Calistoga Half Mile

DonJigweed

DonJigweed

Urban Achiever
Thinking of going up next month for the first time. Never been to a flat track race before. It's not MotoGP, but looks like it could be fun. Thots?
 
HeatXfer

HeatXfer

Not Erudite, just er
You won't be sorry. Full access to track and riders, lots of good people there having a good time. :thumbup
 
budman

budman

General Menace
Staff member
Yup... big fun. Calistoga is a good venue for watching.
1/2 mile is perfect for your first flat track race.
 
CDONA

CDONA

Home of Vortex tuning
As a former "hot shoe", I like to walk the track after to check out the ruts, holes, and slick spots that appear as bobbles from the riders as they race.
 
Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
Fun event. Beautiful evening as the sun sets over the mountains at the north end of the valley. You might have to park on a residential street and walk a few blocks to the fairgrounds depending on when you arrive. Lines for food and drinks can be long.

Good views of the track from different locations in the grandstands and infield and AFT brings a jumbotron which duplicates the live stream. Fantastic access to the teams and riders.

If you enjoy Calistoga, the Sacramento Mile is just a week later and its a much different experience than a Half Mile.
 
DonJigweed

DonJigweed

Urban Achiever
Thanks for the recommendations. Looks like it's a go.

Map8 said:
If you enjoy Calistoga, the Sacramento Mile is just a week later and its a much different experience than a Half Mile.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Curious what you mean by "a much different experience." I'm taking the wife, who's not much of a race fan. She'll go to a MotoGP race with me, but only because it's bookended by vacation time in Europe :) She'll do Calistoga cuz we'll be doing the whole wine tasting, hot springs, hiking, good Napa food thing, then me and the boys can fuck off to the track at 6pm and let the girls get drunk. Sacramento.....never been, doesn't seem like the city has the same kind of vibe as up north...
 
Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
Yeah, Sacramento is not going to offer any of the extracurriculars you find in Napa or Europe. Not by a looonnnnng shot. :laughing There is a Nordstroms, a Nordsrtoms Rack, a big shopping mall and a nice movie theater within a block of the State Fairgrounds if that helps.

By different experience I was referring to the racing. A banked half-mile like Calistoga is very immediate with the bikes much closer to you compared to a roadrace. Everything happens really fast. Laps are 24 seconds long so an 8-lap heat race or 12-lap semi-final go by very quickly. The Twins main is 25 laps last about 11 minutes. There is no time for racers to settle in or plan much strategy. Its a true sprint race with a good start absolutely vital to a good finish.

At a Mile race like Sacramento the long straights make for packs of bikes racing side-by-side and nose-to-tail, lots of drafting and bikes often three or four wide entering the turns. Laps are about 38 seconds. The pace is really fast but the first 20 laps are about strategy. During the last five laps the pace picks up even more. The leaders really step it up and shut off deeper and deeper on corner entrance while drafting and passing more often. If you have six bikes in the lead pack, six lead changes or more per lap are not unusual. Last year the top three bikes finished within .076 of each other which is typical for a Mile.

At every national-level Pro flat track race there are two or three Heats each for the Singles and Twins classes; two semi-finals and a Main for each class. Makes for a lot of racing during the evening.
 
Last edited:
firstbuell

firstbuell

GO! 04,16,23,31,64,69,95
Map8 said:
Yeah, Sacramento is not going to offer any of the extracurriculars you find in Napa or Europe. Not by a looonnnnng shot. :laughing There is a Nordstroms, a Nordsrtoms Rack, a big shopping mall and a nice movie theater within a block of the State Fairgrounds if that helps.

By different experience I was referring to the racing. A banked half-mile like Calistoga is very immediate with the bikes much closer to you compared to a roadrace. Everything happens really fast. Laps are 24 seconds long so an 8-lap heat race or 12-lap semi-final go by very quickly. The Twins main is 25 laps last about 11 minutes. There is no time for racers to settle in or plan much strategy. Its a true sprint race with a good start absolutely vital to a good finish.

At a Mile race like Sacramento the long straights make for packs of bikes racing side-by-side and nose-to-tail, lots of drafting and bikes often three or four wide entering the turns. Laps are about 38 seconds. The pace is really fast but the first 20 laps are about strategy. During the last five laps the pace picks up even more. The leaders really step it up and shut off deeper and deeper on corner entrance while drafting and passing more often. If you have six bikes in the lead pack, six lead changes or more per lap are not unusual. Last year the top three bikes finished within .076 of each other which is typical for a Mile.

At every national-level Pro flat track race there are two or three Heats each for the Singles and Twins classes; two semi-finals and a Main for each class. Makes for a lot of racing during the evening.
Click to expand...


^^^^^this^^^^^ is a superb outline, Map8
 
firstbuell

firstbuell

GO! 04,16,23,31,64,69,95
DonJigweed said:
[edited].....She'll do Calistoga cuz we'll be doing the whole wine tasting, hot springs, hiking, good Napa food thing, then me and the boys can fuck off to the track at 6pm and let the girls get drunk.....
Click to expand...


yes, Calistoga may well be the best couples' FT "experience" available, anywhere - everything said above is accurate, & everyone should attend

plusses to this event include:

-- very pleasant, short walk to county fairgrounds track from center of small town
-- access to/from infield between races enables really close-up viewing
-- numerous motels & resorts, some including hot springs/pools
-- adequate # of eateries/drinkeries
-- EZ drive from Bay Area, yet far enough away to be non-urban.....
 
JohnEPA

JohnEPA

Bay Area Big Thumpers
totally looking forward to it this year. I was at the Santa Rosa mile a couple of years ago. With the fatalities its no surprise they moved to Calistoga. I'm a major road racing fan, but flat track is a hoot. Perhaps a much better spectator sport for the uninitiated.
 
TTTom

TTTom

Well-known member
Map8 said:
...If you enjoy Calistoga, the Sacramento Mile is just a week later and its a much different experience than a Half Mile.
Click to expand...

Just a heads up, Sacramento is two weeks after Calistoga. They're going to Phoenix for a mile race the weekend in between:

May 5 Calistoga
May 12 Phoenix
May 19 Sacramento
 
Slow Goat

Slow Goat

Fun Junkie
Sac Mile is a mind-blower for those who’ve never seen motos on a big dirt track. Great grandstand seating. Tons of bikes there.

About Calistoga and parking: do they have a bike lot near the track or are we parking anywhere we can on the side streets ?
 
RightCoastBias

RightCoastBias

F8TRED
Slow Goat said:
Sac Mile is a mind-blower for those who’ve never seen motos on a big dirt track. Great grandstand seating. Tons of bikes there.

About Calistoga and parking: do they have a bike lot near the track or are we parking anywhere we can on the side streets ?
Click to expand...

There's parking inside the first gate for motos. Not sure if you have to pay or what. The surrounding streets get pretty packed with folks attending the event. It's a long day and lots of drinking beer, I'd be a bit worried to park my Moto between a couple of cars.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top