Loretta Lynn Track History

moto589
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moto589
Edited Date/Time 3/4/2013 6:48pm
A blurb from Daves thread 'Loretta Lynn's 2011 prep got me questioning...........

Lorettas started in 82' if I'm not mistaken? Has the track remained pretty consistent or has it gone through changes just like the national tracks?

I'd assume our amateurs are getting better as the years go by and especially with 4 strokes the track has had to get some changes to keep up with the sport?
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JustMX
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JustMX 7/13/2011 6:34pm
7/13/2011 6:34pm Edited Date/Time 7/13/2011 6:36pm
Has undergone a few changes.

They ran the track backwards one time.

I can't remember the exact year but they did change the first turn so that it wasn't a high speed dog leg that used to have unbelieveable pile ups. With the change they turned into a wooded section kind of behind the billboards.

what used to be a really technical section approaching the finish is now just two sets of doubles.

Marc Peters did come out several years ago and made some interesting changes, one being a unique off camber section. that is not an easy feat on what is pretty much a flat piece of land.

Also added several high banked 90 degree corners and some really fast whoops heading into the furthest section away from the finishline area.

He also opened up the infield by taking out one switchback and added in a fast, rough sweeper right next to the road.

In recent years they have really added sawdust and truck load after truck load of sand. The track gets much more rutted and rough then it did in previous years. It is not unusual to see more than 10 distinct lines in just about every corner.

They don't look for big air stuff but stick pretty close to what text book MX should be. Unbelieveably rough, a few technical sections like the 10 commandments, and plenty of places to pass

It is remarkable to see the magic that Jeff Russell and his crew do during the event.
JOHN CHOATE
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JOHN CHOATE 7/13/2011 7:43pm
7/13/2011 7:43pm
I remember in '09 in the final right hand sweeper around the pond, just before the finish line, I walked the track and counted 18 different ruts. Freakin' 18 and most were from the entry and were continuous all the way to the exit.

Back in the '80's, I remember the track being much more hardpacked. Like JustMX stated, with all the sawdust and sand it has definitely requires a different riding style than two decades ago. Seems like some of the lines change every lap too.

Russell and crew sure do a great job.
lumpy790
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lumpy790 7/13/2011 8:15pm
7/13/2011 8:15pm




JB 19
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JB 19 7/14/2011 1:26am
7/14/2011 1:26am
Davey wrote a really good story about 4-5 years ago in racer x. It would be cool to post it, but I have no idea where the mag is. Talked about everything from wanting the race to be at the same location every year to to big Dave driving all the way to Tn just to dig up a scoop of dirt to see what the dirt at the ranch was like.

The Shop

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DC
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DC 7/14/2011 4:17am
7/14/2011 4:17am
JB, you got it, we will run it later. And Jeff Russell is my brother in law, really the main man for track prep and upkeep at the ranch every August. Marc Peters comes in each year now and updates and tweaks it and they make a great team. Peters works with Jeff on High Point and Steel City too, plus his own big menu of tracks out west.

One thing that always shakes it up is the fact the ranch gets flooded practically every spring and it brings in new soil all the time! This war it rained so hard they had to cancel the GNCC because the river flooded the whole ranch-bottom area.

DC
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pjs dad
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pjs dad 7/14/2011 4:31am
7/14/2011 4:31am
Most chang was the "big" tAble top in the middle in 2006
mx317
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mx317 7/14/2011 5:11am
7/14/2011 5:11am
My best finish there (top ten) was 1995, the year (or one of the years) they ran in backwards. I liked the flow backwards. I may have to get serious about again qualifying next year. The last time I raced there was 2003. I became principal at a school about 50 miles away and starting next year Tennessee passed a mandate that will push the start of the school year later into August. It wouldn't have looked too good for the principal to skip the first week of school!
dboivin
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dboivin 7/14/2011 11:52pm
7/14/2011 11:52pm Edited Date/Time 7/14/2011 11:53pm
had 2 unlucky years there. 85' hurricane Danny came thru and basically washed away the 3rd motos. Is that the only year where they never run a 3rd moto?

87' big rains made for some bike swallowing ruts.

on a side note, 85' was a tremendous year for michigan titles....we like the mud, lol.
the_wood109
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the_wood109 7/15/2011 2:07am
7/15/2011 2:07am
The grounds are nice, the golf carts are nice, but the track really isn't that great in my opinion.

Of course, as so many freaks of nature have proven, it really doesn't matter when you are that good on a motorcycle.
DC
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DC 7/15/2011 8:11am
7/15/2011 8:11am Edited Date/Time 7/15/2011 8:12am
SuperMario, it has to work for PeeWees as well as future Pros, plus past Pros and everyone in between. It also has to last from dawn-to-dusk for six days. It may be flat but it's the roughest, widest and most versatile piece of flat moto land you will ever set tire upon.

