The future of motor racing tracks

Andrew Price

.... could be bicycle racing.

One of the masters clubs I occasionally race with got kicked of the roads
they fixed up for the Sydney 2000 Olympics (eventually got too much traffic
and complaints to the police)

They have started using a motor racing circuit early on a Sunday morning - I
tried it yesterday and it was the best road course I have ever tried - no
holes in the road, the right cambers, u turn corners that could accommodate
30+ riders all holding their line with no fuss, as much space as you could
ever wish for for the sprint. No need for marshals on the course at
intersections etc. Quicker bunches could pass easily and cleanly.

Cost $10 each to use, and it felt safe, not a usual feeling on a cycle
course - only hassle was had to be off the track by 9.30am as other sorts of
vehicles then want to use it and do 255km down the straight, not 55!

Loved it - if your looking to book a venue for a race,and there is one
available near you, grab it!

best, Andrew

Richard Adams

Andrew Price wrote:

> ... could be bicycle racing.
>
> One of the masters clubs I occasionally race with got kicked of the roads
> they fixed up for the Sydney 2000 Olympics (eventually got too much traffic
> and complaints to the police)

Funny how that goes. Same situation here in California, most people
along the route are fine or even thrilled to see a massive peloton
cruise by, but the few, vocal members of the No Fun Club always raise a
stink.

> They have started using a motor racing circuit early on a Sunday morning - I
> tried it yesterday and it was the best road course I have ever tried - no
> holes in the road, the right cambers, u turn corners that could accommodate
> 30+ riders all holding their line with no fuss, as much space as you could
> ever wish for for the sprint. No need for marshals on the course at
> intersections etc. Quicker bunches could pass easily and cleanly.
>
> Cost $10 each to use, and it felt safe, not a usual feeling on a cycle
> course - only hassle was had to be off the track by 9.30am as other sorts of
> vehicles then want to use it and do 255km down the straight, not 55!
>
> Loved it - if your looking to book a venue for a race,and there is one
> available near you, grab it!

The only problem with car tracks is it's a bit repetitive. Makes a nice
big velodrome, and fine for crowds to watch when there's no TV (which is
about all of them) but takes away climbs, descents, etc. which make for
interesting road racing. Part of the Sea Otter (3 stage race) was held
on the Laguna Seca track near Monterey, California.

> best, Andrew
>
>

S. Anderson

"Richard Adams" <ackthpt@concentric.net> wrote in message
news:c6i325$qe6@dispatch.concentric.net...

> The only problem with car tracks is it's a bit repetitive. Makes a nice
> big velodrome, and fine for crowds to watch when there's no TV (which is
> about all of them) but takes away climbs, descents, etc. which make for
> interesting road racing. Part of the Sea Otter (3 stage race) was held
> on the Laguna Seca track near Monterey, California.

It's also quite expensive. To rent the local track here is about $4-6k a
day. OK for big events maybe, but not the local stuff.

Cheers,

Scott..

Dave

"Richard Adams" <ackthpt@concentric.net> wrote in message news:c6i325$qe6@dispatch.concentric.net...
> Andrew Price wrote:

<snip>

> The only problem with car tracks is it's a bit repetitive.
Andrew

and riding around in an industrial park criterium isn't?
Dave

Jeff Jones

"Richard Adams" <ackthpt@concentric.net> wrote in message
news:c6i325$qe6@dispatch.concentric.net...
> Andrew Price wrote:
>
> > Cost $10 each to use, and it felt safe, not a usual feeling on a cycle
> > course - only hassle was had to be off the track by 9.30am as other
sorts of
> > vehicles then want to use it and do 255km down the straight, not 55!
> >
> > Loved it - if your looking to book a venue for a race,and there is one
> > available near you, grab it!
>
> The only problem with car tracks is it's a bit repetitive. Makes a nice
> big velodrome, and fine for crowds to watch when there's no TV (which is
> about all of them) but takes away climbs, descents, etc. which make for
> interesting road racing. Part of the Sea Otter (3 stage race) was held
> on the Laguna Seca track near Monterey, California.
>
If Andrew Price is talking about Eastern Creek, this is actually a nice
track to race on. Roughly 4 km, almost no flat (there's a climb that you can
get a good gap on), fast surface. Only drawbacks are that it's a bit
slippery in the wet and it's not too technical. It's a good hybrid of a
road/criterium course though.

Jeff

Michael Zaharis

Richard Adams wrote:
> Andrew Price wrote:
>
> The only problem with car tracks is it's a bit repetitive. Makes a nice
> big velodrome, and fine for crowds to watch when there's no TV (which is
> about all of them) but takes away climbs, descents, etc. which make for
> interesting road racing. Part of the Sea Otter (3 stage race) was held
> on the Laguna Seca track near Monterey, California.
>
>> best, Andrew
>>

You find Laguna Seca to be flat? Wow, I guess I'm just a wimp. I've
only driven up and down that hill (took a race car driving class there),
but the Corkscrew is a steep enough downhill that they've held gravity
(street luge) races on it. The uphill looked pretty serious, too.
Maybe not Alpine, but I thought that it was enough to allow the climbers
to get a gap.

Richard Adams

Michael Zaharis wrote:
>
>
> Richard Adams wrote:
>
>> Andrew Price wrote:
>>
>> The only problem with car tracks is it's a bit repetitive. Makes a
>> nice big velodrome, and fine for crowds to watch when there's no TV
>> (which is about all of them) but takes away climbs, descents, etc.
>> which make for interesting road racing. Part of the Sea Otter (3
>> stage race) was held on the Laguna Seca track near Monterey, California.
>>
>>> best, Andrew
>>>
>
> You find Laguna Seca to be flat? Wow, I guess I'm just a wimp. I've
> only driven up and down that hill (took a race car driving class there),
> but the Corkscrew is a steep enough downhill that they've held gravity
> (street luge) races on it. The uphill looked pretty serious, too. Maybe
> not Alpine, but I thought that it was enough to allow the climbers to
> get a gap.
>

Well, no, I don't consider Laguna Seca flat, but I don't consider it to
have enough climbing. There's so many excellent roads out here I ride
down quite a few and think, "Hmm this would be nice to put in a race."
Maybe when I win the lottery and feel I don't suffer fools enough I'll
try to organize my own Great California Stage Race :-)

Richard Adams

Dave wrote:

> "Richard Adams" <ackthpt@concentric.net> wrote in message news:c6i325$qe6@dispatch.concentric.net...
>
>>Andrew Price wrote:
>
>
> <snip>
>
>>The only problem with car tracks is it's a bit repetitive.
>
> Andrew
>
> and riding around in an industrial park criterium isn't?
> Dave
>
>

How about that a parking garage crit?