Why are tracks prepped like this?

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Edited Date/Time 9/28/2015 6:09pm
Was always curious why tracks are tilled like the picture shown here? Maybe track owners can chime in.

The thing I am curious about is why they till the dirt so deep and leave it like that. Why don't they till it and then pack it down more or smooth it so it's not so deep? The bikes just end up creating huge ruts that are not always fun because you have to stay in certain lines rather than riding anywhere you want and then the bikes just drag down in it.

I always like the tracks that till it and then grab the bulldozer and drag it to smooth it out.





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snape99
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9/26/2015 3:40pm Edited Date/Time 9/26/2015 3:44pm
This is just mx in 2015. In saying that I don't mind a hard park track every now and then.
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9/26/2015 3:52pm Edited Date/Time 9/26/2015 3:52pm
I remember a local track and I was the first one out there on practice and the straight away was tilled so deep my KX450 kept cutting out. Never did it on other parts of track. Could never figure out what the problem with bike was either.

I mean they need to till the tracks I just wish they would go back over it and smooth it. Not necessarily pack it but just smooth it. Would be so much more fun to ride in my opinion.
TXDirt
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9/26/2015 3:53pm
The track has to be ripped so you can water it. Maybe you would prefer they race on a street bike track? That's what you would get it you don't rip it up. It will turn blue groove over time. Why start it like that?
cwtoyota
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9/26/2015 4:24pm
TXDirt wrote:
The track has to be ripped so you can water it. Maybe you would prefer they race on a street bike track? That's what you would...
The track has to be ripped so you can water it. Maybe you would prefer they race on a street bike track? That's what you would get it you don't rip it up. It will turn blue groove over time. Why start it like that?
This is the key on soils that pack down hard. Ripping it deep and soaking the soil with excessive water just before morning practice to get the moisture deep down is the easiest and most effective way to have a dust-free track with tacky soil for the majority of the race day.

Personally, I have always preferred a harder packed track at the end of the day as opposed to a bunch of mal-formed ruts that were established in the early morning when the track was soggy and slow and the riders couldn't lay the bikes down in a corner.

The Shop

Crush
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9/26/2015 4:30pm
Just so the surface holds water so it doesn't turn to dust before the end of the day...

That's not tilled deep either by the looks of it...

TXDirt
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9/26/2015 5:14pm
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep. The tracks have to hold up all day. Ripping and water isn't anything new.

You guys are cracking me up. So now water and ripping to prep track isn't real motocross. Whistling

I love a good rough and rutted track. The blue groove riding on ice rink is no more real motocross then a sand race or mud race. Tracks differ, dirt differs, and the elements is always a variable.
Zracer
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9/26/2015 5:25pm
TXDirt wrote:
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep...
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep. The tracks have to hold up all day. Ripping and water isn't anything new.

You guys are cracking me up. So now water and ripping to prep track isn't real motocross. Whistling

I love a good rough and rutted track. The blue groove riding on ice rink is no more real motocross then a sand race or mud race. Tracks differ, dirt differs, and the elements is always a variable.
Less than 10 years isnt a long time. Hard pack is as much mx as sand or even mud. Dirt doesnt differ much when you rip it all a foot deep. It just comes in different colors. Why do you like to make all the tracks the same?
TXDirt
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9/26/2015 5:26pm
TXDirt wrote:
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep...
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep. The tracks have to hold up all day. Ripping and water isn't anything new.

You guys are cracking me up. So now water and ripping to prep track isn't real motocross. Whistling

I love a good rough and rutted track. The blue groove riding on ice rink is no more real motocross then a sand race or mud race. Tracks differ, dirt differs, and the elements is always a variable.
Zracer wrote:
Less than 10 years isnt a long time. Hard pack is as much mx as sand or even mud. Dirt doesnt differ much when you rip...
Less than 10 years isnt a long time. Hard pack is as much mx as sand or even mud. Dirt doesnt differ much when you rip it all a foot deep. It just comes in different colors. Why do you like to make all the tracks the same?
Less then 10 years??? Really??? So ripping and watering to prep a track just happened in last ten years or less????

I give up.....Whistling
wwoberg
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9/26/2015 5:55pm
I'm an 80's So Cal MX'er. I've lived in the south 25 years. Started riding about 12 years ago when my kids were old enough. I hate ruts. Still do. My son (who grew up here) loves them.

