Posts
6438
Joined
10/16/2014
Location
Buda, TX
US
I know a lot of track owners are on here. We've got another tropical depression in South Texas today, and races and practice days are being cancelled already for the weekend. I often thought there must be a better way, in particular it seems the low spots or creeks just screw things up so badly that the tracks take so much time and effort to repair, and you mostly have to wait for them to dry before you can begin rebuilding. Seeing how almost all tracks are built around elevation changes, this problem is commonplace. The expense of bridge building seems to rule that out for most, but what about digging out the creeks so they flow and or jumping over them? Metal culverts and concrete drains seem to just fill with mud and become useless. What have long time track builders used to prevent the revenue loss of this problem?
Sadly in Texas there is no amount of prep that can prevent a rain out. People from northern parts of the country and midwest will argue until they are blue in the face, that where they are from they get two inches of rain in the morning and it's perfect. The weather in Texas is too sporadic and especially in west Texas the ground is not used to the moisture so it takes way longer to soak in.
We got rained out this past Saturday night with only about an inch and a half of rain. Thankfully with 100 plus degree heat we were finally able to get the track ready for tonight's practice. Parts of the parking lot are still under water though.
The Shop
http://www.megatraxs.com/
once we get this 240, 000 sq ft place set up we hope to have racing and other activities. just takes time.
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/06/20/269540/s1200_IMG_0902.jpg]
but we still rain out right now until we are ready inside.
1. If it's going to rain, don't rip the track, if you have a wheel loader or skip loader roll the track in so the water runs off. You can also track them in with the dozer. Ripping the track is the worst thing you can do.
2. Before the rain gets there, go and make cuts with the dozer to allow water to drain out of berms and low spots. Direct the water to where you want it to run by cutting V ditches. If you have hills that shed water towards your track create drainage ditches that keep the water from flooding the track, and use 12"-24" pipe to cross under the track where needed. If possible put a metal grate on it to avoid rocks entering, mud will wash through with a fire hose, but rocks will clog the drains.
3. Never allow your track lanes to get below the grade of your infield or water truck lanes. If areas of your track flood, drain the water before you put equipment on it.
4. If at all possible when you know it's going to rain let the track dry out before hand. Most Motocross tracks, especially the tracks in Southern California that are watered and prepped daily are already saturated and when they get any real rain are put out of commission because the ground can't take anymore water.
5. If you have technical sections that can flood, you can always tarp it, I bought Visqueen to tarp our Supercross track one winter, so when it rained we were able to be open the next day, and it allowed us to earn money when every other track in Southern California were rained out.
6. Have good dirt. Sandy soil will drain water quicker than clay and can be easier to work with while muddy.
Using these techniques we were always the first tracks open after a rain storm. We had 5 days straight of rain in 2010 and were open 4 hours after the last drop of rain fell. With amazing track conditions.
Build the track surface up so its higher then all surrounding ground and try to make the middle of the track higher then the edges so water can run from center of track, to edge and then to off track area. Look at how roads are built.
Its really common sense. Water runs to low spots, so if track is low (which it naturally gets due to ripping it and bikes riding on it) it will hold water.
Rain or Shine is the only way to have a successful track!
Pit Row
Anyways, thought I’d share since it seemed to be right on topic:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IYsVQ5xHJvg
I have built & maintained about 10 tracks in the last 45 years and have my own track that never gets rained-out, I only have a tractor to prepare it and do all the work by myself.
I built a track for a ride-park back in 1980, we kept the track surface about 18" higher than the surrounding landscape, after many days of constant rain the whole property was under water except the track, it was the island in the lake.
It's not rocket science, very hard to complain to volunteers.
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