Open Track Day Safety

**RiderInBlack** · 27th April 2004, 08:24

Just a concern here. I marshell at the odd track race days, and have see the benifits of having the safety bails out on the guard rails. I feel that we should use these on open track days as well (especially on bike only days). XRNR's spill last Friday would have had a lot better out come for him had they been in place. As it is, he was lucky that it was not alot worse.

We are riding at near race pace, we should use the same precautions.

There has been a lot of discussion about back protectors, helmets and leathers, how about other track safety issues?

**Hoon** · 27th April 2004, 11:20

The problem is that the track is usually shared with cars so you can't really use bales as well.

Also the track doesn't own any bales, they are made and supplied by the AKL MCC for any meets they run there.

Even if the track did have their own bales, it would require equipment and manpower to place/retrieve them which would drive up the track costs.

**duckman** · 27th April 2004, 12:02

Once again human safety Vs cost ....

**White trash** · 27th April 2004, 12:06

Originally Posted by HO-Hoon

The problem is that the track is usually shared with cars so you can't really use bales as well.

Also the track doesn't own any bales, they are made and supplied by the AKL MCC for any meets they run there.

Even if the track did have their own bales, it would require equipment and manpower to place/retrieve them which would drive up the track costs.

From what I saw on Friday there were around 100 bikes there? $80 each?

Only takes a couple of hours to fire a few bales around the place. Not that I give a shit. I know the risks when I go out there and am totally prepared for what might go wrong. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Everyone signs a disclaimer and therefore should ride according to the risk they're prepared to take.

**duckman** · 27th April 2004, 12:27

Yea but like you say, 100 bikes - $80 per bike - Surely a race track should be responsable for providing SOME safety items. (apart from the ambulance for when you hit an unpadded barrier at 200kph ??)

**White trash** · 27th April 2004, 12:36

Originally Posted by duckman

Yea but like you say, 100 bikes - $80 per bike - Surely a race track should be responsable for providing SOME safety items. (apart from the ambulance for when you hit an unpadded barrier at 200kph ??)

oh most definitely! They're making enough coin for sure to pay some guy a couple of hours, means more people would attend as well, I suspect.

They only need top do it for the bike days.

Get to Manfield! A shit load of space between the track and barriers. Unfortunatly, it's mostly gravel traps but it stopps you hitting a wall.

**XRNR** · 27th April 2004, 13:13

Originally Posted by White trash

..Get to Manfield! A shit load of space between the track and barriers. Unfortunatly, it's mostly gravel traps but it stops you hitting a wall.

Yeah,
rode there a week or two ago, great fun, LEFT & right corners, Definetly worth a ride down for if you've only done Pookee. Especially if you want to beat WT in his home ground.

**FROSTY:Me** · 27th April 2004, 13:27

I think someone else hit it on the head--The bails are NOT the prperty of the track theyre the AMCC's property. Someone would need to see AMCC or pehaps organise another private track session jointly with AMCC maybee

**Hoon** · 27th April 2004, 14:54

Originally Posted by White trash

From what I saw on Friday there were around 100 bikes there? $80 each?

100 bikes!!! Shit, now I'm really pissed I couldn't make it!! So were there cars at all or was it bikes only for real this time?

Regardless, that is great to see 100 bikes out there....definately grounds to demand improvements as they would be lucky to get 50 ppl on a weekday trackday cars 'n all.

To get bales out there for bike only days I think some deal will need to be sorted with AMCC. Maybe a group of us can do marshalling for them in exchange for use of their bales.

However the big problem with organised bike events like this is the weather. Its hard to commit all these resources and effort when it could end in dismal failure if it happens to rain and only 5 bikes turn up.

**White trash** · 27th April 2004, 17:09

Originally Posted by XRNR

Yeah,
rode there a week or two ago, great fun, LEFT & right corners, Definetly worth a ride down for if you've only done Pookee. Especially if you want to beat WT in his home ground.

funnily enough! I'm a hell of a lot closer to race pace at Pukekohe than I am at Manfield. Weird!

Still, if anyone's up for the challenge, see http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=2776