Saturday Night Thunderdome

2410 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by FR, Feb 10, 2005

FR

Discussion Starter · Feb 7, 2005

Well, for those of you that seek some cheap thrills, well sort of cheap, (12$ at the gate, 35$ per class if you're racing) I can reccomend a trip to Middletown N.Y. next saturday for the last night of racing at the "Thunderdome". Worth the trip if you live within a 2 hour circle of the Orange County Fairgrounds.
This is an indoor oval race, on concrete with "coke syrup" on it for traction, and trust me, there is traction. Very short track, first gear only, and very tight action.
I raced, but didn't qualify for the feature. There was some very cool racing going on though, especially the Pro, or money payout classes. There are some National ranked riders there, as well as local Pro's.
Cool bikes as well, especially the Vintage class, a Gold Star, an early '70s Harley Davidson 250, a battered, but wicked fast Bultaco, as well as the the typical Yammie and Honda 500s.
They also run Quads, which are stoopid loud, and not quite sane.
If you go, bring earplugs...and a camera, 'cause you won't believe it.
For info, call 845-343-4826. They are running this Saturday, 12th, as a make-up date from the big snow storm 3 weeks ago.
FR

Edited by - FR on Feb 07 2005 08:38:03 AM

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FR

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 7, 2005

coke syrup? you got to be kidding, right? how the heck do they spread it down, and better get it up afterward.

Tex, I didn't witness the application, for all I know, they just say they put it down, but nevertheless, there was plenty of traction available, more than you'd get from untreated indoor concrete. When I walked on it though, it didn't seem tacky. There was also a lot of rubber on the track, mostly from the quads. I was pulling bits of rubber off my tires after each run, and I was also getting some fresh graining on my rear tire, which I thought was pretty freakin cool.

i thought cleaning my bike up from the sand at kershaw/jennings was a bitch, guess i'll reconsider.

No clean-up at all, which is another bonus. Also no hassle with cleaning your visor, didn't even fog up. I'm tellin you, if you got a dirt bike, YOU CAN DO IT.

FR

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FR

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 9, 2005

Sorry, been away for a day.
My weapon of choice is a '79 Yamaha XT500, which I can race in Vintage and Open Amatuer. My son started with an XR100, then moved up to a '95 YZ125, which is what I ran at Middletown. We also use the YZ for Supermotard, with 17" wheels. The suspension is lowered about 3 inches from stock.
Flattrack is a great experience, much different from roadracing, where you generally try to hit the same braking and apex spots lap after lap.
Flattrack, especially on a dirt track, the conditions change frequently, what was the fast way around in practice, or even the beginning of the race, may not be the fast way as the race develops.
I'd suggest starting with "shorttrack", smaller than 1/4 mile, there are several in NY/N.E. area. And one of the most popular classes is XR100. These bike are ubiqitous and relatively cheap, make a great pitbike, and you can run 'em hard. You'll wear out before it does.

http://www.sidewayspromo.com

This site is a little tired, but this promotor has kept flattrack racing alive in N.E. for the past few years, sometimes at great personal expense.

FR

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FR

Discussion Starter · #9 · Feb 10, 2005

I'm happy to report that the demise of the 2 stroke has been greatly exaggerated. They're still competitive in both venues, although in Supermotard the deck is stacked against the YZ. It has to compete against up to 400cc air-cooled, or 250cc liquid-cooled 4 strokes if you run it in the Lightweight class. I'm still convinced that in most cases though, it's the rider, not the bike, that determines the level of "competitiveness" (if that's a word). Especially in shorttrack racing, I've seen old aircooled 2 strokes ridden by competent riders smoke (sorry) the field, including me on my XT500.
The last time I raced at Cuddebackville, I had to use the YZ instead of my other 4 stroke, a Honda XL600, and I was able to compare my lap times, they were just about identical. I was beating the same guys, and getting beat by the same other guys.
I don't think there's a better bang for the buck than a used mid to late '90s 125cc moto-x bike. Or a 250 for that matter.

FR

Edited by - FR on Feb 10 2005 08:28:48 AM

Edited by - FR on Feb 10 2005 08:30:26 AM

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