AMA Question
#1
AMA Question
We have coverage of the AMA superbike championship via Motors TV here in the UK. I was watching the Mid-Ohio race yesterday when it became apparent that the quality of the surface was absolutely appalling. How the hell do you set a race suspension up for a track like that!! It had concrete repairs all over the place, even through apexes! Why on earth don't the proprietors look at re-tarmaccing? You would never catch MotoGP going there on the grounds of safety.
I worked in Michigan for a short period and it seems that the road surfaces are just as bad on the highways. I would not even attempt to get my knee-sliders scraping on those roads!! This might suggest why the 'general' U.S. public's fascination with straight-line speed and belief that bends/corners/twisties just hold you up from going flat out.
This is not a dig, I just wanted the opinion of those that live across the pond.
Keep it shiny side up guys.
I worked in Michigan for a short period and it seems that the road surfaces are just as bad on the highways. I would not even attempt to get my knee-sliders scraping on those roads!! This might suggest why the 'general' U.S. public's fascination with straight-line speed and belief that bends/corners/twisties just hold you up from going flat out.
This is not a dig, I just wanted the opinion of those that live across the pond.
Keep it shiny side up guys.
#2
RE: AMA Question
While at the very same AMA race I read that Mid-Ohio started using the concrete to minimize wear that was being induced by the bigger heavier race cars. It was an effort to minimize the expense of future repairs. It didn't seem to be an issue for any of racers and I never once heard a negative remark about the concrete except that it did provide an extra challenge for the riders since they had to deal with two different track surfaces.
#3
RE: AMA Question
Mid-Ohio has always had its glaring fault... not all tracks in the US are deteriorated crap. Yes, Daytona is another high profile track that superbikes/supersport bikes should never turn a wheel on. So it is with Louden.
Watkins Glen (great tarmac - beautiful lay out) is an example where motor cars have a phenominal track, yet no bike racer would ever race there because it's lined with armco very close to the track.
There are some very nice tracks that the AMA races on (Laguna Seca, Sears Point, Virginia Int'l, Barber, etc). We have some nice tracks that the AMA doesn't go to (Thunder Hill, Spring Mountain, Portland Int'l, etc). Much of these choices are down to marketing, population & previous business dealings.
The middle section of the US (and the Deep South) is in deed given to straight roads - no real mountains to speak of. Yet the West - from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean are teaming with abundant twisties. Also there is a stretch of roads from north Georgia through New York in the Appalachian Mtns that are truly amazing (esp. most of WV).
Thus you'll find more interesting* tracks where there is more interesting topography*, and less interesting tracks where the terrain is itself less appealing to sportbike riders. And in kind a greater H-D market.
Bear in mind the UK has its share of less than MotoGP quality tracks, too.
Cheers
Watkins Glen (great tarmac - beautiful lay out) is an example where motor cars have a phenominal track, yet no bike racer would ever race there because it's lined with armco very close to the track.
There are some very nice tracks that the AMA races on (Laguna Seca, Sears Point, Virginia Int'l, Barber, etc). We have some nice tracks that the AMA doesn't go to (Thunder Hill, Spring Mountain, Portland Int'l, etc). Much of these choices are down to marketing, population & previous business dealings.
The middle section of the US (and the Deep South) is in deed given to straight roads - no real mountains to speak of. Yet the West - from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean are teaming with abundant twisties. Also there is a stretch of roads from north Georgia through New York in the Appalachian Mtns that are truly amazing (esp. most of WV).
Thus you'll find more interesting* tracks where there is more interesting topography*, and less interesting tracks where the terrain is itself less appealing to sportbike riders. And in kind a greater H-D market.
Bear in mind the UK has its share of less than MotoGP quality tracks, too.
