Any interest in a private lapping day at the new Grand Bend race track?
03-21-2012, 11:12 PM
#1
Race Car
Thread Starter
Any interest in a private lapping day at the new Grand Bend race track?
My dad's considering putting a day together. Cost is $2500 for the day, including marshals and an ambulance. He drove it today and said it's pretty good. Looking for 10-15 people for a nice balance of traffic and cost, so $165-250 for the day. It would be open track, 9-5.
03-21-2012, 11:12 PM
#2
Race Car
Thread Starter
Here's a helmet-cam from a bike. Probably the best youtube video to get an idea of the layout of the track, though it's only one of several possible configurations.
03-21-2012, 11:16 PM
#3
03-22-2012, 12:27 PM
#6
Drifting
Just a word of caution:
1. No curbing for apex and exits - expect dirt here and there when your entering corners.
2. Pavement on runway section has been done on top of existing runway. There is a 3-4 inch drop off on either side. That will flip you quick if you get sideways or try to pull back onto the new pavement too quick.
3. There are too many objects such as trucks, cars, dirt piles, people and porta johns way too close to the track. If you plan for stupid stuff to happen instead of expecting the 'best' out of your renters - you can usually escape disasters.
4. The marshals are 'helpers' - they hold no license or have any experience. Just saying.
5. With improvements the track could be a great addition to the southern Ontario racing / track day scene - but based upon this video - IMHO, it's not ready yet. That was also the CASC position when asked about region events here. I also understand there is a no 'racing' agreement with the locals? Confirm anyone?
1. No curbing for apex and exits - expect dirt here and there when your entering corners.
2. Pavement on runway section has been done on top of existing runway. There is a 3-4 inch drop off on either side. That will flip you quick if you get sideways or try to pull back onto the new pavement too quick.
3. There are too many objects such as trucks, cars, dirt piles, people and porta johns way too close to the track. If you plan for stupid stuff to happen instead of expecting the 'best' out of your renters - you can usually escape disasters.
4. The marshals are 'helpers' - they hold no license or have any experience. Just saying.
5. With improvements the track could be a great addition to the southern Ontario racing / track day scene - but based upon this video - IMHO, it's not ready yet. That was also the CASC position when asked about region events here. I also understand there is a no 'racing' agreement with the locals? Confirm anyone?
03-22-2012, 09:13 PM
#7
I'd be interested. It's similar to TMP in terms of objects close to the track and having marshals would be a bonus. Anyhow, Mosport has big concrete walls close to the track and streams that run across corners 
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03-22-2012, 09:56 PM
#8
Race Car
Thread Starter
Just talked to my dad. He said they're not parking the rv's near the track this year, and that the edge of the track drop has been addressed. In fact, he was asked to avoid the edges of the track when he drove it Tuesday because the pavement was fresh. However, there is still no curbing, just a painted yellow line along the outsides of the surface.
03-23-2012, 09:55 AM
#9
Drifting
Just talked to my dad. He said they're not parking the rv's near the track this year, and that the edge of the track drop has been addressed. In fact, he was asked to avoid the edges of the track when he drove it Tuesday because the pavement was fresh. However, there is still no curbing, just a painted yellow line along the outsides of the surface.
At one point CRCA was warning the management (Pre-Ray David ownership) that they wouldn't put any more workers out on the course until something was done. Cars had lost control and 'chased' many of their workers across the grass - some even losing it so badly that they crossed over the next piece of track in their way at 90 degrees to traffic. Shannonville then decided that curbing was in order at all apex's and exits and it greatly contributed to slowing people down when they knew that flying over the curbs could risk their exhaust systems... It also cut down on spins due to dirt left there from the previous car throwing it there. Even SMP put up some walls here and there as a last resort to stop cars hitting other vehicles where the track heads towards each other.
I see Grand Bend at the same point (start up mode) as SMP so I think eventually they will find that perfect balance between fun and safety. I just hope they don't make the curbs as big as SMP did!
Removing the RV's is a good idea. All it takes is a dog running out onto the track to wreak everyone's day - not to mention some guy in a turbo well past his skill level going crazy and spinning across the grass...
I also thought the porta john's beside the track was shear lunacy. Just like airline travel - if I've got to die, I'm dieing eyes wide open - not sitting on my *** in a john...
03-23-2012, 10:23 PM
#10
Team Owner
Good news. I recall the first years of Shannonville when they created the long track and everyone *thought* that because it was wide open they would have less problems and that people wouldn't hit stuff. Wrong. It always seems that when you give people more room - they throw all caution to the wind and attempt silly things like taking some kinks and bends flat out where normally if there were walls or curbing there they would use a little more common sense.
At one point CRCA was warning the management (Pre-Ray David ownership) that they wouldn't put any more workers out on the course until something was done. Cars had lost control and 'chased' many of their workers across the grass - some even losing it so badly that they crossed over the next piece of track in their way at 90 degrees to traffic. Shannonville then decided that curbing was in order at all apex's and exits and it greatly contributed to slowing people down when they knew that flying over the curbs could risk their exhaust systems... It also cut down on spins due to dirt left there from the previous car throwing it there. Even SMP put up some walls here and there as a last resort to stop cars hitting other vehicles where the track heads towards each other.
I see Grand Bend at the same point (start up mode) as SMP so I think eventually they will find that perfect balance between fun and safety. I just hope they don't make the curbs as big as SMP did!
Removing the RV's is a good idea. All it takes is a dog running out onto the track to wreak everyone's day - not to mention some guy in a turbo well past his skill level going crazy and spinning across the grass...
I also thought the porta john's beside the track was shear lunacy. Just like airline travel - if I've got to die, I'm dieing eyes wide open - not sitting on my *** in a john...
At one point CRCA was warning the management (Pre-Ray David ownership) that they wouldn't put any more workers out on the course until something was done. Cars had lost control and 'chased' many of their workers across the grass - some even losing it so badly that they crossed over the next piece of track in their way at 90 degrees to traffic. Shannonville then decided that curbing was in order at all apex's and exits and it greatly contributed to slowing people down when they knew that flying over the curbs could risk their exhaust systems... It also cut down on spins due to dirt left there from the previous car throwing it there. Even SMP put up some walls here and there as a last resort to stop cars hitting other vehicles where the track heads towards each other.
I see Grand Bend at the same point (start up mode) as SMP so I think eventually they will find that perfect balance between fun and safety. I just hope they don't make the curbs as big as SMP did!
Removing the RV's is a good idea. All it takes is a dog running out onto the track to wreak everyone's day - not to mention some guy in a turbo well past his skill level going crazy and spinning across the grass...
I also thought the porta john's beside the track was shear lunacy. Just like airline travel - if I've got to die, I'm dieing eyes wide open - not sitting on my *** in a john...
03-24-2012, 11:41 PM
#11
Drifting
Actually, it was a Texan in an F458 that almost got me last year at the Indy. Collected his mirror in my shoulder at station 11.