Professional Track Conditions

Wiztardo
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Wiztardo
Edited Date/Time 5/7/2018 9:14am
I am pretty new to the sport- so I hate to ask such a potentially dumb question.

Every form of media I see about pros training at their test tracks, shows them riding on the most beautiful, pristine, manicured tracks. Why is this? The little amount of racing I have seen looks quite different than the training tracks. Are those glamour shots and footage only taken at the beginning of training sessions before the conditions of the track break down? Or is it just a complete after thought to such a skilled rider? I've always been curious about that.
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kb228
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kb228 5/3/2018 11:52am
5/3/2018 11:52am
Im curious too. It makes more sense to me to let tracks get wasted and train on that instead of prepped tracks.
Donovan759
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Donovan759 5/3/2018 11:58am
5/3/2018 11:58am
I'm not sure I would want to be training on a wrecked track all week. Its a heck of a lot easier to make a miscalculation in ruts than it is without them. Leave that for Saturday.
BurntToast43 5/3/2018 12:21pm
5/3/2018 12:21pm
I think they do just show the tracks in prime shape for social media standards. If you look at some of the outdoors tracks they are training on like bakers factory and the nest where some of the geico boys trained the tracks are super gnarly. Im sure Tomacs track in colorado where him and jmart are training is pretty beat up too. Its really the only way to get in true race shape.
huck
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huck 5/3/2018 12:29pm
5/3/2018 12:29pm
A lot of them are as hard as concrete and they are turning lap after lap on them...

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Titan1
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Titan1 5/3/2018 12:52pm
5/3/2018 12:52pm Edited Date/Time 5/3/2018 12:53pm
Practice in hell, race in heaven...

If I were a pro rider I’d groom my track once a month (except jump faces), let it get so rough and so chewed up and so rutted up that the tracks on race day would be a piece of cake.
devindavisphoto
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devindavisphoto 5/3/2018 2:14pm
5/3/2018 2:14pm
Have you guys ever been to a test track when there wasn't a professional film crew there filming? These guys ride on chewed up tracks, you just don't see it.
loftyair
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loftyair 5/3/2018 2:23pm
5/3/2018 2:23pm
Unfortunately, in socal, lots of pros show up early, then leave relatively early, before the track they are practicing on gets that hammered. At least to them. I don't think that's the way to practice for outdoors. The practice track is not nearly as hammered as the race track is even just after practice. Needs to shift back to grueling, its kinda pretty boyish right now if you ask me. Not saying they don't haul ass, but most are hurting before 2nd moto starts.
aFACEdismembered 5/3/2018 2:23pm
5/3/2018 2:23pm
A majority of their seat time comes during the week, not on race weekends. The sketchier the track the easier it is to make a mistake and get hurt. Top class pro's can adapt and overcome as a track gets worse.

Motocross track? The more Lommel the better. The more Trentino the better.
Dragoo168
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Dragoo168 5/3/2018 3:32pm
5/3/2018 3:32pm
They groom the tracks for safety, not social media, and it's not so that the riders have "pristine" conditions. Other than water (On the Supercross test tracks), they often do nothing with the tracks! The thing you need to remember is that test tracks don't have 300+ riders of all classes tearing the shit out of it, and they're not just there to practice, but to also test in a controlled environment with data that is gathered constantly.Because we're headed out of Supercross season, most right now are maybe thinking of images of those tracks, but when they are practicing at say Glen Helen, they are still at the mercy of the same track conditions as anyone else, which are public tracks so to speak, so they are groomed as said before, for safety!That being said, like loftyair said, a lot of them show up early, before it gets too hot, or sometimes the teams rent the tracks for a while, either way they aren't as rough looking as at the end of a raceday. I would say to jump out there if you have never been, and tell me if you still think the tracks are always as smooth looking as you think in pics compared to real life, LOL!Most of the big tracks are never groomed like your local freeway looks on raceday morning!Smile
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Pirate421 5/3/2018 5:34pm
5/3/2018 5:34pm
I remember when I lived in Texas I was riding at Cycle Ranch one Saturday. This was probably 4-5 years ago and it was a busy day in April or May. At around 230 a truck pulled in with Andrew shorts bto Ktm in it. It was probably 85+ degrees and the track was hammered. Andrew was busting out 30 minute Moto’s, coming in to change pipes and going right back out. Most people there would get 5-10 laps in before about passing out. So to make a long story short, some guys do ride the rough stuff but out in Cali it usually looks pretty smooth for the videos.
zehn
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zehn 5/3/2018 6:03pm
5/3/2018 6:03pm
much ty for this fascinating thread
Wiztardo
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Wiztardo 5/4/2018 4:28am
5/4/2018 4:28am
Dragoo168 wrote:
They groom the tracks for safety, not social media, and it's not so that the riders have "pristine" conditions. Other than water (On the Supercross test...
They groom the tracks for safety, not social media, and it's not so that the riders have "pristine" conditions. Other than water (On the Supercross test tracks), they often do nothing with the tracks! The thing you need to remember is that test tracks don't have 300+ riders of all classes tearing the shit out of it, and they're not just there to practice, but to also test in a controlled environment with data that is gathered constantly.Because we're headed out of Supercross season, most right now are maybe thinking of images of those tracks, but when they are practicing at say Glen Helen, they are still at the mercy of the same track conditions as anyone else, which are public tracks so to speak, so they are groomed as said before, for safety!That being said, like loftyair said, a lot of them show up early, before it gets too hot, or sometimes the teams rent the tracks for a while, either way they aren't as rough looking as at the end of a raceday. I would say to jump out there if you have never been, and tell me if you still think the tracks are always as smooth looking as you think in pics compared to real life, LOL!Most of the big tracks are never groomed like your local freeway looks on raceday morning!Smile
This makes the most sense to me. I can see teams wanting to train closest to simulated conditions- but also with the most safety oriented regime. That balance has got to be one of the more unique situations among all competitive sports.

