Let's talk about the Hay Bail in the room

[eeeeek]

Remember when Thunderhill put the wall in at turn 1? There was a lot of discussion then about how it didn't seem to serve a purpose and limited runoff in turn 1. Now, there are hay bails a good 100 feet prior to the wall. What purpose do these hay bails serve, other than to limit run off even further?

 

[Mick-e]

I noticed those hay bales Friday afternoon. I couldn't remember if they were there before this weekend or not.
Hay bales are as good as tires. They are essentially solid objects when it comes to motorcycles and don't serve much purpose.
Let's move them back to the tires next time we're there.

 

[afm199]

I noticed those hay bales Friday afternoon. I couldn't remember if they were there before this weekend or not.
Hay bales are as good as tires. They are essentially solid objects when it comes to motorcycles and don't serve much purpose.
Let's move them back to the tires next time we're there.

Disagree. I'd ten times rather hit hay bales than tires. All for moving them back. We used hay bales racing bicycles. They are softer than tires considerably.

 

[MZarra]

While on the subject, why is the bail in 12 getting closer and closer to the track?

I might be getting old but I remember that sucker being much further away from the paint in previous years. Really slowed down that section this weekend :/

 

[frozenuts]

Remember when Thunderhill put the wall in at turn 1? There was a lot of discussion then about how it didn't seem to serve a purpose and limited runoff in turn 1. Now, there are hay bails a good 100 feet prior to the wall. What purpose do these hay bails serve, other than to limit run off even further?

Sebass went off at 170ish and didn't make it all the way to the wall. I did not see the whole thing, but I wonder how far he would have gone if they were not there.

I noticed those hay bales Friday afternoon. I couldn't remember if they were there before this weekend or not.
Hay bales are as good as tires. They are essentially solid objects when it comes to motorcycles and don't serve much purpose.
Let's move them back to the tires next time we're there.

I centerpunched one a couple years ago thanks to a rider who had more ambition than talent. Hitting a tire at 80 mph would have sucked. The hay bale turned into a fine powder, where as a tire would have turned me into a puddle.

While on the subject, why is the bail in 12 getting closer and closer to the track?

I might be getting old but I remember that sucker being much further away from the paint in previous years. Really slowed down that section this weekend :/

The guys that normally nudge them with their knees during practice did not race this weekend. :laughing

 

[afmotorsports]

I'm glad to hear Sebastiao will be ok but any time you put walls in impact zones, Murphy's Law eventually prevails. I had several people contact me and remind me about the T1 wall thread from years ago and frankly I'm relieved nobody has been killed there yet. Of all the great things Thunderhill has done to their facilities over the years, what a shame they have spent money on this dangerous and completely unnecessary fence in T1. :thumbdown

Original thread Vik mentioned:

http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=337058

fwiw, I completely blew up a hay bale in T10 at Sears Point when I slid off the track and I would much rather smack a hay bale that dissipates a lot of energy instead of making it all the way to a concrete wall that has a high probability of killing me. Hay bales are notorious for snapping bones like pretzels - think old Sears Point hay bale chicane - but that's still better than running into a concrete wall at speed.

 

[easter bunny]

fwiw, I completely blew up a hay bale in T10 at Sears Point when I slid off the track and I would much rather smack a hay bale

I full on smacked the hay bale in 12 with my right knee in race 14. I think I knocked it over. I was quite surprised it didn't hurt more or knock me off the bike. They have a lot more give than you'd think.

 

[thedub]

While on the subject, why is the bail in 12 getting closer and closer to the track?

I might be getting old but I remember that sucker being much further away from the paint in previous years. Really slowed down that section this weekend :/

I don't think there is a marked spot for it or anything (maybe a good idea) it just gets dropped where it gets dropped.

A couple years ago there was a round where the hay bail was way further out than normal. I mentioned it Barb and she had it moved back in. So, maybe try that next time.

 

[LabRat675]

I full on smacked the hay bale in 12 with my right knee in race 14. I think I knocked it over. I was quite surprised it didn't hurt more or knock me off the bike. They have a lot more give than you'd think.

That was you? My sight line was blocked in lap one and I *almost* hit it. I come back around and it was full on moved. I checked my video and sure enough it wasn't me.

 

[easter bunny]

That was you? My sight line was blocked in lap one and I *almost* hit it. I come back around and it was full on moved. I checked my video and sure enough it wasn't me.

What position were you in? I was last with a bad start but right behind next-to-last. They just brushed it and I was following the same line trying to stay close and clipped it.

 

[scotinexcile]

Have seen the hay bale in 12 split right in half before, made the turn interesting for the next couple of laps

 

[LabRat675]

I was in 4th at the time. I don't mind brushing the bale but I personally would never want to full on hit it.

 

[ZXR400SP]

Don't forget the wall in T10 at Thill, that got hit the first weekend after it was put in place and has been a regular event ever since then. I believe the wall in T1 has been hit hasn't it?

 

[Holeshot]

Hit a hay bail years ago and the thing was pretty darn forgiving. That being said, until someone has near contact with that wall at Thill, they'll do nothing about it. I've asked for the last few years to get paved runoff in T10 and T1. Nothing...

I'll go back and see what can be done, but it's doubtful they do anything about their wall. It's there to "protect" spectators who want to watch from the hillside. Protect from what (if no one has made it that far out)?

Thunder hill does great things for the club in terms of safety. This one is a bit, less than desirable. However, Seabass didn't make it to the wall..not even close. The dirt put him on the ground and then the biked flipped end over end. This is also the first time we've seen a bike go off at near top speed in T1.

 

[ReUnited]

Well, I destroyed one of those bales in T10 a couple of weeks ago...


youtu.be/M8RXjsErxL0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RXjsErxL0

 

[horsepower]

As a hay bale expert I assume that these bales are made of chopped straw and baled very loosely.
They are more like giant airbags than solid obstacles. Not the typical variation of hays we bale at all, which would not explode on impact.
Overall, their placement is Probably a good thing for good reasons.

 

[eeeeek]

As a hay bale expert I assume that these bales are made of chopped straw and baled very loosely.
They are more like giant airbags than solid obstacles. Not the typical variation of hays we bale at all, which would not explode on impact.
Overall, their placement is Probably a good thing for good reasons.

I would love to pretend to be clever and say that bail was a play on words because people bail into them.

The placement is what I am questioning. To my untrained eyes, it looks like the only things they are protecting is well over 100 feet of additional runoff...

 

[afm199]

Well, I destroyed one of those bales in T10 a couple of weeks ago...


youtu.be/M8RXjsErxL0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RXjsErxL0

I picked up your bike. :laughing That guy took out six bikes with his oil leak.

 

[Holeshot]

Tony Hashidi?

 

[dsapsis]

The placement is what I am questioning. To my untrained eyes, it looks like the only things they are protecting is well over 100 feet of additional runoff...

I brought this up at a rider's meeting many years ago. They were placing the bale about 3 feet outside the yellow paint stripe that marks the edge of the racetrack. Folks were effectively using non-track for advantage, and I asked what is the actual edge of the allowable racing surface, as I took that to be the yellow paint. She indicated that the real problem was that turn 12 doesn't have a sightline from a corner station, so the paint edge cannot be enforced, and the bale is what effectively makes for enforcement. I then asked why not put the bale more in line with the established track edge, and she indicated when they did that it got smashed into within a few laps. So there you have it, an edge that changes when the bale moves, and the crafty racer uses all he can, irrespective of actual established racing surface (paint and beyond is not racing surface, it is safety zone).