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I was amazed at how hard packed it was. When I got into MX, GH was one of the roughest tracks out there, with thick sand on the bottom, and kickers going down the hills. Now it seems to be hard packed and smooth. I don't want to wine, but I`d like to see something more natural and rough than what it was. It seems to be over-prepped...?
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Too many people whined about Jody making it rough. I’ll be the first to admit I thought some of those recent jumps were just damn stupid but that’s what the Vitards here love.
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Location: AZ, USA
Stupid post, the track was brutal as always it was just different because the weather was 60-70 degree's and not 95-100
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Location: Bloomington, CA USA
I think it was the weather,it's been nice and cool here.They didn't have to disc it deep to get moisture in the dirt. Usually it's hot and /or windy they have to soak the track with water. And that 1996 race looks like a drought year maybe.
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Used to be... 
Ask any of the riders what they thought of it. It was rough, as always. Not sure what you’re seeing, but I know I wouldn’t want to ride on that track yesterday.
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Location: KS, USA
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The weather and the excellent soil prep made for really good race surfaces and moisture retention. It was even sandier than usual on the hills/hilltops.
That was awesome.
Nobody ever told me, I found out for myself. You've got to believe in foolish miracles. It's not how you play the game, it's if you win or lose. You can choose. Don't confuse. Win or lose. It's up to you!
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I see. Well I watched on tv, so I didn't see it in person. But it looked more prepped throughout. I remember it being more choppy and sandy everywhere with fewer jumps:
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Location: TX, USA
You are delusional. That track was plenty rough! I was actually watching it thinking I want nothing to do with that shit lol. The bitching on vital is at an all time high. We had awesome racing on a brutal track and people are moaning like they got their dick stuck in a mouse trap about everything. Go actually ride your dirt bike, drink some beer, and plow the ole hen. Then all this petty stuff wont bother you near as much.
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Location: Carlsbad, CA USA
The infield sections were super rough, big ruts and bumps. Maybe the tv didn't actually show it very well.
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The big downhill looked anything but smooth to me. Also the uphill where Tomac passed JA 21 for the lead seemed plenty rough.
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Geez, if it would have been a sun-baked menu of flour dust and square edges would the usual suspects be whining about that too?
That was an awesome track with amazing conditions.
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Location: Temecula, CA USA
That Glen Helen main track, even on amateur practice days, is THE nastiest, scariest rip your bars from your hands track I have ever ridden, and I raced Carlsbad for 20 years.
I don’t ever look forward to riding it.
It’s a lot of things, but smooth is not one of them...
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OP seems to prefer the slot car tracks back east. I've been riding Glen Helen off and on for 25 years. It is never smooth or easy on race day. Practice days are worse due to a little less track maintenance during the day. Also sounds like OP has never ridden there.
The older I get, the faster I was.
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I walked almost around the entire track and I didn't see much "hard pack;" but that is subjective, right! To my mind, Carlsbad was hard pack
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Brapasaurus Rex
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Location: Oceanside, CA USA
Track was plenty rough. A Wray OTB in the Ocotillo Wells section on the first lap of practice And this is with tractor marks still on the dirt.
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Location: Westlake Village, CA USA
If you didn't see it in person you just don't understand how rough it was. I got to the house and watched the second motos again, and TV did not come close to doing it justice.
One of the best Glen Helen tracks in a long time.
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KirkChandler wrote:Track was plenty rough. A Wray OTB in the Ocotillo Wells section on the first lap of practice And this is with tractor marks ...more
Going over the bars and high siding blows hard. Really hard. I'm old now and don't have the crash skills I once possessed, which by the way is a real thing, being able to crash well is an important part of mx if you want to go fast, watching the Anderson high side and seeing the otb shot above scare the hell outta me. And the track was plenty rough, when the pros are basically coming to a stop to get around a corner it's gotten bad..... I don't know the name, or if it even has a nick name, but the corner after the big downhill with all those braking bumps also scares me. I'm going to go hide now, all this scary motocross stuff has me shaking in my orthopedic Alpinestars
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Edited Date/Time:
Yeah, decomposed granite aplenty. The sand in the "sand" sections is more like fine gravel...and dust.
That said, I thought the layout was good, but pretty relentless. There was little place to rest, and nowhere to hide if you were having a bad day.
