were going around at walking speeds!!

I just think that racing at Taupo in winter time (or in winter like conditions) has to make people respect the track conditions just that much more. If its cold enough to make our hands friggin cold - imagine what our poor bloody tyres have to go through!!

Do we minimise the winter racing we do at Taupo to avoid any further carnage??
it wasn't that cold..... we have had a lot colder track days...(kb)

[DEATH_INC.]

What the hell is wrong with Taupo????? I've ridden thousands of laps there in all sorts of conditions with no real problems. The only offs I've had were due to pushing things, not track conditions. Get over it and learn how to ride to the conditions....

[DEATH_INC.]

So long as a tyre has temprature, in those conditions, tread and pattern of tread can only have up to "5% influence on outright grip" (from Conti attack range designer).
That's my point. Did the tyres maintain enough heat? Even in the summer you get cold shear at taupo, so on a cold wet day do you really think they were warm enough to work? Anyone have a pyrometer? I'd like to test this theory sometime.....

[Cleve]

What the hell is wrong with Taupo????? I've ridden thousands of laps there in all sorts of conditions with no real problems. The only offs I've had were due to pushing things, not track conditions. Get over it and learn how to ride to the conditions....

My understanding was that it wasn't cold temperatures (the weather was quite mild), rather following a long period of no rain, a lot of recent use by other vehicles and then on the Sunday very light and occassional rain which just caused all the last few months of oil and other crap to just raise to the surface and sit there.

[DEATH_INC.]

My understanding was that it wasn't cold temperatures (the weather was quite mild), rather following a long period of no rain, a lot of recent use by other vehicles and then on the Sunday very light and occassional rain which just caused all the last few months of oil and other crap to just raise to the surface and sit there.
What long period with no rain? It was only a short time ago the gixxer trackdy was rained off due to the track looking more like a jetsprint course than a race circuit.....

[JayRacer37]

That's my point. Did the tyres maintain enough heat? Even in the summer you get cold shear at taupo, so on a cold wet day do you really think they were warm enough to work? Anyone have a pyrometer? I'd like to test this theory sometime.....

no - the tyres did not maniain temprature.
yes - we had and used a pyrometer.

Problem is - NO tyre was going to hold a reasonable temprature (exept maybe racing intermediates, which are in short supply in NZ) OR wets - of course wets would have fried on the nearly dry track within two laps.

[speed63]

What the hell is wrong with Taupo????? I've ridden thousands of laps there in all sorts of conditions with no real problems. The only offs I've had were due to pushing things, not track conditions. Get over it and learn how to ride to the conditions....

Second that :yes:

[Clivoris]

What the hell is wrong with Taupo????? I've ridden thousands of laps there in all sorts of conditions with no real problems. The only offs I've had were due to pushing things, not track conditions. Get over it and learn how to ride to the conditions....

There is obvious truth in the argument that we should ride to the track conditions. The other truth is that many skilled people were crashing due to the "novelty" of the conditions. The choice we had to make was balancing up the length of time that it would take for riders to adapt, or the conditions improve (and a dry track didn't improve the conditions), versus the real risk of more serious injury or death, occuring. I wouldn't want to be the one standing in front of someone's family saying "S/He should have been riding to the conditions." or "I thought it was going to get safer despite 27 crashes." Please don't interpret this as me having a go at you. I'm not. Just trying to communicate the dilemna.

[FROSTY]

Typing on Frosty's behalf

The condition of the track surface was unbelievably slippery when the misty rain came down. I genuinely believe that it was a very bad combination of factors.
1. The track surface is still very 'green' so hasn't got that roughness that older tracks have got.
2. There was a indurace car meeting held the day before which i saw some of. As I understand it, the cars don't have catch bottles for oil/glycol that they pump out when run continuously.
3. The rain that fell was just enough to float the oil and rubber residue from the race meeting the day before in a unpredictable manner.
Unfortunately I must say Crasher i disagree with you. You were luck enough to be racing on a dry track which it was for 50% of the time. The lap times of one of the few races that was finished shows how slowly and carefully everyone was riding. eg Qualifying for F2 fastest lap was 1.14 The race fastest lap was 1.24 I consider my riding on the whole to be on the conservative side. But the slipperyness was totally unpredictable giving no warning. On the whole those that did crash, I genuinly believe were not pushing any boundries and I must say I for one was riding extremely conservatively. The crashes I saw in the 30 seconds of the F3 race before I lay down for a little sleep were not guys pushing hard at all.

[White trash]

Great debate going here.

I unfortunately can't comment as I didn't stay upright long enough to truly find the grip level of the track.

Well done to the organisers and marshals. That was definitely the best run meeting I've yet been to.

[ajturbo]

Qualifying for F2 fastest lap was 1.14 The race fastest lap was 1.24 .

wow .. most of the Street Stock could have gotten in!!

[roadracingoldfart]

Great debate going here.

