ECR July 20 & 21

[shilka99]

Is anyone else heading out this weekend? I'll be teaching Saturday and riding for fun Sunday.
I sure hope they fixed the drainage issues so this rain doesnt make the track a deathtrap.

[milesmiles]

I haven't signed up, but I plan on going saturday

[fixxervi6]

There is no way in hell I would get on ECR with any chance of rain, not without a dedicated track bike at a minimum.

I may go up just to get the GSXR suspension checked depending on how things go with work, my first track day with the GSXR will be cresson.

[milesmiles]

20% chance? Ill take those odds

[Striple]

20% chance? Ill take those odds

Its ECR. It doesn't matter if its dry that weekend: if it rained within the last two weeks (which it clearly did), then the weepers are going to be very active.

[fixxervi6]

What he said. I corner worked a weekend like that and it was crash fest.

[milesmiles]

You don't think I haven't danced around that stuff nearly every time I'm there?

[Striple]

Not like we did last time. The track was nearly unrideable.

Just be careful out there! Watch turns 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9 (and sometimes 10). Everything else is probably awesome.

[Dragonfly]

What he said. I corner worked a weekend like that and it was crash fest.

Some of us road during a track day out there when it rained. We dubbed it Crash Fest, there where wrecks, run offs, and go downs in every level on every session. We didn't complete a single session all day. 4 people went down during the round robin.

[milesmiles]

Well thanks for the reminder. Ill do my best to keep away

[Striple]

Nobody is trying to pee on your parade. You just have to be seriously cautious out there, thats all.

I ran that track earlier in the year a few times, and it was just kind of crappy as always. However, when we went back for the CMRA event in April, the track was a nightmare. Weepers and puddles all over the place, and parts of the race line were no longer usable. Parts of turn 9 were marked with a spray can to help riders avoid it, yet it still turned into a crash fest. There were many voices within the organization that were weighing whether or not that track was even safe to race on anymore. The owner of ECR even came out and called everyone in, promising that he was aware of the problems and that he would do whatever was necessary to fix it.

We'll see in September, when we're racing there again.

[milesmiles]

I know, that's why I said thanks!

[shilka99]

I'm planning to ride my sumo until I know the track is safe enough for a bike I care about not crashing.

[Fish R1]

Corner working Sunday.

[milesmiles]

Signed up lvl 3 Saturday

Friend Steven signed up lvl 2 saturday

[Striple]

I'll be at TWS for the weekend. You guys have fun and be careful out there!

[111]

I'll be at TWS Saturday. I may come out Sunday morning to say hey but I can't spend the whole day out there. The wife would kill me.

[shilka99]

For those of us planning to be at ECR this weekend, there has been some updates on the condition of the track. According to a CMRA racer who was on the track after the repairs, he said the repairs have either not helped at all, or made things worse.

He said turn 8, 10 & 11 were outright dangerous.

After all the rain we've had this week, we need to be more than careful. We need to be prepared to sacrifice lap times if its not safe. Pushing as hard as possible is not worth it if the track surface isnt safe. Its better to take it nice and slow around 8, 10 and 11 than to push hard and crash on a sub-par surface.

[milesmiles]

Ughhhh I hate being nervous

[Rhino]

It's ok, you'll hate crashing more. Then nervous will be in perspective.

Just do like me and crash in pit lane. Saves wear and tear on you and your bike.

[shilka99]

Theres no point trying to go fast in an environment that increases risk. its as bad as riding on the street. when its unsafe, its better to be cautious than to crash. dont let the temptation get the best of you.
theres no point trying to get a personal best lap time unless the conditions are ideal. crashing is easy to avoid. but simple maturity isnt simple, it comes with experience. you can learn from others though - think of all the people who've crashed due to risky conditions. My first time at ECR was a massive crash fest due to recent rains. Thats the day that over 30 people either crashed or ran off and couldnt get out of the mud. I watched a gorgeous 1098 go into a massive high-side right in front of me as we came out of turn 8. we'd been warned to take it easy in that corner but he was so determined to get a good lap he broke his collar bone and totalled his bike in an attempt to prove he was faster than his buddies. And that was the first session after the round robin.
i havent seen him since so he obviously isnt very fast anymore.

If we all keep this in mind we can avoid the expense of bike repairs. new leathers. new boots. new helmet. new gloves... and who wants to find out what it feels like to break a collar bone?

[milesmiles]

I should have signed up or lvl 2 dammit

[milesmiles]

Actually I might email Dave an see if they have an open spot to change. It will let me focus on some stuff that I need to work on more

[Grinner]

Well, this just means ECR is off my list until they redo it properly.

[shilka99]

I'm almost certain they will never do it properly.