Cheers
#5
RE: AMA Question
Thanks for the replies. I agree totally with the comment about the UK tracks. Donington is great but as already suggested has crap facilities. This will be remedied this winter with a lot of redevelopment. Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington and possibly Rockingham would be able to sustain a leg of WSBK or MotoGP with their current setup. Other than that, a lot of rural tracks are very much similar to the condition observed of Mid-Ohio. I have only ever really been to Michigan (and briefly El Paso, Tx.) and I was told that the road surfaces suffer badly there due to extra Truck weight that was permitted in that state, that combined with very cold winters and hot summers played havoc with the tarmac/concrete. I had concerns just driving a normal saloon car over there let alone a sports bike. I just got this impression that most people hated sports bike riders as, on the whole, they were kids just out to show off on the highways (wearing nothing but jeans and t-shirt). The main biking contingent was that of the "greasers", those that refused to believe that there was any life other than H-D. Even a Buell was out of the question!! I hoped for opinions to the contrary.
Each to their own, I suppose.
Each to their own, I suppose.
#6
RE: AMA Question
[X(] True, there is a jingoistic contingent that espouse the mantra that if it ain't made in the US of A, it ain't ****. And not surprisingly in the middle-third of the country there is a huge % of H-D riders compared to sportbike riders, this is do to a couple of factors: 1) Its topography is flat (thus the term - The Great Plains), some rolling hills but nothing in the way of mountains. This gives rise to something that's as lumbering as H-D. 2) The region quite literally from the Canadian boundry south to the Gulf States is generally a quite socially/politically conservative area given over the above mentioned jingoism.
The thirds on the Atlantic & Pacific regions comprising the Appalachian Mtns on the east & Cascade/Sierra Mtns on the west is rather mountainous so gives way to an increase in sportbikes. These regions also tend to be more liberal socially/politically so tend to be more open-minded to resources/opportunities from non-US sources.
Cheers
The thirds on the Atlantic & Pacific regions comprising the Appalachian Mtns on the east & Cascade/Sierra Mtns on the west is rather mountainous so gives way to an increase in sportbikes. These regions also tend to be more liberal socially/politically so tend to be more open-minded to resources/opportunities from non-US sources.
Cheers
#7
RE: AMA Question
I know where I will be booking holiday in the future then!!
Do you guys have the opportunity to use the race tracks for trackdays? It is something that is very popular over here due to the amount stupid car drivers on the road. A great way to imitate those Superbike riders and Rossi of course.
Do you guys have the opportunity to use the race tracks for trackdays? It is something that is very popular over here due to the amount stupid car drivers on the road. A great way to imitate those Superbike riders and Rossi of course.
#8
RE: AMA Question
Depends where one lives - the US is a big country sizewise. Some areas in the West are rather remote. Though, we seem to be in a "track building phase" right now. There's a new complex being built right now outside Salt Lake City (Miller), 'spose to be world class, designed by the same guy that built Virginia & Barber tracks.
I live about 60 miles from a track, plus visit neighbouring states to do other tracks for a change-up. BTW, we have a plethora of moronic drivers as well.
Cheers
I live about 60 miles from a track, plus visit neighbouring states to do other tracks for a change-up. BTW, we have a plethora of moronic drivers as well.
Cheers
#9
RE: AMA Question
For starters, I will never turn a track day wheel at Mid-Ohio. I don't even think I would do it if Reg Pridmore's classes were free. There is no reason for that track to be in such terrible condition. The whole place looks like a flee market but yet I will go and watch AMA Superbike not to support the owners of Mid-Ohio but because I enjoy racing and also get free passes. Barber is the country club of tracks here in the US. Well maintained and money is not conserved when it comes to track maintenance. In the latest issue of Sport Rider, Marco Melandri is quoted saying that it was a scandal that MotoGP was racing at Laguna Seca. Laguna Seca is also a garbage track and would not have gone through remodeling if it wasn't for the large donation from Yamaha. European racers tend to dominate in different types of racing ie MotoGP, F1 etc due to the large number of high end tracks and their strong love for racing. My 2 cents...
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