Need I say more?

I heard some of you may like motorcycles.

http://lsnats.com/

I made a sassy comment recently to a motorcycle mechanic about how we would never see flat track racing in Texas.

I was wrong!

September 23rd at the TMS dirt track.

Sorry if I missed another post in ref to this event.

Thinking about it. I guess that will be a temporary track built each year?

Since I lost BeIn sports I've been taking a peek at this. Decided to do a little search last week and was surprised to see it coming here. I'm looking to go take this in possibly.

I really like watching flat track racing. Super exciting.

There's been a lot of times driving between DFW and Houston I will stop at Woody's in Centerville and on occasion I will catch a couple of Flat Track bikes there on trailers and stuff so I know they have been doing it in those area but I never stalk the owners down to find out more.

If they run at the TMS dirt track, it's not a true "flat track". The turns are slightly banked.
Hope that doesn't affect your enjoyment. If the weather is right, I'll be there too.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpHlMzo9x8Y"]Lucas Oil ASCS at Texas Motor Speedway April 7, 2017 - YouTube[/ame]

Yep already ordered my ticket

I've been to short track but never 1/2 mile, going to change that and go see this!

Flat track is fun! Generally "flat" means no hills, not no banks.

Short tracks are generally two stacks of tires as close as 50 feet apart. Short tracks are usually flat because they are usually not much more than a MX club scraping some grass next to the parking lot, or maybe just two stacks of tires, the grass is still there, and watered between heats. However, there are some races held on small tracks built for karts, and most of those are banked. Techniques don't vary much, but speeds go way up on banked tracks, especially those that are more curve than straightaways.

Other common flat track surfaces are sand ranging from sugar to small pebbles, different types of gravel, sealed asphalt soaked with water between heats, dry pavement, ..., even ice.

Most bigger tracks are actually for cars and most are banked. Nothing unusual to see motorcycles on dirt tracks 3/4 mile around. It is a very big deal to outfit a track for rider safety than for driver safety, so many car tracks don't even consider motorcycle racing.

Generally, in the U. S. of A., no knobbies are allowed, generally nothing more aggressive than the old inch measured universal tread tires, like 4.00-18. None of that super soft low profile stuff. Europe has several manufacturers of specialty flat track tires, but odd thing is they are 130/80-18 and 180/80-14, the same sizes as the Yamaha TW and Suzuki VanVan. The K180 used to be available in other sizes (18, 19, and 21) but I've heard lots of people are having a hard time finding them for their street trackers, popular chunkies for that use because they are DOT, European, and Australian approved.

Ice racing comes in two general types, rubber and studs (spikes). Rubber classes run regular rubber tires, usually street treads because the more rubber the better on hard ice. Studded tires require a completely different riding technique because they do not spin, more like dragging elbows on a road course instead of power sliding.

I'm too old to race but I still like to watch. Races are usually lots of quick and nasty heats, usually about 6 laps, and lots of classes don't even have brakes!

By the way all you big tough boys.... there's a girl leading the season's points race right now in the single cyl. class. Shayna Texter won the OKC mile to put herself out front by 11 points.

Don't be shy, bring your Baby out and you both can route for Girl Power!

Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track info

Oval: .4 mile, clay surface
Seating: 10,994
Banking: 12 degrees
Straightaway: 70 feet wide
Corners: 80 feet wide
Luxury Suites: 14 with seating for 308

Yeeha! Stephen said:

By the way all you big tough boys.... there's a girl leading the season's points race right now in the single cyl. class. Shayna Texter won the OKC mile to put herself out front by 11 points.

Don't by shy bring your Baby out and you both can route for Girl Power!

Click to expand...

Yep Shayna has been doing well this year on he 450s still not quite there yet on the twins but she is getting close.

I am really glad to see the resurgence of flat track it has generally provided the most consistently close racing of most all motorcycle racing

Yeeha! Stephen said:

Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track info

Oval: .4 mile, clay surface
Seating: 10,994
Banking: 12 degrees
Straightaway: 70 feet wide
Corners: 80 feet wide
Luxury Suites: 14 with seating for 308

Click to expand...

So is this a permanent dirt track that gets improved with age or a throw together on the infield that is constructed each year?

Permanent track usually running cars. Sprints, modified and stocks. This is not the first AMA event to come to this track.

Would I ever love to run several dozen hot laps on a modified 450 there! I miss the old days at Mike Kidd's track in Boyd. That's where I first raced behind a number 29 plate.

ed29 said:

Permanent track usually running cars. Sprints, modified and stocks. This is not the first AMA event to come to this track.

.

Click to expand...

FYI everybody, It's a smaller imitation of the big track. Copy-cat stands and suites.





The first time AMA was here, track prep was awful. Riders complained bitterly. Hopefully things go better this time. It should be fun.

Flat track purists will be hurt somewhat that TMS dirt is slightly banked.

"Take it with a grain of salt", as the old timers say, and enjoy yourself.

Besides, traveling distance is easy for this one!

rpcraft said:

There's been a lot of times driving between DFW and Houston I will stop at Woody's in Centerville and on occasion I will catch a couple of Flat Track bikes there on trailers and stuff so I know they have been doing it in those area but I never stalk the owners down to find out more.

Click to expand...

Fun little sidebar here. There's a tiny 1/5th mile track in Bullard TX near Jacksonville that runs bikes sometimes. Cactus Speedway.

One time we went to Cactus, John Kocinski the former MotoGP racer and WSBK Champion was there. When they announced his name, my buddies and I looked at each other slack-jawed... "Thee John Kocinski? The GP Racer? In Bullard Texas!?"

Yep. It seems that just for fun now he travels the country racing the small out-of-the-way dirt tracks with his special built bikes, just set the track record! Ha! He wins a lot but doesn't keep the prizes, donating them to various local causes.

Yeeha! Stephen said:

FYI everybody, It's a smaller imitation of the big track. Copy-cat stands and suites.

The first time AMA was here, track prep was awful. Riders complained bitterly. Hopefully things go better this time. It should be fun.

Flat track purists will be hurt somewhat that TMS dirt is slightly banked.

"Take it with a grain of salt", as the old timers say, and enjoy yourself.

Besides, traveling distance is easy for this one!

Click to expand...

Very nice! It will be great. That temp Daytona and other temporary tracks get rutted bad by main. I really want to attend this event, wish it was a flat track, but an unrutted banked is still good racing. I want to see the Indian 750 battle.

Yeeha! Stephen said:

Fun little sidebar here. There's a tiny 1/5th mile track in Bullard TX near Jacksonville that runs bikes sometimes. Cactus Speedway.

One time we went to Cactus, John Kocinski the former MotoGP racer and WSBK Champion was there. When they announced his name, my buddies and I looked at each other slack-jawed... "Thee John Kocinski? The GP Racer? In Bullard Texas!?"

Yep. It seems that just for fun now he travels the country racing the small out-of-the-way dirt tracks with his special built bikes, just set the track record! Ha! He wins a lot but doesn't keep the prizes, donating them to various local causes.

Click to expand...

Yep John is a cool dude made his fortune after retiring from racing in Real Estate in California. I got to meet him several times at his Dads home shop when I lived in Arkansas.
His Dad Big Jim used to live down the road from me, and it was always a placed I stopped to say Hi on the way home if the shop door was open.