[joe c]

found this picture on the wera bbs of a guy at grattan. there are a bunch of pictures like this. what do they have?? a triple or something??? this looks pretty cool.

 

[craig641]

JC,

I've been to Grattan once. Very nice track, getting a little rough in a few spots but overall one of my favorites. That picture is probably from a spot on the downhill back straight. It's at a wide open down hill section. And just before you have to break for a right hand 90 degree turn there's that jump like section. The faster guys can really fly over that hill and then land and break hard for the 90. The slower, scared guys break before the jump. But you really have to be moving fast to get that kind of air like the picture.

The one time I was there I saw Jay Springsteen racing one of the Harley roadracers. He comes down this long hill in first place in his race on the first lap, hits this jump section and his right hand comes off the handlebar as he lands. So he's got no brakes for the right hand 90 and goes straight off the track. He manages to keep it up but by the time he gets back on the track he's in last place - after the second wave comes by him. At that point he starts riding at an incredible pace. Passes everyone in both waves and takes first place overall. In an eight lap race. Harley should have given him a real roadracer back in the day. Or at least allowed him to ride another company's bike for roadracing. He could have been one of the best.

Craig

 

[kenessex]

Craig,
I think you have the right spot but the wrong direction. Grattan can be run both clockwise and counterclockwise. The hill is really only a jump when running counterclockwise and then the next turn is a left hander with a little more oom in front of it to get slowed down. Going clockwise you can loft the front wheel and then carry the rear on the brakes before the right hander where you saw Springer(and many others, don't ask me how I know)run off. I prefer to run counterclockwise but AHRMA doesn't do it.

Ken

AHRMA 412
Vintage racing - old guys on old bikes

 

[craig641]

Ken,

I believe you're correct. I've heard WERA runs it counter clockwise. That jump would be interesting.

The same weekend that I was there a guy ran into, and killed, a deer during practice. I think he went down but was fine. I think they also served the deer at the track's BBQ that night.

Craig

 

[jbranson]

Cool....sounds like my kind of race.
Hopefully there are possums on the track if I ever go.
JohnnyB

 

[kenessex]

I haven't seen any livestock on the track at Grattan. I think Nelson Ledges is the best for on track animals. During the 2 24hrs I have run there I have hit a turtle and a rabbit. The rabbit wasn't too bad, but a turtle in the dark on the backstraight is pretty scarey and a heck of a bump. I hate Nelson. I love Grattan.

Ken

AHRMA 412
Vintage racing - old guys on old bikes

 

[krapfever]

The place has got a nice laid-back atmosphere.

I've never raced there, only spectated. Everyone I know who's run there says that 90 is a 2nd gear bitch. Don't the pits let out right next to that hump?



Honda go sideways!

 

[kenessex]

They let you out onto the track right there only on practice days.On race weekends the pit exit is on the front straightand the main track exit is before turn 3. That right after the jump has lots of lines and they all suck. The same with the hairpin a couple of turns before the straight. All kinds of ways to go slow through that turn and no way to pass or go fast.

Ken

AHRMA 412
Vintage racing - old guys on old bikes

 

[joe c]

ive seen the chipmunks at nhis near the rock in t6. rabbits, deer and a groundhog running at summit. everyone else see the one at start finish in the 350gp race??? it ran across the track in front of me from right to left. then sat on the side of the track for a minute. then in june there was a deer running along side of the track on the exit of t1. on the left side. that was a little scary. tex hit something, i think a ground hog or rabbit or something someplace. i know the carrols had the run-in with the swarming bees in canada. pretty bizarre that wild animals will run around a place with that much noise when they have no fences or guard rails or anything to have to cross over. like they want to be on the track or something.


there are several pics on that guys site of bikes jumping that bump.

jc