What is an “American Style” outdoor track?

Johnny Ringo
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Johnny Ringo
Edited Date/Time 6/28/2021 7:13pm
We always hear folks saying places like High Point and Unadilla are “euro style” tracks with sweeping corners, off camber, sand, etc. What do you think is an American Style track and what makes it that way?
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GabeM
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GabeM 6/24/2021 2:01pm
6/24/2021 2:01pm
Daytona, that is what most American tracks are like nowadays
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Johnny Depp
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Johnny Depp 6/24/2021 2:04pm
6/24/2021 2:04pm Edited Date/Time 6/24/2021 2:05pm
If you ask the AHMRA vintage riders, they will tell you the difference is more between a "modern" track and a "traditional" track. IMO the "American" track represents the "modern" version. Modern IMO meaning man made obstacles (rather than enhancing the natural elevation changes) and often built on flat ground in close quarters IE Supercrossy.
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skeef
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skeef 6/24/2021 2:05pm
6/24/2021 2:05pm Edited Date/Time 6/24/2021 2:08pm
America is simply this; when the 450 class hits laroccos leap on the first lap. REDBUUDDD
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skeef
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skeef 6/24/2021 2:08pm
6/24/2021 2:08pm
skeef wrote:
America is simply this; when the 450 class hits laroccos leap on the first lap. REDBUUDDD

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EngIceDave
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EngIceDave 6/24/2021 2:37pm
6/24/2021 2:37pm
While there's no blanket answer, IMO, US tracks are "jumpy-er" and more groomed

Euro tracks are typically more momentum driven and corner driven, not as much about the jumping.

But that is changing.

Euro track GP grooming is ZERO once the weekend begins...that mean from the first free practice on Saturday until the end of the last moto Sunday, the track is not groomed, other than the start area and first turn.



Spectators are totally different too....different world
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SWOHIO GUY
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SWOHIO GUY 6/24/2021 5:06pm
6/24/2021 5:06pm
A euro track now a days is a track next to a hotel in Indonesia. High Point is an American track and so is Unadilla!
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Dimblewambie
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Dimblewambie 6/24/2021 5:18pm
6/24/2021 5:18pm
Flat ground with big jumps and rollers. Not to be confused with GP fly away track which are flat ground with big jumps and “waves”.
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hubbardmx50
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hubbardmx50 6/24/2021 5:48pm
6/24/2021 5:48pm
An over watered slot car track with massive dangerous jumps.
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ElliotB16
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ElliotB16 6/24/2021 7:17pm
6/24/2021 7:17pm
How was Red Bud MXON not an American style track?
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OG725
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OG725 6/24/2021 8:10pm
6/24/2021 8:10pm
Man made and big jumps.
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BigBoreFan58
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BigBoreFan58 6/24/2021 8:43pm
6/24/2021 8:43pm Edited Date/Time 6/24/2021 9:02pm
ElliotB16 wrote:
How was Red Bud MXON not an American style track?
It wasn't. We just needed an excuse for getting our asses kicked.
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Up Wind
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Up Wind 6/24/2021 8:58pm
6/24/2021 8:58pm
hubbardmx50 wrote:
An over watered slot car track with massive dangerous jumps.
DC would probably not agree Smile
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Crush
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Crush 6/24/2021 9:10pm
6/24/2021 9:10pm
No throttle control required
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seven10
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seven10 6/24/2021 9:13pm
6/24/2021 9:13pm
We do 17 American style tracks a year....
....It’s called Supercross
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hubbardmx50
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hubbardmx50 6/24/2021 9:51pm
6/24/2021 9:51pm
hubbardmx50 wrote:
An over watered slot car track with massive dangerous jumps.
Up Wind wrote:
DC would probably not agree Smile
Jody wouldn’t agree either.
biglad
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biglad 6/25/2021 1:26am
6/25/2021 1:26am
Stewyeww wrote:
Highways with moon booters
The GP's did these sort of tracks WAAAY before the likes of elsinore and Pala came on the ama calendar...
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biglad
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biglad 6/25/2021 1:28am
6/25/2021 1:28am
Dimblewambie wrote:
Flat ground with big jumps and rollers. Not to be confused with GP fly away track which are flat ground with big jumps and “waves”.
GP's did this style of track donkeys years before ama came along and did it...
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JB500
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JB500 6/25/2021 6:49am
6/25/2021 6:49am
skeef wrote:
America is simply this; when the 450 class hits laroccos leap on the first lap. REDBUUDDD
skeef wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/06/24/499302/s1200_2020_Redbud_National_1_90.jpg[/img]

A 450 for The Leap you say?


