Black Lines Versus Flags

[Rocky R]

After just returning from Speedweek I am concerned with the upcoming Bub Meet as far as course markers are concerned. Twice, due to cross winds I was forced off the course at over 300 mph. It wasn't an issue because there were only mile markers on the course. After the lights when I opened the chutes I was blown off the left side of the course and simply rode it out to a safe stop. Had this been the Bub meet, I would have taken out several of the course markers that line the course every tenth of a mile. Damage to the machine and safety issues are my biggest concern.

It would be nice if the Bub event crew would put safety first and put down the black lines like the bigger meets use to mark the course. Maybe they've already considered this and we will all be pleasantly surprised.

I can't wait till September!

Rocky R[/b]

[landracing]

Rocky,

You have shown that you are an exceptional motorcycle streamliner rider you are. Mike Ack picked you wisely. You have shown your experience from the Manning liner and moved that to the Ack Attack. First time out you went 334 mph in it. Great job. And these are all personal best times for you..

And this also shows that Mike has built an exceptional streamliner as well. User friendly.

Great Job to the WHOLE Ack Attack crew...

Jon

[ack]

I agree completely with Rocky on this.  Minimizing what there is to hit on the sides of the course is a no brain-er.  Motorcycles especially streamliners are affected much more by cross winds than cars.

When we were in Australia Sam was blown off the course and ran over a edge marker which were placed about 500 feet apart.  We saw this on the cockpit video.  Fortunately the markers they use are thin plastic about 3" high which just flatten out when you hit them.

We were given a graphic example of what a thin piece of plastic tubing can do at 300 after the 04 BUB crash.  A section of light wall 3/4"PVC pipe Jack uses for his timing light put a 10" long 3" deep dent in our nose tank which is made out of .090 aluminum and had 17 lbs pressure in it.

If we were to hit one of Denis's flags at the speeds we anticipate running there would be at least sever damage and a possibility of the frame penetrating the windshield or causing a flat. If you have ever examined the result of a small bird strike on an aircraft windshield at speed below 200 mph you would know my concerns.


The SCTA/BNI folks have been at this for a long time and have a great deal of experience.  They use two black lines with mile markers constructed out of PVC tubing.  This greatly reduces the number of objects to hit.  And provides great course definition for the rider.

I hope Denis and the AMA/FIM officials will implement this change in the interest of safety.

[NArias3]

Rocky-
The SCTA/BNI contracts with an independent oil truck firm from outside Wendover (SLC?) to lay down the black lines.  Contacting SCTA/BNI for info and passing it along to the BUB event crew sounds like a good idea.

Nick 3rd.

[John Noonan]

Rocky, Mike and the rest of the team,

Awesome runs!!

Rocky is a great pilot/rider and I hope they take the elusive FIM M/C record back with big numbers!

[Rocky R]

Nick, thanks for the heads up, and thanks Jon Amo and John Noonan for the kind words. The Ack Attack streamliner is a dream to drive and just keeps going faster every time it runs. We are still only using about 1/2 the potential horsepower available.

I am concerned about the flags as stated as a real safety issue. Hopefully the guys at Bub monitor this forum and will contact the folks who 'Lay down the line'. It would certainly take less work to lay out the course than drilling a bazillion holes and pounding plastic pipe into the ground that could cause serious consequences on impact.

I know some of the people who helped build the Bub course over the years and they've repeatedly asked him about using a line. It would be a shame to wait until someone was seriously injured to see the light.

[JackD]

I use the least possible structure that is designed to break away with minimum damage when hit.
The FIM guy was screaming that he wanted photo grade aluminum tripod hardware out there.
You can guess what I told him.
The course markers I use are thin plastic trash bags (cheap) over the thinnest wall 3/4 inch PVC that was driven through at speed by the Easyrider and Campos  and just disappeared.
 A schedule 40 PVC survey stake that was standing alone took out the canopy and another time took out the transmission from a Camero.
My marker stanchions are loose in the hole and will offer little residence. The hanging drapes used by BUB can't be seen by the rider with even the least amount of wind and are worthless.
When the ACK machine went on it's side in 2004 , my concern after the operator was found to be OK was for the rider and owner at least go back to see the marks left on the track to confirm what you think happened. The FIM dood was most concerned about fixing the timing photo cell that took about 2 min. rather than what happened so everybody learned. Unfortunately he didn't learn a thing and I withdrew.
That is pretty plane but I am not shy either.
Putting down the oil line is not a very widely held skill and the last picture I saw was the BARF1 car. the picture was meant to be a rear shot of the car at speed and I looked at the oil line that was so crooked that you should be holding on to something when you look at it.
Bonneville has not been perfected yet and bigger is not a guarantee of better.

[jimmy six]

Schedule "A" is the correct PVC to use if you want it thin. I'm pretty sure the SCTA uses schedule 40. The SCTA mile markers are also made out a plastic weave fabric which allows for air to pass thru it. Only the black numbers fill up most of the holes. A drap style is OK if you use cut flaps for wind/air movement and attach the bottoms with "light weight" ty-raps....Good Luck

[JackD]

My markers don't have a bottom spreader for example. The distance across the holes does it quite well without the extra parts.
The trash bags if properly fitted will st reach over the frame and hold up in 30+ mph winds with out going to Idaho and no tie wraps.
I have used various setups at the request of the racer and for example have used for along the track, green to indicate the start of the timed section and red to indicate the end.
 They are back to back and you only see the correct color for the direction you are going.
 I use 2 wide black and the other orange. the black one has the mile # painted on with a 6in. roller in white.
The stuff is so cheap it is not worth my time to haul it home and bring it back.
Fresh pipe is more flexible and will bend flat to the ground before it will break, like you , the older stuff doesn't do as well.
 I give the wire to the ambulance crew with enough bags they will pick it up and sell it for scrap.
I use orange to signal near the end of the prepared area.
Their is a small trick to getting them straight and if done right they seem to close in from sided to side as you view them as the disappear round the earth and you can sight right down the middle and like magic they are the proper distance apart when an if you get there.
Like what a Bonneville racer looks like, to each his own.
Safety, time, and money in that order dictate a lot of things.
Hopefully the best interest of the sport is the objective.