What happened to Track Days?

[Vitesse304]

I was looking to get out there and do some track days as it's been a while since I've been on a road race bike.

But I can't seem to find any, other than lapping days out at High Plains.

Weren't there 2 companies that had track days in Colorado? What happened to them? Low attendance? Lapping days pushed out track days?

[rybo]

Hello,

I am the owner of one of the companies that used to run trackdays in Colorado. My business is called Chicane Trackdays and we ran several events a year from 2005-2011.

In 2005 there was a huge void in Colorado. Track days were run as VERY loose events that did not have corner workers or ambulances staffing them. They also did not have any kind of instruction available for new riders, rider meetings etc. As a result I started the business with the idea that there was a group of riders that wanted to have a program that held a higher standard.

Since that time the track environment in Colorado has greatly improved. High Plains Raceway is doing a superb job of running their open lapping days, staffing them with corner crew and ambulance each day. Additionally Glenn and Mike do a riders meeting morning and noon covering track entry and exit along with identifying riders that might need more information.

The times that my days were really successful were when they took place on weekends. This year there simply weren't weekend days available for me to rent, so I changed the direction of my organization.

This year I am offering private coaching to riders who are using the open lapping days during the week.

In the end, the trackday provider model in Colorado is a tough go. The three available tracks all have open lapping (of varying quality) available at a rate that I, as a trackday provider, couldn't compete with. At the same time the primary track provider, HPR, has stepped up their game significantly compared to what was previously available in the state.

With Pueblo now re-paved I see that there are open lapping days scheduled there as well. Not sure if they are going to to bikes or just cars, but that answer should be available soon.

Hope that answers your question (at least from my perspective)

Scott

[Vitesse304]

Do lapping days offer the same services that track days do? (Besides HPR)

- ambulance/on site medical care
- instruction
- class distinctions (beginner, intermediate, advanced)

In my mind, I see lapping days as open track days at IMI. Go out there and do whatever you want. Keep practicing the "wrong" thing and never get faster or become a better rider. But again, I haven't been to a lapping day so I have no idea...

[Bueller]

No instruction unless you arrange/pay for it seperately
As far as sessions, depends on the #'s and speed differences and then usually just fast and slow.

[rforsythe]

Every track day out here, be it professional or run by the track itself, will have an ambulance on-site. Whether the track is staffed with cornerworkers is up to the org, usually there are at least some. HPR has the best track-supplied safety crews I've seen at a track-sponsored lapping day out here thus far.

IF it's broken into distinct bike sessions based on riders it's usually two groups. Open days don't generally draw the participation to warrant 3 groups. If it's a PMP day there's likely to be car sessions, HPR distinguishes between bike and car days and PPIR generally does as well IIRC.

[Graphite675]

I know I have questioned this several times since I moved here 3 years ago. I never understood the lack of organized track days out here? (other then Chicane which was top notch and I really miss).

I think Scott may have hit on it and my guess is it's is just too expensive for anyone to organize a track day. Track rental costs are way to high?

Back in the south east that's all we had pretty much was track days and I sure miss them. That's probably why I started racing out here was the lack of organized track days.


.

[Bashed]

Hello,

I am the owner of one of the companies that used to run trackdays in Colorado. My business is called Chicane Trackdays and we ran several events a year from 2005-2011.

The times that my days were really successful were when they took place on weekends. This year there simply weren't weekend days available for me to rent,

In the end, the trackday provider model in Colorado is a tough go.


It's a conspiracy man!

[rybo]

I think Scott may have hit on it and my guess is it's is just too expensive for anyone to organize a track day. Track rental costs are way to high?

.

I'm not sure that it's too expensive, but I will say that the risk was daunting. There was a fair amount of upfront money required to make the days happen and often that money often had to be paid before I could start taking registrations. Really my goal in starting Chicane was to raise the standard at which "test and tune" "Open Lapping" or "trackdays" were provided at in Colorado. In that way it's been a bit of "mission accomplished" since prior to Chicane's existence you would often find yourself at "test and tune" days without a track manager present, much less an ambulance. I remember doing 2nd Creek days where there was a waiver pinned under a rock at the "office". You would put your money in a coffee can on the desk and sign the waiver and just go ride.