I have been to High Point and a Detroit Supercross Race- so not a ton of exposure but... They practice on tracks that are in the outdoor circuit when they are not racing there around the year? I always assumed the top 25 pros train at private compounds. I guess I never even considered that places like High Point, Glen Helen, etc are public tracks. Pretty cool.
Wiztardo
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Wiztardo 5/4/2018 4:31am
5/4/2018 4:31am
Pirate421 wrote:
I remember when I lived in Texas I was riding at Cycle Ranch one Saturday. This was probably 4-5 years ago and it was a busy...
I remember when I lived in Texas I was riding at Cycle Ranch one Saturday. This was probably 4-5 years ago and it was a busy day in April or May. At around 230 a truck pulled in with Andrew shorts bto Ktm in it. It was probably 85+ degrees and the track was hammered. Andrew was busting out 30 minute Moto’s, coming in to change pipes and going right back out. Most people there would get 5-10 laps in before about passing out. So to make a long story short, some guys do ride the rough stuff but out in Cali it usually looks pretty smooth for the videos.
That is just too cool. The day I got to ride on a motocross track is the day I gained the greatest respect for the fitness of these guys.
DoubleA
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DoubleA 5/4/2018 4:37am
5/4/2018 4:37am
Pretty sure at Lommel they leave it all week and work on it one day. Imagine riding lommel 4days after it being prepped.
make1go
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make1go 5/4/2018 5:13am
5/4/2018 5:13am
time on the bike is best, but it doesnt have to always be on a hammered track, they can get conditioning from otger training methods.

theres also the 'keeping it fresh & fun' aspect, a lovely track is much more fun.

i ride a lot 2 to 3 times a week sometimes i start to get bored so its easy to see how those guys need to keep it less demanding..
segers
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segers 5/4/2018 5:28am
5/4/2018 5:28am Edited Date/Time 5/4/2018 5:29am
DoubleA wrote:
Pretty sure at Lommel they leave it all week and work on it one day. Imagine riding lommel 4days after it being prepped.
Lommel gets groomed on Wednesday and Saturday

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Muscle-Milk-KTM 5/4/2018 7:10am
5/4/2018 7:10am
DoubleA wrote:
Pretty sure at Lommel they leave it all week and work on it one day. Imagine riding lommel 4days after it being prepped.
segers wrote:
Lommel gets groomed on Wednesday and Saturday
That's good to know coz I'm going there in July.
Titan1
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Titan1 5/4/2018 7:18am
5/4/2018 7:18am
DoubleA wrote:
Pretty sure at Lommel they leave it all week and work on it one day. Imagine riding lommel 4days after it being prepped.
segers wrote:
Lommel gets groomed on Wednesday and Saturday
Muscle-Milk-KTM wrote:
That's good to know coz I'm going there in July.
Can you imagine that place late on a Tuesday afternoon? Good grief...

Wednesday sounds like a great day to go. Lol
segers
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segers 5/4/2018 7:33am
5/4/2018 7:33am
Muscle-Milk-KTM wrote:
What days does Honda Park get groomed?
Same as lommel i think
segers
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segers 5/4/2018 7:35am
5/4/2018 7:35am Edited Date/Time 5/4/2018 7:36am
Titan1 wrote:
Can you imagine that place late on a Tuesday afternoon? Good grief...

Wednesday sounds like a great day to go. Lol
Yup its fun
segers
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segers 5/4/2018 7:42am
5/4/2018 7:42am
Muscle-Milk-KTM wrote:
Cheers m8, looks like I'll be riding on at least one rough track then lol. I'm only over for 2 days.
I find hondapark to be tougher as lommel as lommel flows better,on thursdays you can usualy find some pro's on both tracks.
Nuffsaid
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Nuffsaid 5/4/2018 9:49am
5/4/2018 9:49am
Would the recent MXoN results be a indicator of practice track conditions?

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