When ruts form in straights I actually do not like riding. Its stupid.
gt80rider
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9/26/2015 6:16pm
TXDirt wrote:
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep...
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep. The tracks have to hold up all day. Ripping and water isn't anything new.

You guys are cracking me up. So now water and ripping to prep track isn't real motocross. Whistling

I love a good rough and rutted track. The blue groove riding on ice rink is no more real motocross then a sand race or mud race. Tracks differ, dirt differs, and the elements is always a variable.
This is truth.

Although, I would think the real old timers would say natural grass is "real" mx. I have been fortunate enough to ride on freshly rained on grass fields, heaven on earth.

I have also ridden on freshly plowed tracks, tricky to start, but freakn awesome once ridden on for a while.

Last thing, fuck crashing on blue groove, I will take disced ground any day for that single reason.
TXDirt
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9/26/2015 6:31pm
gt80rider wrote:
This is truth. Although, I would think the real old timers would say natural grass is "real" mx. I have been fortunate enough to ride on...
This is truth.

Although, I would think the real old timers would say natural grass is "real" mx. I have been fortunate enough to ride on freshly rained on grass fields, heaven on earth.

I have also ridden on freshly plowed tracks, tricky to start, but freakn awesome once ridden on for a while.

Last thing, fuck crashing on blue groove, I will take disced ground any day for that single reason.
I don't think they know what true blue groove even is. I just have to laugh at those saying that's fun to ride lol

But then again there are some who love parking fat chicks too.

To each there own....
loftyair
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9/26/2015 6:57pm
Rip it deep, and soak it good the night before.
Crush
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9/26/2015 7:52pm
I think one thing that might help is if they ripped the corners but not neccassarily the straights... long balance ruts on straights just locks up the track into slot car racing... Unadilla–the section where James landed on RC is like that now and a few other places too...
DE262
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9/26/2015 8:30pm
loftyair wrote:
Rip it deep, and soak it good the night before.
Exactly.

Most good dirt will not hold moisture at all if it isn't ripped and soaked.
So remember that when you're pissed because the track was muddy in AM warm up/practice!
Because it will be perfect for the rest of the day.
Once you lose it, there's no getting it back.
Watering(correctly) is an art!
mattyhamz2
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9/26/2015 8:55pm
Tracks ripped super deep get bumps, ruts and separate the men from the boys. If you want a smooth hard track you'd probably be better suited riding sport bikes at a local road course or super moto so you get to jump. Living in southern California i would do anything to be able to ride a track that was ripped super deep that got super rutted and rough.

Don't forget that a rough rutted track brings the speeds down as well. There's a reason Decoster and a bunch of other team managers and riders asked for the national tracks to be ripped deeper. They wanted the tracks rough! The Euros don't even touch most of the track between the 2 days of racing and we in the states wonder how they are getting so much better.

I prefer ruts and gnarly braking bumps!
user760a
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9/26/2015 8:56pm
I was off the bike for months last winter when I stuck my bike into a spot on the track that had been ripped so deep bike and rider just stopped dead like a lawn dart. broken hand, broken ribs, etc. gotta love it when they rip the jump landings between sessions. The same idiot track worker barely had time to water all the jump faces between sessions, what, with all the landings to rip...WTF.
rmzrider91
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9/26/2015 9:23pm
Nothing better then being the first group out to practice on a freshly tilled track! Plus I like to get my crashes out of the way during practice it seems and the soft ground doesn't hurt to bad. Blush
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9/26/2015 9:49pm
the best prep ive seen was a local track. they would rip it water it and there was also a roller kind attachment that would help break up the chunks and make it loamier. it made riding on the track in the early stages and set the track up to be in better condition later. looked something like this



The Rock
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9/26/2015 11:00pm
TXDirt wrote:
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep...
What? Tracks have prepped like this for long time. If it wasn't before it was mostly do to lack of resources or knowledge of track prep. The tracks have to hold up all day. Ripping and water isn't anything new.

You guys are cracking me up. So now water and ripping to prep track isn't real motocross. Whistling

I love a good rough and rutted track. The blue groove riding on ice rink is no more real motocross then a sand race or mud race. Tracks differ, dirt differs, and the elements is always a variable.
Well said. Some of these comments speak to the pussification/SX-ing of outdoor motocross.
The Rock
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9/26/2015 11:04pm
mattyhamz2 wrote:
Tracks ripped super deep get bumps, ruts and separate the men from the boys. If you want a smooth hard track you'd probably be better suited...
Tracks ripped super deep get bumps, ruts and separate the men from the boys. If you want a smooth hard track you'd probably be better suited riding sport bikes at a local road course or super moto so you get to jump. Living in southern California i would do anything to be able to ride a track that was ripped super deep that got super rutted and rough.