-Jeff Kardas photo
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Dimblewambie
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Dimblewambie 6/25/2021 6:57am
6/25/2021 6:57am
Dimblewambie wrote:
Flat ground with big jumps and rollers. Not to be confused with GP fly away track which are flat ground with big jumps and “waves”.
biglad wrote:
GP's did this style of track donkeys years before ama came along and did it...
If a dog year = 7, is a donkey year 3 or 4?
Motodave15
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Motodave15 6/25/2021 9:18am
6/25/2021 9:18am
American Style = Glen Helen


Euro = valkenswaard



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jorgechavez 6/25/2021 12:05pm
6/25/2021 12:05pm
They’ve moved away from it over the past few years but it wasn’t that long ago that a good third of the GP schedule (maybe not literally..) consisted of man made tracks with no elevation, seemingly built in a parking lot. Those style of tracks were also touted as the future of motocross racing by quite a few if I recall.
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Shapi
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Shapi 6/25/2021 4:25pm
6/25/2021 4:25pm
Motodave15 wrote:
American Style = Glen Helen [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/06/25/499361/s1200_james_stewart_takes_the_trip_down_mount_st._helens.jpg[/img] Euro = valkenswaard [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/06/25/499362/s1200_volk.jpg[/img]
American Style = Glen Helen


Euro = valkenswaard



Agree but I think that pic of GH is quite misleading. That place gets gnarly even for local races(see below and this isn't the worst I've seen it). By the end of the day that pic you have of the down hill has mogul sized bumps and it is far steeper in person than it looks on TV...just my $.02 but generally I feel like GP's are naturally flowier and the lack of grooming makes them difficult. I might be a homer, but both GH and Hangtown provide really technical challenges as the euros do, but the US tracks are also more clay/hard pack where GP's see way more sand and looser dirt. Again, just my $.02
pic by Mark Kariya

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FlaNard
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FlaNard 6/25/2021 5:03pm
6/25/2021 5:03pm Edited Date/Time 6/25/2021 5:04pm
hubbardmx50 wrote:
An over watered slot car track with massive dangerous jumps.
Basically this for years now. I’m not all that old and I certainly remember tracks that were night and day different from one weekend to the next. Tire choice mattered, and prep was different. Some riders would excel on particular surfaces and struggle on others. I think it’s the biggest reason the GP riders have bested us at the MXDN for so long now. Those riders can race comfortably on anything. Our guys basically race on slight variations of the same track all series.
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SCC
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SCC 6/25/2021 6:06pm
6/25/2021 6:06pm Edited Date/Time 6/25/2021 6:17pm
Really doesn’t matter anymore. The GP guys can ride hard pack, dusty, rocky, dry slick, wet, sand and mud equally well because that’s motocross. American tracks are 1 dimensional ripped and watered chocolate cake in comparison. Every track removes the rocks, waters, grooms after practice and in between motos, etc. Of course the riders prefer that because it’s easier but that is not the point of motocross.
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Chris_Buehler 6/25/2021 7:37pm
6/25/2021 7:37pm
Motodave15 wrote:
American Style = Glen Helen [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/06/25/499361/s1200_james_stewart_takes_the_trip_down_mount_st._helens.jpg[/img] Euro = valkenswaard [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/06/25/499362/s1200_volk.jpg[/img]
American Style = Glen Helen


Euro = valkenswaard



Shapi wrote:
Agree but I think that pic of GH is quite misleading. That place gets gnarly even for local races(see below and this isn't the worst I've...
Agree but I think that pic of GH is quite misleading. That place gets gnarly even for local races(see below and this isn't the worst I've seen it). By the end of the day that pic you have of the down hill has mogul sized bumps and it is far steeper in person than it looks on TV...just my $.02 but generally I feel like GP's are naturally flowier and the lack of grooming makes them difficult. I might be a homer, but both GH and Hangtown provide really technical challenges as the euros do, but the US tracks are also more clay/hard pack where GP's see way more sand and looser dirt. Again, just my $.02
pic by Mark Kariya

Dayyyum
UpTiTe
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UpTiTe 6/26/2021 6:55am
6/26/2021 6:55am
All the outdoor tracks in America are American style and each a bit unique. All lap around 2:00-2:15, all have made made obstacles on their natural terrain

What truly separates the GP tracks from the American track is how they prep, and how the riders cut in tracks. GP riders carry more speed into and around the turns, American riders brake as late as possible, and create a hook in the turn.
WCRider
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WCRider 6/27/2021 12:56am
6/27/2021 12:56am
Interesting talk about track prep. Start at 15:06 min.

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