Best N.Z Racetrack

[Mikkel]

Well, considering this poll is placed in the Racing section of the Competition Riding forum there's a good chance that a significant proportion of the people coming through will have tried at least more than one of the tracks in the poll.

I shall not vote since I don't know most of the tracks.

However, I can only say I've found Ruapuna plenty of fun. And yeah the right-hander just after the hairpin is a tricky beast indeed. The right-hander after the sweeper takes balls - you can go much faster through it than you think initially. (these are my observations as a novice rider mind)

Alas, I never got many laps in when I visited Levels so I haven't got anything to compare it with.

[svr]

1. Teretonga - old school with no infield (don't build them like that anymore) Horrendus weather, of course.
2. Puke - Ditto - if you forget safety, serious fun. Otherwise the worst track
3. New Taupo - Fun like the old circuit but with a couple of 5th gear cnrs
4. Levels - Riders track (all corners)
5. New Ruapuna - ridden but havent raced it but seems fun enough
6. Manfield - stop-go track where power is king, nice infield though.

We are lucky - 6 decent tracks pretty close togethor. We just need one international quality track - Hampton Downs? The layout looks like another `fun' track - pity its not a Phillip Island type track tho aye?...

[malcy25]

Most guys who can't handle techincal tracks say that

Technical smechnical. Best you get back on your bucket racer! technical tracks are favoured by people who can't handle real corners!!!!!!!!

Anyone can ride a 50km/h corner at +/- a couple of km/h. BUT slow corners are also bloody good places to get hurt in poxy accidents being T boned by idiots on the way in, highsiding etc on the way out - the accidents are usually up high and down hard.

But it takes real commitment to ride a 200km/h corner at 200km/h. The Speed variation at apex on a big corner is huge between average , middling and good riders (could 40km/h from top to bottom). That boys and girls is what separates the good from the not so good. It's also harder to fall off on fast corners as it is harder to overload available traction...

You look at any GP that has been classed as a real close race with multiple racers in the hunt, in the last billion years (well maybe 50) and they are all at open fast circuits like Mugello, Phillip Island etc. Tight naggery circuits break the flow of the racing and just separates out the racing. Languna this year was a classic case, where was 3rd?

Most of the GP racers after their "home round" (for emotional reasons) will rate a fast flowing circuit with big corners. The bulk of them don't seen to fancy places like Sachenring.

Even the legendary Kennry Roberts says go fast on fast corners, go slow on slow corners.

Bring on big hairy fast tracks I say. I'd rather get smoked but have my knee on the deck for 100m in 4th gear all over the place, than be 2 sec off the pace around some walking pace successive 1st gear corners at some "technical" track..

Having riden at Puke (full and club circuit), Bay Park, Ruapuna, Manfield, Mallory Park (UK), Wanganui, Paeroa, Whangarei, Taupo (old and new), Phillip Island (some 21 days of activity there) and been to places like the old one time Manukau street circuit, Auckland Street Circuit (late 80's) and Donnington, I know which circuits and corners got me and most of the guys I was racing with barred up for.

You didn't hear much how they enjoyed "the hairpin at such and such circuit!" But you did hear how they were tucked in hard in 4th or 5th gear in a freight train around some big corner and you can see the excitement in their eyes as they were making ground on the guy in front...

Puke has it's run off issues but for a NZ circuit, it still gets my vote over places like Taupo everytime.

[jrandom]

Most guys who can't handle techincal tracks say that

I was going to make the same point.

High-speed corners are easier, IMHO. You're moving at a greater velocity, but the changes of bike attitude and acceleration happen more ponderously, so you get more time to think about it and there's less to actually do in a given space of time.

Slow corners need a lot of finesse to brake hard and get the bike from side to side quickly. Lots more going on each second, lots more changing of inputs and shifting of weight around.

Seems to me slow corners would be the place where seconds really get won and lost. The rest is just balls and horsepower.

Then again, what would I know.

[FROSTY:Me]

My favorite would be Taupo -its got all the ingredients to be a challenging track.
Elevation changes -camber changes, deceptive corners.
But it still is the lil track that could --or should.

To me my Fave in NZ is ruapuna.
Being basicly completely flat its great for spectators.
On the whole its "safe" cept maybe the armco coming out onto the back straight is a bit close.
Theres just so many types of corner in one track.
If only it had elevation changes over the back it would be all but perfect.

[Skunk]

I'd rather get smoked but have my knee on the deck for 100m in 4th gear all over the place, than be 2 sec off the pace around some walking pace successive 1st gear corners at some "technical" track.

Oh. Sorry. You're an "I got my knee down!" racer who can't get slow corners right at a decent pace... OK. p/t

Fast tracks are for 'throttle twisters' not riders. Riders can do technical tracks - and who said technical is only slow?

I'd rate the new section of Taupo as the best I've ridden. But then I've only done Puke (even the old hairpin!), Taupo (old, new and complete), Manfield (long and short) and Ruapuna (B track).

[scrivy]

Most guys who can't handle techincal tracks say that

Is there a technical track in NZ???

[sidecar bob]

From a sidecar passenger point of view, Which is sure to be different from a solo riders, Ruapuna just cant be beaten.
You have the flat out turn one, that seriously tests your faith in damn near fuckin everything, to the awesome eses up the infield, the big left hand wheel up drift that takes you to the entry of the dipper, the seriously intense right to left swing exiting the dipper while going up hill that feels like its going to throw you off the back, & another hard out wheel up drift onto the front straight.
Compare that to Puke.