I know I'm biased, but it seems to have worked pretty darn well over the years for kids and their families.

DC
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mxb2
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mxb2 7/15/2011 8:15am
7/15/2011 8:15am
DC for president!
lumpy790
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lumpy790 7/15/2011 8:20am
7/15/2011 8:20am Edited Date/Time 7/15/2011 8:21am
If you have never been there......you can not understand just how GREAT this race is!

checking off the 12 days till I leave.
JOHN CHOATE
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JOHN CHOATE 7/15/2011 8:42am
7/15/2011 8:42am
It is like Woodstock for MX
moto589
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moto589 7/15/2011 8:55am
7/15/2011 8:55am
Constant hammering from dawn to dusk for 6 days. I can only imagine what that track looks like for the last and final moto of the week.
Sondy132001
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Sondy132001 7/15/2011 8:57am
7/15/2011 8:57am
moto589 wrote:
Constant hammering from dawn to dusk for 6 days. I can only imagine what that track looks like for the last and final moto of the...
Constant hammering from dawn to dusk for 6 days. I can only imagine what that track looks like for the last and final moto of the week.
Not really, Marc & Jeff work on that track every day...

S
DC
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DC 7/15/2011 9:02am
7/15/2011 9:02am
Every hour, actually. It gets incredibly rough, deceivingly rough, but it's always competitive and in great shape.

DC
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Sondy132001
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Sondy132001 7/15/2011 9:07am
7/15/2011 9:07am
DC wrote:
Every hour, actually. It gets incredibly rough, deceivingly rough, but it's always competitive and in great shape.

DC
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Well dude I was gonna say every day all day but I didn't want everyone to know how hard you run Jeff & Marc Wink

S
DC
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DC 7/15/2011 9:09am
7/15/2011 9:09am
They run themselves down there -- I just work on staying out of the way, helping out here and there and continuing to build the world's largest collection of used tear-offs!

DC
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Arkmx
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Arkmx 7/15/2011 9:59am
7/15/2011 9:59am Edited Date/Time 7/15/2011 10:02am
The track layout is basically the same as it was in 82 with the exception of tweaks and changes throughout the years plus the new Marc Peters additions. The track use to run back beyond the old jetting area and the old Horse Barn back in 82.

Also that first year had the track come across the first turn after the jump exiting the finish line area. Spectators also were able to roam the track that year too....

Original Billboard.





Original sign at the Highway going into the ranch.





250 A's going to the north of the pond from the back section.





The pole located above riders left shoulder is the one where the track use to have the 180 turn at the far south end, now it's a 90 deg. left-hander leading into a rhythm section near the Water Trucks.





Way back at the south end...





Coming back from the south end.





What! No Venders on the hill...





50's going wide open for about a 1/4 mile to the next 180 turn.





80's doing the same....





Spectators watching from the sidelines...





Lisa Akin and Darlene Roth in the Women's class. The Roth's were our neighbors that week.





Who need a covered starting area? Open A lined up on Saturday for their final moto.

twizzler
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twizzler 7/15/2011 10:26am
7/15/2011 10:26am
Cool pics Ark! Brings back a lot of great memories. I was at the ranch in some capacity every year from 82' - 93'! Then back again 06'-09'. And maybe back there again this year I hope. Magical place for sure, but I prefer the old days at the ranch. Too many punk kids there nowadays. But I was a punk kid in the 80's haha but we only had BMX bikes to ride around instead of golf carts.
rocrac
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rocrac 7/15/2011 10:38am
7/15/2011 10:38am
Arkmx wrote:
The track layout is basically the same as it was in 82 with the exception of tweaks and changes throughout the years plus the new Marc...
The track layout is basically the same as it was in 82 with the exception of tweaks and changes throughout the years plus the new Marc Peters additions. The track use to run back beyond the old jetting area and the old Horse Barn back in 82.

Also that first year had the track come across the first turn after the jump exiting the finish line area. Spectators also were able to roam the track that year too....

Original Billboard.





Original sign at the Highway going into the ranch.





250 A's going to the north of the pond from the back section.





The pole located above riders left shoulder is the one where the track use to have the 180 turn at the far south end, now it's a 90 deg. left-hander leading into a rhythm section near the Water Trucks.





Way back at the south end...





Coming back from the south end.





What! No Venders on the hill...





50's going wide open for about a 1/4 mile to the next 180 turn.





80's doing the same....





Spectators watching from the sidelines...





Lisa Akin and Darlene Roth in the Women's class. The Roth's were our neighbors that week.





Who need a covered starting area? Open A lined up on Saturday for their final moto.

Sweet post. Hey Twizz what's happening.

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