N2 Track Night

[mikeinatlanta]

Since N2 is interested in endurance... I know that in the US, night endurance is much of a thing anymore, however, a track day going from afternoon until a few hours after dark would be awesome. Doing it at a slower track like Tally, Jennings, or Roebling would be a huge thrill. What say you?

 

[The B Team]

Big curfew/noise ordinance at Jennings. Roebling is surrounded by a neighborhood. No clue on tally. It would be neat to see a resurgence in big events. I'm not "old" enough to know the logistics, but best i can tell, 24s were held at Nelson as recently as 25ish years ago, with "cost exceeding revenue" being listed as the reason for decline. Nowadays, I would imagine costs have only gotten so much worse between tracks and insurance. There are a number of guys floating around that raced back then and remember.

Edit: I just realized you said "track day." Remembering correctly, I think you said you are coming back to the track this season for the first time in a decade or more? If so, check back in after your first TD and lmk how you're feeling about this afterwards.

Practically, none of the bikes are rigged for night running and very few of the tracks we ride are lit.

Financially, see above.

 

[mikeinatlanta]

Big curfew/noise ordinance at Jennings. Roebling is surrounded by a neighborhood. No clue on tally. It would be neat to see a resurgence in big events. I'm not "old" enough to know the logistics, but best i can tell, 24s were held at Nelson as recently as 25ish years ago, with "cost exceeding revenue" being listed as the reason for decline. Nowadays, I would imagine costs have only gotten so much worse between tracks and insurance. There are a number of guys floating around that raced back then and remember.

Edit: I just realized you said "track day." Remembering correctly, I think you said you are coming back to the track this season for the first time in a decade or more? If so, check back in after your first TD and lmk how you're feeling about this afterwards.

Practically, none of the bikes are rigged for night running and very few of the tracks we ride are lit.

Financially, see above.

Actually back to the track for about two years. First time with N2 coming up. Don't we pretty much all have a decent street bike with lights? Would be fun.

 

[The B Team]

Gotcha gotcha. Can't speak to where you've been riding, but N2 is a very diverse group. A typical TD will run the gambit from first timers all the way to MotoAmerica licensed guys. I would guess that the median skill level falls solidly somewhere in the high N, low I for a lot of events. I would also wager that the majority of non-coach/staff participants have very little, if any, racing experience. All logistics aside, I don't think the skill level is there. Risk would go up exponentially and, in my experience, N2 places safety above all else.

That aside, I hear you. It WOULD be awesome. Other things that would be awesome would be open track endurance practice TDs where you can train for 2 hour sessions, and a resurgence of 8,12 and 24 hour events. Hopefully in the future.

 

[NothingClever]

Fun concept but I don’t see it being cost effective.

You’d have to shrink the number of Group entries to keep risk down and that turns into a financial math project of whether the number of registrations covers the composite schedule of fees to rent the track.

Rental of the portable light sets would be costly and require placement testing by a TDD and CRs in advance of the actual event to ensure the focus of lighting supports the riders’ vision and trajectory at pace.

This would predispose N2 to look for small tracks like you mentioned and @The B Team aptly recognized the limitations of JenningsGP and Roebling. Plus the thought of riding at night with my life in Barb’s hands is pretty close to a daytime nightmare.

It’s likely the majority of riders who ride on the track also have bikes with lights. However, I’m just not confident that people who ride on a track are going to want to bring their street bike when their muscle memory is “track = speed and plastic bad”.

And if this were intended to be a draw for beginners, they need to get hooked in the daylight first anyways.

I’m a positive person but I recognize my answer sounds like Eeyore, especially the part about Barb. But I can see it now…I spring a leak and Barb goes to meatball me. Because it’s a night event, she adapted like the North Florida girl that she is and wrapped a big ‘ol mess of LED patio lights on a string around a mop pole and waved it at me causing me to jump out of my skin and catastrophically end my track riding career as my bike launches off the berm into outer space.

I can hear the launch monitor nerds over in Cape Canaveral asking if they were expecting some sort of launch event from the Panhandle.

 

[domarena33]

Fun concept but I don’t see it being cost effective.

You’d have to shrink the number of Group entries to keep risk down and that turns into a financial math project of whether the number of registrations covers the composite schedule of fees to rent the track.

Rental of the portable light sets would be costly and require placement testing by a TDD and CRs in advance of the actual event to ensure the focus of lighting supports the riders’ vision and trajectory at pace.

This would predispose N2 to look for small tracks like you mentioned and @The B Team aptly recognized the limitations of JenningsGP and Roebling. Plus the thought of riding at night with my life in Barb’s hands is pretty close to a daytime nightmare.

It’s likely the majority of riders who ride on the track also have bikes with lights. However, I’m just not confident that people who ride on a track are going to want to bring their street bike when their muscle memory is “track = speed and plastic bad”.

And if this were intended to be a draw for beginners, they need to get hooked in the daylight first anyways.

I’m a positive person but I recognize my answer sounds like Eeyore, especially the part about Barb. But I can see it now…I spring a leak and Barb goes to meatball me. Because it’s a night event, she adapted like the North Florida girl that she is and wrapped a big ‘ol mess of LED patio lights on a string around a mop pole and waved it at me causing me to jump out of my skin and catastrophically end my track riding career as my bike launches off the berm into outer space.

I can hear the launch monitor nerds over in Cape Canaveral asking if they were expecting some sort of launch event from the Panhandle.

Well said... You should consider writing books.

 

[rpm894]

If you are riding a lot, like every weekend all season, and working full time, you need to have a schedule and system for doing everything or life gets hectic. That's why this is a terrible idea. If we start night racing, I'd have to change my beer schedule and start day drinking.

 

[The B Team]

Wait. You're not day drinking? Wth do you do m-th and off weekends?!?

 

[domarena33]

If you are riding a lot, like every weekend all season, and working full time, you need to have a schedule and system for doing everything or life gets hectic. That's why this is a terrible idea. If we start night racing, I'd have to change my beer schedule and start day drinking.

You just described my life. 90+ hours a week trying to make this damn thing happen. Even with a system its hectic. No night racing! I need my drinking time!

 

[NothingClever]

We should have technical inspection for day drinking, like if your BAC is less than a certain level you have to go back to your refrigerator or blender and correct the problem.