I unfortunately can't comment as I didn't stay upright long enough to truly find the grip level of the track.

Well done to the organisers and marshals. That was definitely the best run meeting I've yet been to.



Some may say you didnt stay up for long but when it comes to "race starts"
you got more of those in than most hehe.
By the way , what a huge blue spark you created entering turn one. And when you ran to the bike you still beat the last 3rd of the field into turn one :shit: ,so well done. (make mental note to not take WT on in a running race with leathers and helmet on ) If LeMans starts are brought to VMCC he will be unbeatable.

[Nicksta]

lol Paul... you should ask him how many fights he has won too ;)

[Grub]

What the hell is wrong with Taupo????? I've ridden thousands of laps there in all sorts of conditions with no real problems. The only offs I've had were due to pushing things, not track conditions. Get over it and learn how to ride to the conditions....

Mate, if you weren't there, don't comment. For you to bag experienced (and careful) riders is just stupid and reflects badly on you, not them.

[ajturbo]

while we are on the subject....

i want to thank mel again.. because..

luke was out there,
steph was out there
I was out there
and
there were others out there

that had NO IDEA how to "read" the track..
sure we all knew it was cold...

but that was all we knew about the track..

and thanks to mel and the other experenced rides..

we stayied

SAFE!!!
and now are able to race the NEXT round :Punk:

[HDTboy]

Mate, if you weren't there, don't comment. For you to bag experienced (and careful) riders is just stupid and reflects badly on you, not them.

He was there, is he allowed to comment now?

[Nicksta]

Mate, if you weren't there, don't comment. For you to bag experienced (and careful) riders is just stupid and reflects badly on you, not them.
:nono:
dude... where were you?
Death was there.... and has a world of experience.... so this just reflects badly on you!
its called riding to the conditions and its something inexperienced and experienced riders need to consider.... i did.. and i stayed shiny side up :) ...and so did Death...

[Shaun]

There wasn't an 'unsuitable' tyre for the track. At no point was there a layer of standing water, it was never 'wet'. Using a wet tyre in those conditions would have been worse after about two laps, cause it would have been torn apart. So long as a tyre has temprature, in those conditions, tread and pattern of tread can only have up to "5% influence on outright grip" (from Conti attack range designer). If there isn't standin water, there is no point having tread.

someone said about that the racers didn't mind the wet; just the unpredicability - exactly. Wet is fine - not knowing whether this corner is the same as the last is not.

Crashing on the first lap IS understandable in those conditions, as grip was NOT at a level that is acceptible - lower than a crappy piece of out state hiways in similar conditions, and not good enough.

Someone also asked about the paint compared to the pits - one and the same. Rediculous. And Dangerous - the inconsistancys are crazy.

Also, on the exit of turn 4 (just after going over the top of the hill) there is a black patch that is a repair; it covers most of the track for about ten meters. This has the same gri pas the paint and is unavoidable. Every lap I rode over it and had BOTH front AND rear let go till I got to the other side of this repair.

Taupo Circuit needs some MAJOR suface workto bring it to what I would consider to be an acceptible level for racing on. THEN we can worry about the neumourous dangerous walls.

NOW - who keeps bagging Puke?? its a padded playground compared to this place. Taupo's only blessing is that its speeds are so slow. Which also makes it kinda boring.....can we just go back to Manfeild please :D


+1 M8

This post above by Jay, is spot on!

You all know who he is, and what he can do on a bike, for -uck sake listen to him.

Taupo track is a shit hole, full stop

[roadracingoldfart]

+1 M8

This post above by Jay, is spot on!

You all know who he is, and what he can do on a bike, for -uck sake listen to him.

Taupo track is a shit hole, full stop



Yea and no amount of toilet paper will clean it up. Your dead rite Shaun.

If ther place had more track grip at least you could circulate with a bit more confidence tro stay away from the bad bits.
Try to visualise the pathetic chicane thing to get back to the back straight on T2 being acceptable to an overseas organisation or rider. (Insert TUI advert here).

Mind you if anybody is old enough to have done the old Hamilton street circuit then they will remember we had the pedestrian pathway that linked the track back to the other side. It had a couple of drain trenches and a lovely garden on both sides. Now that was dangerous. Those were the days aye .
Cheers Paul.

[ajturbo]

He was there, is he allowed to comment now?


:nono:
dude... where were you?
Death was there.... and has a world of experience.... so this just reflects badly on you!
its called riding to the conditions and its something inexperienced and experienced riders need to consider.... i did.. and i stayed shiny side up :) ...and so did Death...


wow grub..... feel like ya been told off enough??? :bleh:
err what corner were you on?.. at least at manfeild you can see the faces of the flaggies as you hoon past....( well at the speeds i ride i have heaps of time to spot the flaggies)

[flame]

+1 M8

This post above by Jay, is spot on!

