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Edited Date/Time
7/31/2020 6:48pm
So like most Europeans I have the impression that AMA isn't as rough as GP's but never going to a AMA National your can't really compare the two.
So it obviously varies from year to year on how rough a track gets but generally do AMA's get stupidly rough?
So Valkenswaard was one hell of a rough track this weekend. How does this compare to places like Southwick or Glen Helen.
I would say right now that Lommel and Valkenwaard are the 2 hardest tracks in the GP series, change my mind lol.
Do places like Thunder Valley get rougher from huge breaking bumps?
What is the roughest Pro race you have been to/seen? Pictures?
I have only ever been to Matterley for the GP's and MXON and its never been too much of a rough track, has some nice sheets of rocks underneath the dirt though. (picture was taken after everyone stampeded towards the podium)
So it obviously varies from year to year on how rough a track gets but generally do AMA's get stupidly rough?
So Valkenswaard was one hell of a rough track this weekend. How does this compare to places like Southwick or Glen Helen.
I would say right now that Lommel and Valkenwaard are the 2 hardest tracks in the GP series, change my mind lol.
Do places like Thunder Valley get rougher from huge breaking bumps?
What is the roughest Pro race you have been to/seen? Pictures?
I have only ever been to Matterley for the GP's and MXON and its never been too much of a rough track, has some nice sheets of rocks underneath the dirt though. (picture was taken after everyone stampeded towards the podium)
The combo of so many classes, so much track time and very little work on the tracks make the majority of the GP tracks brutal.
But then a track like Patagonia doesn't get rough at all(relatively), partly because only 2 classes. So not all GP tracks develop to war zones.
I would say that the GP tracks are on average gnarlier but there are some tracks in US that gets just as rough or even rougher. The worst part with US tracks is the track prep. It's good with ruts in the corners but not on the straights. The racing suffers so much from that kind of track prep.
The Shop
Roughest AMA National race I did was Binghamton for me. Track was straight gnarly and the ruts were up to your knees in some corners. Other tracks were certainly as gnarly. But that track always stood out in my mind.
Take a AMA national track that is ripped 2 feet deep, with 6x 30 feet ruts in and out of every corner and on long straights combined with high speed and huge jumps. I would say consequences of crashing on them, and maybe even mentally riding at that high speed is more demanding.
So two different things.
I think it's a different kind of rough sometimes. Hangtown late in the day after the soft shit gets pushed away and you are down in the clay...man...that will beat you up even if you are standing up and feeling fresh.
Joel Smets once said is was really difficult to ride because it was really hard to get a rhythm going there.
Here's a few rough track pics for the sake of argument.
Mill
Valkenswaard
Lierop
Lommel
They had large gates at Valkenswaard in the MXGP (40 riders) and MX2 (37 riders) classes aswell.
Free Practice: 8 laps x 40 riders = 320 laps
Timed Practice: 9 laps x 40 riders = 360 laps
Qualifying Race: 11 Laps x 40 riders = 440 laps
Warm Up: 7 laps x 40 riders = 280 laps
Moto 1: 17 laps x 40 riders = 680 laps
Moto 2: 17 laps x 40 riders = 680 laps
Total per class: 2,760 laps
Total weekend of MX1/MX2: 5,520
Total EMX 125/EMX 300: 3,800
Total possible Weekend laps at Valkenswaard: 9,320 laps
But if you look at the fly away races, the GP tracks tend not to be as rough as an AMA National just based on participation of riders . The Glen Helen GP was not nearly as rough as the Glen Helen Nationals. Maybe the way it was prepped had something to do with it aswell. But mainly the number of riders on the track.
At a fly away GP. Take Argentina this season using the average amount of laps completed in the practice sessions.
Free Practice: 11 laps x 30 riders = 330 laps
Timed Practice: 10 laps x 30 riders = 300 laps
Qualifying Race: 13 Laps x 30 riders = 390 laps
Warm Up: 7 laps x 30 riders = 210 laps
Moto 1: 19 laps x 30 riders = 570 laps
Moto 2: 19 laps x 30 riders = 570 laps
Total per class: 2,370 laps
Total weekend of MX1/MX2: 4,740
Average AMA National:
4 Practice sessions: 6 laps x 40 riders = 960 laps
1 LCQ: 4 laps x 40 riders = 160 laps
Moto 1: 17 laps x 40 riders = 680 laps
Moto 2: 17 laps x 40 riders = 680 laps
Total Per Class:2,480 Laps
Total Day of 250/450: 4,960
NOTE: These laps are taking an average number for practice sessions. Moto laps are for the leaders. So there was no deduction for lapped riders or riders pulling off. So in reality the number of laps completed is less than the maximum calculated.
How about WW Ranch that seemed to get pretty rutted when the GP ran there. Is that a typically roughness of the AMA's. I don't think they had support classes that weekend?
Found some great photos from WW ranch.
You can have a blue groove hard packed track with comparatively very small bumps and square edges, but be incredibly technical to ride fast. This is the true art of Motocross. Adapting throughout the day as all the nice lines, smooth areas, generous berms and powder is pushed away...
Pit Row
ps: I have been one of the idiots mentioned above.
Brutal place and so hard to keep up speed
And any difference at all is because of who is running a race.
I can remember years ago that a top rider did not know the track was not responsible for the track prep between motos. Even a natural terrain nowadays seems to enhance jumps or sections of a track to slow the speeds down. But yes Europe has tougher tracks when they are natural terrain.
Worst one I ever rode was a track in Quebec called Ste Veronique. About a foot of beach sand with a clay base underneath. I hit a square edge on a straightaway 4th tapped and had the biggest endo of my life there.
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