Don't forget that a rough rutted track brings the speeds down as well. There's a reason Decoster and a bunch of other team managers and riders asked for the national tracks to be ripped deeper. They wanted the tracks rough! The Euros don't even touch most of the track between the 2 days of racing and we in the states wonder how they are getting so much better.

I prefer ruts and gnarly braking bumps!
Yeah but what does The Man know about motocross? Smile
mattyhamz2
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9/26/2015 11:10pm
mattyhamz2 wrote:
Tracks ripped super deep get bumps, ruts and separate the men from the boys. If you want a smooth hard track you'd probably be better suited...
Tracks ripped super deep get bumps, ruts and separate the men from the boys. If you want a smooth hard track you'd probably be better suited riding sport bikes at a local road course or super moto so you get to jump. Living in southern California i would do anything to be able to ride a track that was ripped super deep that got super rutted and rough.

Don't forget that a rough rutted track brings the speeds down as well. There's a reason Decoster and a bunch of other team managers and riders asked for the national tracks to be ripped deeper. They wanted the tracks rough! The Euros don't even touch most of the track between the 2 days of racing and we in the states wonder how they are getting so much better.

I prefer ruts and gnarly braking bumps!
The Rock wrote:
Yeah but what does The Man know about motocross? Smile
Maybe a thing or two, but not much more than that LaughingWhistling
TheLsho
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9/27/2015 2:29am
Can someone tell me why they didn't groom in between days? I get leaving it between motos, but leaving it after the shape it was in yesterday... I don't get it.
bob567
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9/27/2015 3:04am
TheLsho wrote:
Can someone tell me why they didn't groom in between days? I get leaving it between motos, but leaving it after the shape it was in...
Can someone tell me why they didn't groom in between days? I get leaving it between motos, but leaving it after the shape it was in yesterday... I don't get it.
Standard operating procedure. Same thing they do every weekend for GP's. They don't touch the track after Saturday qualifiers. Nothing new.
brimx153
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9/27/2015 3:19am
big ruts on strights create one lined tracks ,which equals bad racing, rip th crap out of th corners .dont thouch the strights , ,then its a win win
TheLsho
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9/27/2015 4:56am
Looks like the tidied up some sections before the first race.

So I guess it's not the same as GPs?

Good on them for doing it though.
Cygnus
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9/27/2015 7:54am
TheLsho wrote:
Can someone tell me why they didn't groom in between days? I get leaving it between motos, but leaving it after the shape it was in...
Can someone tell me why they didn't groom in between days? I get leaving it between motos, but leaving it after the shape it was in yesterday... I don't get it.
bob567 wrote:
Standard operating procedure. Same thing they do every weekend for GP's. They don't touch the track after Saturday qualifiers. Nothing new.
Gken Helen did.
9/27/2015 8:27am Edited Date/Time 9/27/2015 8:28am
the best prep ive seen was a local track. they would rip it water it and there was also a roller kind attachment that would help...
the best prep ive seen was a local track. they would rip it water it and there was also a roller kind attachment that would help break up the chunks and make it loamier. it made riding on the track in the early stages and set the track up to be in better condition later. looked something like this




I think that is called a Cultipacker. Great for prep...

The Euro / GP way is to not rip it that deep, then never touch the track. They rip it maybe 6-10". The AMA way is to rip it DEEP. 24"+. When you rip it that deep, you have to do some follow up work on the track throughout the weekend.

All this talk about GP tracks being rougher is a bit of BS. It is a different kind of rough, much choppier with square edges and a harder under-base. When you rip it really deep, you get bigger bumps, but they tend to be rounder. With the deep rip, the dirt maintains some give.

These sorts of differences can make a big different on getting suspension dialed in.

Some good comments here about the best of both worlds. Rip the corners like the AMA, but do a shallower rip on the straights, etc.
hillbilly
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9/27/2015 8:35am
If you raced in the 70s when there was no tractor or water and dust so thick you couldn't see your front fender you would appreciate thinks so much more.

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