You all know who he is, and what he can do on a bike, for -uck sake listen to him.

Taupo track is a shit hole, full stop

I havn't had a lot of track experience, but I have had tonnes of road experience, and all I can liken Sundays track too was when you hit the shiney patches in the rain on the road, only you coudn't see the blardy things. It was all I could do just to circulate pretty slow and keep my bike upright, less than confidence inspiring after binning my bike there two weeks earlier. Yep.....bring on Manfield :yes:

[GSVR]

Not so sure about all this bring on Manfeild stuff. As you may know the Manfeild track is going to be modified and resurfaced this winter so you may find yourself riding on seal that was put down the day before the racing.

Anyone know what its like to ride on new wet bitumen? Probably like Taupo when it first opened.

Personally I like the Taupo track but agree with the comments about some of the walls being a bit close. Haven't seen any bales placed there though so it can't be considered that much of a biggy yet.

[scracha]

its called riding to the conditions and its something inexperienced and experienced riders need to consider.... i did.. and i stayed shiny side up :) ...and so did Death...

Now to be fair there's an element called "luck". Like when I used to ride to Edinburgh in snow and ice. If I got there upright it wasn't just due to "riding to conditions", it involved a fair amount of "luck".

[Nicksta]

Now to be fair there's an element called "luck". Like when I used to ride to Edinburgh in snow and ice. If I got there upright it wasn't just due to "riding to conditions", it involved a fair amount of "luck".
this is true..... i do believe out on the track that, well, someone's on my side to help me out.... if you want to call it luck...
but i do believe people push their luck sometimes too and end up crashing..... ihave a healthy respect for luck...

[Shaun]

Not so sure about all this bring on Manfeild stuff. As you may know the Manfeild track is going to be modified and resurfaced this winter so you may find yourself riding on seal that was put down the day before the racing.

Anyone know what its like to ride on new wet bitumen? Probably like Taupo when it first opened.

Personally I like the Taupo track but agree with the comments about some of the walls being a bit close. Haven't seen any bales placed there though so it can't be considered that much of a biggy yet.

The difference will be, that the people that do the work at Manfeild, Know what they are doing, the peole that did the work on Taupo, obviously, did it to a budget, and have used crap product

[JayRacer37]

Great debate going here.

I unfortunately can't comment as I didn't stay upright long enough to truly find the grip level of the track.

Well done to the organisers and marshals. That was definitely the best run meeting I've yet been to.

Deano said he palmed video off to you. Can I have a squiz? Unless you'd like the whole thing to go away...

[Shaun]

this is true..... i do believe out on the track that, well, someone's on my side to help me out.... if you want to call it luck...
but i do believe people push their luck sometimes too and end up crashing..... ihave a healthy respect for luck...


Nicksta, this is fact, and I am sorry!

Luck will only last for so long!

Planning, experience, and the correct enviroment, are what keep us healthy and alive

[JayRacer37]

Personally I like the Taupo track but agree with the comments about some of the walls being a bit close. Haven't seen any bales placed there though so it can't be considered that much of a biggy yet.

This is exactly the problem!! Nothing seems to be considered a biggie, and that mentality is the one thats going to end up with people in hospital or worse. Bales place to cover a wall isn't going to do bugger all really, at that point its just an admitance of "this place really isn't good enough".

Also, a point that hasn't been raised and many would be unaware of, is that in the tyre walls that ARE there, there are large (foot long +) 1cm thick rods to secure the tyres, all the way through the tyre walls. If a rider was to hit the tyre walls as it is now, a high likelyhood is that the tyres would compress and leave the hapless guy scewered on the wall. :shit:

[skelstar]

Curious: which walls are too close? Don't know the track that well but are there other walls other than the tyre wall opposite the entrance onto pit-straight?

[GSVR]

Curious: which walls are too close? Don't know the track that well but are there other walls other than the tyre wall opposite the entrance onto pit-straight?

The 2 that come to mind for me on the new short circuit (one we raced on Rnd1) are the final turned onto the start finish straight (think thats the one you mention) and the wall on the main straight which if you have big balls and go straight through the chichane under brakes and stuff it up or tangle with another bike you will be heading straight towards.

Also theres the tire wall around there that the guys SV bounced off and took out Goblin.

[DEATH_INC.]

The 2 that come to mind for me on the new short circuit (one we raced on Rnd1) are the final turned onto the start finish straight (think thats the one you mention) and the wall on the main straight which if you have big balls and go straight through the chichane under brakes and stuff it up or tangle with another bike you will be heading straight towards.

Also theres the tire wall around there that the guys SV bounced off and took out Goblin.
The last one you mention was removed this round, which was great, it was farkin hairy threading through there with speed....
I also agree with the other two, I've talked of them a bit in the past, and I do feel it's only a matter of time til someone hits the end of the pit wall hard, damn you get close to it at full pace....

[HDTboy]

Especially when you run wide over the white line