I'm pleased that the tracks in Colorado have stepped up the level of service they provide and am happy with the new direction that Chicane is going.



It's a conspiracy man!

It is? I thought it was just economics. :)

[675Rider]

My theory is thats why so many race out here. There are never weekend track days or even lapping days. I think it is a plot by the MRA to get more racers! :)

[TransNone13]

Hello,

I am the owner of one of the companies that used to run trackdays in Colorado. My business is called Chicane Trackdays and we ran several events a year from 2005-2011.

In 2005 there was a huge void in Colorado. Track days were run as VERY loose events that did not have corner workers or ambulances staffing them. They also did not have any kind of instruction available for new riders, rider meetings etc. As a result I started the business with the idea that there was a group of riders that wanted to have a program that held a higher standard.

Since that time the track environment in Colorado has greatly improved. High Plains Raceway is doing a superb job of running their open lapping days, staffing them with corner crew and ambulance each day. Additionally Glenn and Mike do a riders meeting morning and noon covering track entry and exit along with identifying riders that might need more information.

The times that my days were really successful were when they took place on weekends. This year there simply weren't weekend days available for me to rent, so I changed the direction of my organization.

This year I am offering private coaching to riders who are using the open lapping days during the week.

In the end, the trackday provider model in Colorado is a tough go. The three available tracks all have open lapping (of varying quality) available at a rate that I, as a trackday provider, couldn't compete with. At the same time the primary track provider, HPR, has stepped up their game significantly compared to what was previously available in the state.

With Pueblo now re-paved I see that there are open lapping days scheduled there as well. Not sure if they are going to to bikes or just cars, but that answer should be available soon.

Hope that answers your question (at least from my perspective)

Scott

Could you PM me what you're charging?

[Bueller]

My theory is thats why so many race out here. There are never weekend track days or even lapping days. I think it is a plot by the MRA to get more racers! :)
There are weekend lapping days in the spring and fall before and after the racing season. The MRA has 4 weekends all summer the rest are all car clubs.

[675Rider]

Dang car clubs...:(

[Bueller]

They built the track, motorcycle people were minority contributors.

[neh]

There are weekend lapping days in the spring and fall before and after the racing season. The MRA has 4 weekends all summer the rest are all car clubs.

The MRA only scheduled four weekends at HPR. They are allowed up to six. They could get more than six weekends if the other clubs don't use their weekends. All the member clubs(5) get their chance of 6 weekends each.

For example, RMVR(vintage) only uses 3 out of their 6 weekends. Those 3 weekends are open for the other clubs to take if they want, if not they go out to non member clubs.

[Ghost]

In the end, the trackday provider model in Colorado is a tough go.

I've done track days here at all the tracks we have (and had) as well as going to track days on the East Coast from Toronto/Mosport down to Road Atlanta and most tracks in between. I think the major difference is the population density vs # of tracks available. Out East there are far more major cities clustered closer together, so any track day provider usually has no problem renting a track and knowing that they'll have (more than) enough people to sign up.

NESBA and others typically have wait lists for openings, and even non-provider track-run days are typically full to capacity, especially for the popular tracks like VIR, RA, etc.

Things may have slowed down with the economic downturn, but overall I think it's much easier to operate tracks and run track days where there's a higher concentration of population (more people in attendance), and where the demographics support or are more interested in track/lapping days, race schools, etc.

In CO, there's only Denver as the "major" population center, and that can't compare to how many people from NYC, DC, Philly, Baltimore, etc. will travel to their "local" track--NYC to VIR may be an entire weekend, but it's worth it. HPR and PMP are isolated enough that no one (typically) will drive from outside CO to go...