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Blake
| | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 04:05 pm: | 
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Jdugger
| | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 04:39 pm: |
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> It's a huge loss to the CMRA. I'd be surprised if the number of CMRA competitors who don't feel that way amounts to any kind of significant percentage.
I'm sure many if not most feel it's a loss. That's different from not wanting to compete there anymore.
The comments I've heard come in three flavors -- who knows, maybe the group I talk to on a regular basis is a minority, but this is what I frequently hear:
1. Comments about the track itself: "needs resurfacing, coming apart in lots of places, etc."
2. Comments about the safety of the track, such as run off, etc.
3. Comments about the facility, lack of paved campsites, covered paddocks, etc. |
Blake
| | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 06:21 pm: |
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Surfacing is good, maintenance no different than any other track. It does lack curbs.
Safety is probably better than any other track on the Schedule.
Paved campsites? You got something against grass? LOL.
Like I said, if you can find another track that you can rent for $75/day per rider, I'll be all over it.
The CMRA has been maintaining the track and had some of it totally resurfaced back in before the 2002 season if I recall correctly.
There are different surfaces, none are falling apart beyond the ability of Rhino Hyde to do the job.
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Blake
| | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 06:22 pm: |
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(Message edited by blake on May 17, 2010) |
Blake
| | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 06:37 pm: |
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Oak Hill Raceway Lap Records scrawled over time onto Tech Garage Wall
Note "Colin Edwards" and "Ben Spied", Ben Spies' nickname at the time. |
Jdugger
| | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 11:49 pm: |
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Wow -- that track is narrow! Those are like sidewalks!
Hey, I can tell you think the world of that place, and that's great. Talk the owner into getting it back on the schedule.
As for the rate... I pay way less than $75 per day at ECR. Look into a individual membership. If you are doing 4 track days a month, it works out to less than $50/day.
As for the comments... don't shoot the messenger. I'm telling you what I've heard, not what I think.
For me, I never bothered with Oak Hill because I have ECR and Cresson both just an hour away. Doesn't make sense to travel out there.
(Message edited by jdugger on May 17, 2010) |
Steve899
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 12:14 am: |
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one hell of a track!! |
Steve899
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 12:30 am: |
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OHR doesn't compare to ECR or Cresson , you are right about that. Oakhill blows them away, it teaches you to ride fast, lots of practice is needed to learn it well. The American Champions in RoadRacing where do think they learned to go fast. Jdugger I don't know how fast you are on the track, but I know if you put the time in to OHR you would be alot faster today because of it. Is it the nicest facility , no. Teach you to go fast, most definitely! just my 2 cents |
1324
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 08:05 am: |
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Blake, you had the whole place to yourself?? I sincerely hope you made a few 'hot' laps! |
Blake
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 11:10 am: |
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Jdugger,
>>> "like sidewalks"
Your powers of observation are poor while your propensity for exaggeration great.
From turn 8 through the entire start/finish straight and through turn 1 is ~30' wide.
The remainder is not car-track wide; it is narrow in comparison to car tracks, most of which don't get used by motorcycles. Cars don't race OHR.
True, OHR is not for wussies. It leaves no place for resting and is extremely technical and demanding.
>>> "less than $50/day"
Get real. Who the heck does four track days per month (48 per year), darn near one per week? LOL! Is that even possible when you have to work for a living and share a track with cars on the weekends? Going through $300+ worth of tires every track day brings the price of such a habit to more than $15K/yr.
>>> "never bothered with Oak Hill"
You'd have to have been a CMRA member with a full race prepped/teched bike to gain access to OHR. If you were and chose to pass on the opportunity, you sure did miss out. Then you could speak first-hand with credibility and would likely be as disappointed as most are that it is no longer available for our use.
Nothing like getting out of the big city and breathing some nice fresh East Texas air, mixed properly with race fuel of course. 
How many hills and blind corners do ECR and MSR - Cresson have? 3-D rules!
Steve knows. He's done 'em all. He ain't slow.
Nick (1324),
I really should have added my name to the lap record board. The Uly was tearing it up.