[scrivy]

um... which sidecar was that done on......????

[Shaun]

TIMARU- By far the most technical track in the country, the people who think out side the square, can go a lot faster then the ones who cannot

[Joni]

TIMARU- By far the most technical track in the country, the people who think out side the square, can go a lot faster then the ones who cannot

Very respectable post coming form a man who traditionaly rides "the bigger bikes". You can't point and squirt at Levels.

Nice one Mr Harris!

[slowpoke]

Technical smechnical. Best you get back on your bucket racer! technical tracks are favoured by people who can't handle real corners!!!!!!!!

Anyone can ride a 50km/h corner at +/- a couple of km/h. BUT slow corners are also bloody good places to get hurt in poxy accidents being T boned by idiots on the way in, highsiding etc on the way out - the accidents are usually up high and down hard.

But it takes real commitment to ride a 200km/h corner at 200km/h. The Speed variation at apex on a big corner is huge between average , middling and good riders (could 40km/h from top to bottom). That boys and girls is what separates the good from the not so good. It's also harder to fall off on fast corners as it is harder to overload available traction...

You look at any GP that has been classed as a real close race with multiple racers in the hunt, in the last billion years (well maybe 50) and they are all at open fast circuits like Mugello, Phillip Island etc. Tight naggery circuits break the flow of the racing and just separates out the racing. Languna this year was a classic case, where was 3rd?

Most of the GP racers after their "home round" (for emotional reasons) will rate a fast flowing circuit with big corners. The bulk of them don't seen to fancy places like Sachenring.

Even the legendary Kennry Roberts says go fast on fast corners, go slow on slow corners.

Bring on big hairy fast tracks I say. I'd rather get smoked but have my knee on the deck for 100m in 4th gear all over the place, than be 2 sec off the pace around some walking pace successive 1st gear corners at some "technical" track..

Having riden at Puke (full and club circuit), Bay Park, Ruapuna, Manfield, Mallory Park (UK), Wanganui, Paeroa, Whangarei, Taupo (old and new), Phillip Island (some 21 days of activity there) and been to places like the old one time Manukau street circuit, Auckland Street Circuit (late 80's) and Donnington, I know which circuits and corners got me and most of the guys I was racing with barred up for.

You didn't hear much how they enjoyed "the hairpin at such and such circuit!" But you did hear how they were tucked in hard in 4th or 5th gear in a freight train around some big corner and you can see the excitement in their eyes as they were making ground on the guy in front...

Totally agree. I know I can go around a slow corner behind Stroud or equivalent and he'll still be in sight at the end of it. I wouldn't have a hope in hell of achieving the same thing on a high speed sweeper. Quite a few racers are able to find the edge at 100kph but very few can do the same at 200kph plus.

High-speed corners are easier, IMHO. You're moving at a greater velocity, but the changes of bike attitude and acceleration happen more ponderously, so you get more time to think about it and there's less to actually do in a given space of time.

Slow corners need a lot of finesse to brake hard and get the bike from side to side quickly. Lots more going on each second, lots more changing of inputs and shifting of weight around.

Seems to me slow corners would be the place where seconds really get won and lost. The rest is just balls and horsepower.

High speed corners are easy to ride slowly, but extremely difficult to ride at the limit. High speed corners also allow for bikes with less horsepower to excel as less acceleration is involved. It's the slow stop/start tracks that are dominated by horsepower.
"Just balls"? Isn't that what bike racing is all about? (not that I've got any)

My favorite would be Taupo -its got all the ingredients to be a challenging track.
Elevation changes -camber changes, deceptive corners.
But it still is the lil track that could --or should.

Elevation changes? If measured in inches maybe....
The infield is one line, 1 gear for most of it. When running the short new configuration you only need two gears on a big bike for the whole damn thing. They have tried to fit too many corners into too small a place and ended up with a mickey mouse go kart track.

I didn't vote as I've only raced a couple of NZ tracks but I can't wait to get down South and try 'em out. Here's hoping it's sooner rather than later.

Whatever you like, a lousy track is way better than no track.

[jrandom]

Totally agree. I know I can go around a slow corner behind Stroud or equivalent and he'll still be in sight at the end of it.

I'd respectfully submit that that'd be because the solid second or so he just put into you doesn't equate to much actual track distance. You won't notice it with the Mk I eyeball until the speeds get back up.

Feels like more in a sweeper because it puts the faster guy further away, but the actual gap created might be the same or smaller.

[Kickaha]

Puke has it's run off issues but for a NZ circuit, it still gets my vote over places like Taupo everytime.

Puke =

From a sidecar passenger point of view, Which is sure to be different from a solo riders, Ruapuna just cant be beaten.
You have the flat out turn one, that seriously tests your faith in damn near fuckin everything, to the awesome eses up the infield, the big left hand wheel up drift that takes you to the entry of the dipper, the seriously intense right to left swing exiting the dipper while going up hill that feels like its going to throw you off the back, & another hard out wheel up drift onto the front straight.
Compare that to Puke.

Yeah I'd rate that as the best sidecar track, although I do like Levels even though it's a lot harder work, and Turn 1 at Teretonga is one of the most awesome corners shame about the rest of it

um... which sidecar was that done on......????

A slow short yellow one

[scrivy]

You can't point and squirt at Levels.

er... If you ask Sidecar Bob, I think he'd say the opposite........