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Just got home and had time on the road to reflect on Red Bud this year versus the past 23 that I've been to + MXoN.
The camping / there-for-the-weekend / Amateur-day racer crowd seemed bigger than ever, but the Saturday-only crowd was smaller. I was able to get out of there in 30 minutes and that never happens. I assume this was due to the no-BYOB-trackside rule this year?
Speaking of that rule...not gonna lie, it was nice that the majority of the people there seemed to be there for the races, and even nicer that I didn't have to worry about people offering my 11-year-old a beer bong. Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of good times there back before I started a family, but I don't remember much about the actual races as that ended up being secondary to the party. McGrath, Emig, Pastrana, RC's earlier days...all a fog. It bums me out now to think about it. There were still plenty of sunburned people having a good time, it just takes more commitment now because you had to make trips back and forth to the parking lots for cheap beer, and I think that scared a lot of the non-fans away. At this point in my life, I'm good with that. To those getting pinched off by the new rule, trust me...if you're a fan, you'll live to appreciate it. And besides, based on how many empties I saw scattered around, it's obvious the track crew wasn't being overly goonish about it. Overall the crowd was just as loud and crazy as ever, but that really embarrassing 10% was missing and it's not a place to worry about bringing kids to anymore.
After attending the MXoN I figured the track had been lost, never to be the same. It seemed like there was so much sand that they had gone past the point of no return. But I was surprised to see that miraculously the dirt was great! Maybe better than ever. Someone did their homework to fix that mess. A few sections seemed like they were in the early 2000's even. Great dirt, lots of lines, some ruts but not a slot-car track. Really nice.
Maybe coincidence but a lot of Yamaha 250's were clearing Larocco's Leap easily. I even saw Cooper do it from the inside once. They keep bringing the turn at the bottom in closer and closer and somehow the number of 250 guys getting over it keeps going up. 250 engine development over the past 5 years must be crazy.
The porta-potty situation was on-point. Kudos.
First time I noticed the wash basins in the pits - maybe brought in with the MXoN?
The camping / there-for-the-weekend / Amateur-day racer crowd seemed bigger than ever, but the Saturday-only crowd was smaller. I was able to get out of there in 30 minutes and that never happens. I assume this was due to the no-BYOB-trackside rule this year?
Speaking of that rule...not gonna lie, it was nice that the majority of the people there seemed to be there for the races, and even nicer that I didn't have to worry about people offering my 11-year-old a beer bong. Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of good times there back before I started a family, but I don't remember much about the actual races as that ended up being secondary to the party. McGrath, Emig, Pastrana, RC's earlier days...all a fog. It bums me out now to think about it. There were still plenty of sunburned people having a good time, it just takes more commitment now because you had to make trips back and forth to the parking lots for cheap beer, and I think that scared a lot of the non-fans away. At this point in my life, I'm good with that. To those getting pinched off by the new rule, trust me...if you're a fan, you'll live to appreciate it. And besides, based on how many empties I saw scattered around, it's obvious the track crew wasn't being overly goonish about it. Overall the crowd was just as loud and crazy as ever, but that really embarrassing 10% was missing and it's not a place to worry about bringing kids to anymore.
After attending the MXoN I figured the track had been lost, never to be the same. It seemed like there was so much sand that they had gone past the point of no return. But I was surprised to see that miraculously the dirt was great! Maybe better than ever. Someone did their homework to fix that mess. A few sections seemed like they were in the early 2000's even. Great dirt, lots of lines, some ruts but not a slot-car track. Really nice.
Maybe coincidence but a lot of Yamaha 250's were clearing Larocco's Leap easily. I even saw Cooper do it from the inside once. They keep bringing the turn at the bottom in closer and closer and somehow the number of 250 guys getting over it keeps going up. 250 engine development over the past 5 years must be crazy.
The porta-potty situation was on-point. Kudos.
First time I noticed the wash basins in the pits - maybe brought in with the MXoN?
assessments and I can barely remember my 20's, but I like it better now. about that last part where they keep bringing the corner before larrocco's leap closer and closer, why is that , it seems like it would be safer to give them a little bit room to gain speed so they dont come up short, it's not like they dont want them to jump it!
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I thought the crowd looked a little less than normal, no comparison to the mxdn crowd of course.
The track presentation from the copter cam looked impressive. This track has put so much back into itself it shows, it's like a golf course of moto.
podium 450 moto 2.
random 2013 photo.
Podium 450 moto 2 i believe.
say what you want. its was a lot more than 10%....maybe 10% each year from 2013...
Restricted drinking areas and Alcohol free beer is going to be part of the future including e bikes.... like it or lump it
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