Not really, I was there out of pure journalistic interest and in no way prepared to run hot laps. Hopefully the track hasn't seen its last hurrah. |
Rodrob
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 11:27 am: |
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It's amazing how far from the original subject a thread can get. |
Froggy
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 11:27 am: |
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quote:Get real. Who the heck does four track days per month (48 per year), darn near one per week? LOL! Is that even possible when you have to work for a living and share a track with cars on the weekends? Going through $300+ worth of tires every track day brings the price of such a habit to more than $15K/yr.
Blake, Jdugger has several 1125's including dedicated track bikes. His hobby is tearing up the track every weekend, and he does. He then makes posts about not getting a thousand miles on the street on his tires, I say user error |
Blake
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 01:53 pm: |
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I admit. The lives that some lead are quite foreign to me. And I'm an SMU graduate.
Share the track time Jim!  |
Jdugger
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 12:57 am: |
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Blake,
I know it's impossible for you to imagine, but there are people, even racers, that don't think Oak Hill is the best thing since sliced bread. It's an opinion -- let them have it.
For what it's worth, I brought it up today among a very small group of racers, and got the same feedback I'd heard before. They are plenty happy not racing there anymore. What can I say? It's not universally loved.
I can tell you haven't been to ECR or Cresson much.
Eagles Canyon has over 70 feet of elevation change, almost double what Oak Hill has. In addition, fully 5 of ECR's 11 turns are double-apex, and 6 of them are easily argued as "blind" -- 5 of those 6 absolutely are. The track is very difficult because of the corners on negative camber and constant requirement of reference point riding.
At Cresson, the 1.7 is rather flat and uninteresting in terms of elevation, but by adding the 1.3 "short track" you create a 3.1 circuit that's pretty fantastic. The new section has an elevation change comparable to Oak Hill (around 40 feet), and it's got several blind corners, including a wicked late apex decreasing radius and a crazy downhill blind that requires committing to full lean long before you can see your path through the section.
I did 60+ track days last year. I've probably done 15 so far this year, held back as much by the weather as anything. I'll do 10 this month alone, because I happen to have had the week off, good weather, and the chance to do some tire testing to find tires that work for me.
Your figure is about right for what I estimate I spend a year on tires, track fees, etc. It's what I enjoy doing, it's where I spend my money.
So, I find that paying $75/day would indeed be more expensive... I get more value than that more months than not from my track membership.
This may surprise you, but a lot of the guys at the track don't even own street legal bikes. They ride there, and that's what they like. With member weekends a plenty and a day off from time to time, it's totally reasonable to get 24 track days in a year, and if you are like me and NEVER miss a member weekend, getting above 50 a year is simply a function of the weather. I don't ride the street much anymore at all. My Sunday ride IS a track day, and there's a whole subset of the motorcycle community that are just track junkies and that's where they ride.
As for the country bit... I think you would be surprised. ECR is out there a good bit in the middle of nowhere. After 5 when the track is empty, it's really quiet and nice. Today, after tire testing, we hung out in the garage, drank a couple of beers, and marveled at the shredding we gave that rubber today.
... except for the Diablo Superbike Pro slick... holy mother, that's an awesome tire. I did everything I could to get it to tear and it stayed perfect.
I can't wait to pound on it tomorrow. If the weather holds, I'll get in 7 track days THIS WEEK. The perfect vacation, for sure. |
1324
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 06:26 am: |
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I can't wait to pound on it tomorrow. If the weather holds, I'll get in 7 track days THIS WEEK. The perfect vacation, for sure.
Green with envy... |
Gbaz
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 07:18 am: |
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Guy on the base now only races on the track. No good track anywhere near New Orleans, so he spends alot of time on the road.
I have been told in the next 12 months we will have a track open up within an hour of here, and in another 24 a 2nd will open!!! |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 01:17 pm: |
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Good to get your money's worth Joe. If you lived in East Texas, you'd be very sorry to see OHR sit dormant. Sure is nice to be near a track that offers easy access. When I first joined the CMRA in 2002, the fee for a track day at OHR was just $35. It went up to cover the cost of resurfacing and maintenance. Still a great deal.
Sounds like Eagle's Canyon is worth checking out. |
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