Smith Rd. one directional track now?

B

Bennett 93cr250

Noob
Was wondering if smith rd is going to stay one direction only since they put little kickers in which are nice, but the fun thing was going both ways.Cant see him refacing the jumps all the time to changs directions. The best about smith the ability to go both directions and not just the same way every week even though there's the ability to change up the corners just about everywhere.
 
Yes, from what I have heard the front section is one direction now and the back section will be changed up each week.

I have to agree, and I have heard a lot of complaints from people. Swapping direction each week was the best thing about the place!
 
It is sad to see a track that I grew up on slowly go away from what we all loved about it. The place is an awesome track for all skill levels to practice on and put down some laps. Now with Malvern practicing every Wednesday there will be some competition to improve or loose riders.
 
Track owners are in a tough spot, older riders don't want to change anything but the younger riders want to see a more change. The continuous track layout changes from week to week and awesome deeply rutted berms are all parts of Smith Road that will never change. Yeah it might be disappointed to some that the track is changing but all I can say is support the new owners and the track we all enjoy. Im sure good things are to come!
 
Everyone wants Smith road to go on. we are patient they will figure it out.
But if they dont control the dust the township will shut them down.
So whatever they do to the track wont matter one bit.
 
If they continue on with track prep like last weeks practice I cant imagine many people will continue to show regardless of the township !

IMO the track changes are great. The layout is still typical for smith rd and very fun! The jumps are built well and safe. They are a nice change. The corner and passing practice here is great, when the ruts and line choice are there.......

Talonrunner.... WHAT RUTS ?????? At most 5 corners had ruts in them when I was there. And only 1 or 2 at that! The dust was out of control. 90% of the track was polished hard pack with a loose or dust berm on the outside. Then to top it all off they watered it while we rode without discing it !!!! During that I saw at least 3 riders down in the watered sections each lap. Most were on the ground facing the wrong way, spun out on the slippery watered hard pack. People were cutting the track were the flagger showed them to go around the water truck but many of them were cutting the watered sections out after the watering was done. I almost got hit by track cutters 3 times. Old school guys who dont want change is one thing but safety is completely different. I feel only ONE thing that has changed negatively at this point is the track prep. My last practice I rode there last year is what I miss, prep to perfection, multiple ruts in most corners, flat corners, line choice, passing , getting passed and trying to follow faster guys and no dust......

My hope is the new owners learn Georges prep technique and save smith rd...........
 
Last Night was the best effort yet of the new season. Some nice berms developed in parts of the track and the jumps have all stabilized into solid faces / landings that are consistent from last week.

The Plas family is getting the hang of it more and more each week, there were still a spot or two that were a bit too muddy and stayed that way all night, and a spot or two that was a bit too dry that got a bit dusty, but much more of the track worked in to a nice tacky soil with WAY less dust than last week. It's a science of how much water to soak into the ground, how deep to turn it over, how much time to run the sprinklers, what parts are under watered by the sprinklers. etc, etc. You also have to remember that the riders need to actually form the lines and break in the track. If everyone avoids the "mud" at the start of the night, lines aren't going to form in the main parts of the turns.

The layout was fun and fast for Smith Rd last night. Longer curving straights that allowed for higher speeds than usual. And a couple of new turns that made some areas of track seem like they had never been run that way before.

Each week gets better, and the learning process is showing as it goes. By the time George gets back to help Larry out, they will be pretty close to getting it dialed in on their own. there is still some work to be done, but it's coming along a week at a time.
 
Robin, you got their late. The track was a mud hole at first, but it shaped up nice. I'm not complaining my son had a blast. It was fun to watch my son ride at Smith Rd yesterday. I race Smith Rd for the first time in 1978 and quite a bit through the years. Thanks George for keeping it open all these year and to the new owners for still keeping it a motocross track. It could be a housing development.
 
Original44 said:
Robin, you got their late. The track was a mud hole at first, but it shaped up nice. I'm not complaining my son had a blast. It was fun to watch my son ride at Smith Rd yesterday. I race Smith Rd for the first time in 1978 and quite a bit through the years. Thanks George for keeping it open all these year and to the new owners for still keeping it a motocross track. It could be a housing development.
Click to expand...

Smith Rd has been notoriously a "Mudhole" at the beginning of the night for many years...........which is what some people always complained about in the past. BUT, that is the only way to have a track shape up into ruts and berms through the evening. Otherwise it dries out too fast. I got there at 530pm on a 4 to Dark open ride night, so I wasn't all that late.

I have been riding there for many many years on a weekly basis and am very thankful that it's still a motocross track too. I also know that Larry wants to improve the track to be a good choice for riding to as many people as possible (because we all know that you can't please all motocrossers no matter what you do), and he's on the way to providing a good experience for all.

Just like Briarcliff, there are riders that don't come until late in the day when it's dried out cause they don't like the wet sloppy stuff in the beginning of the day there...... track must be wet to start or else it's going to be a dustbowl.
 
If there is one job I would not want to have it would be owning a track as Briacliff once put it 1/3 of the people will be pissed off no matter what you do.
Very thick skin is required.

Glad to see someone took over for George, give the new guy some time & talk to them as he took a big chance by buying that place with not a lot of
reward (cash return for investment) in it.

Yeah George & the Hand's left some big boots to fill but give these guys some support & a chance.

I told George about 10 years ago he should prep for some of the clubs as by himself he was outdoing a large group half his age. He laughed & said
he did not want to spread himself too thin.

Speaking of George is he still in the area​​?

Just wish I was riding....saw guys heading there yestreday as I was going for a doctor appt.

Rocket is dead on as the muddier first practice is the better, more line, berms & rougher the track will be!

Maico Mark
 
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