5th annual Battle at the Barn Coke Syrup on Concrete Oval Races Jan 25/26 Des Moines

[yaegerb]

good advice. Are you speaking of the full nerf's, like your missile set? I already have the dg nerfs with the custom mounts.

[xrider]

The DGs should work, but you might consider an angular bar on each side similar to our missle nerfs that will protect up the side and rear of the fenders.

[yaegerb]

I think I could make that work

[radrandy2001]

Nice! Is that Matt Roby on his 200x in front of the camera man? I couldn't make out his number. If so, I need to ask him where he got the wheel offset on the right rear wheel. Very cool indeed!

I see Matt already replied on this but I just wanted to mention if you watch the credits at the end of my vids I always try to name the riders.

[radrandy2001]

Matt wrenching


Evil Matt


Blurry Matt with cheapo camera focused on #69 Mike Moore


Matt's starting block to prevent kick starting the floor


Speak softly and carry a big stick. (Matt's Dad)

[yaegerb]

Are those sparks flying out from underneath Matt's X???

[radrandy2001]

Are those sparks flying out from underneath Matt's X???

Yes, you sill see several sparks in the videos. Some is from Matt's frame under the engine dragging (too soft of forks when lowered) and others from the riders metal toe plates on their boots hitting the ground when leaning that far.

[radrandy2001]

You gotta watch this video. Its the last heat race before the main event taken from the back row with #24 Eric Moore's helmet cam. Great shots

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=71INUMtM6uc

[stroberts22]

Are the inside markers only a suggestion? Looks like the 69 ran all over the tecate and then matt.

[riverrat]

That is so insane, I love it.

[radrandy2001]

Are the inside markers only a suggestion? Looks like the 69 ran all over the tecate and then matt.

Well, there are two sides to every story. The first year we went to these Iowa races we, the Kansas guys, were shocked to see racers in several classes, not just 3 Wheelers, make passes by going totally inside the corner marker disc. We never raced like that ourselves and it sure looked like cheating to us. The next year in the riders meeting everyone was told that if you had one tire on the wrong side of the corner marker “and gained a position, you would be docked one position”. What that did was basically make the corner disc part of the racing surface much like you see in Road Racing when cars go up on those white and red striped aprons. The result of course is getting some air under your tires and making you all herky jerky.
All the racers, at least once or twice hit these corner disc when practicing and racing. Typically on the start when the 4 inch taller right rear overrides the shorter inside tire it yanks you over there and we all know how critical tire pressure affects the steering on a 3 Wheeler. Imagine a super sticky no spin launch with such a height difference in the two rear tires. Also this same situation can and does happen when you attempt to pitch and turn the 3 Wheeler. It will grab and jerk you, sometime violently, to the inside.
Unfortunately having nerf bars has made racers a little too gutsy. History will show that all of us old timers started racing without nerf bars and if you made a contact pass like seen in the video’s you ended up on your head. In fact, when the quads came out they were allowed nerf bars yet 3 Wheelers were not. By the mid 1980’s the Missile Kits came out and to my knowledge, here in the Midwest, it was the first that we saw of their use on 3 Wheelers. It was only a matter of time of racers getting bump passed that most riders began adding them and using them as a passing tool. I personally did not have nerf bars until the early 1990’s and I think those of us that raced without them are cleaner racers for that reason because we had to give a little more room or get hurt.
The real issue is when riders constantly try to put a 4 foot wide machine into a 2 foot wide hole and smash pass because they have the nerfs protecting them. Certainly this can be dangerous to all involved and it’s also hard on the machines and equipment. You can watch the videos and see who does this and who doesn’t lap after lap. We would prefer that all riders make clean and safe passes and stay off the corner disc completely but if the rules allow the disc to be used for gaining track width and the nerf bars take away some of the danger, then it really falls upon the racer themselves to decide just how bad they want to make that pass and how others might look at them as being a clean or dirty racer.

[radrandy2001]

Here is 3 videos of the same heat race from three different views. 2nd Heat Race of 2.

This first one was from the sidelines and taken with a cheap point and shoot camera that had a video option.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aw4Y...Ms9q3A&index=1

This one is from the winner #7 Eddie Bergman on his 86 Tri Z. If you listen to his engine he has it all revved up and ready to go and watching the flagman to his right. The flagman is making moves like he might let them go and Eddie's clutch gets so hot it kills the engine. He has to throw his arms up to get attention and to get restarted then grab the holeshot. Stress sometimes helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa0Gg...Ms9q3A&index=2

This one if from Eric Moore #24 and his back row starting position.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71INUMtM6uc

[TimSr]

Great job with this event Randy! I always enjoy watching you guys have a blast. While I never was an incredible fan of flat track racing, I gotta admit its getting more and more appealing with age.

You might want to consider forging a gentlemen's agreement within your race glass in regards to the marker, even if the track has other rules. For example, we all agree that there will be no deliberate contact on the track within our group, and we always inform new racers of it, and its works out pretty well as most have been willing to honor that with enthusiasm.

[Bryan Raffa]

Ha love thoes last one!!!! Great stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[radrandy2001]

Great job with this event Randy! I always enjoy watching you guys have a blast. While I never was an incredible fan of flat track racing, I gotta admit its getting more and more appealing with age.

You might want to consider forging a gentlemen's agreement within your race glass in regards to the marker, even if the track has other rules. For example, we all agree that there will be no deliberate contact on the track within our group, and we always inform new racers of it, and its works out pretty well as most have been willing to honor that with enthusiasm.

Hey Tim, thats a great idea. Don't know if it will work These little Bull Ring tracks are up close and personal and so short the best laid out plans tend to fly out the window.