NOLA rain

[Kasey Lewis]

I don't rant often but this one rubbed me all kinds of wrong. Rain coming in for SBB, I completely understand it being called a rain race and taking a short break so riders could prepare. I tossed my rain tires on for race 12, and then waited, and waited, and waited. We literally waited an hour for the track to dry before SBB ran again, so i had to rechange my tires before my race. I clearly remember and i quote "Unless it's a hurricaine, or we have lightning stirkes within 5 miles, we race." I live in a hurricaine area, and have been through multiple bad ones, that was an afternoon shower. So why the hour long delay? I'm not just crying to vent, i need to know for next time so i don't make the wrong decision for tires and mess up. I was lucky to have a spare set of rims with rains on them so it only took a few minutes to swap, that's not the case on my big bike. I'm not questioning the decision, i'd just like some clarification so i can make a more informed tire choice next time.

[Ryan Rutkowski]

Kasey, the delay was due to having to clear some very large puddles. A wet track is one thing but 2 inch deep puddles are another.

[Kasey Lewis]

Kasey, the delay was due to having to clear some very large puddles. A wet track is one thing but 2 inch deep puddles are another.

I'm going to be a little argumentative on this one, because i distinctly remember hitting lagoons in the SBA race, while it was pouring, behind other bikes. Through the back S's especially. That second shower seemed similar to the first. So i'll take your word that it was much much worse after that first shower.

[Howard Spurgeon]

I ruined rain tires on a mostly dry track.

[Kasey Lewis]

I ruined rain tires on a mostly dry track.

That's the point i was making. Some guys have rain tires that need to be mounted, some have wheels with rains on them ready to quick swap. I think Napier fried his as well. I was lucky enough to talk to Brandon about the track conditions and took his advice about putting the DOT's back on. And very lucky to have a rain bike for the last race i was in. Otherwise i wouldn't have had time to swap back.

[marcus mcbain]

We basically were asking the "WTH?" when the bikes did not go out while the track was still wet...as we had rain tires mounted...then we saw the trucks blowing through large puddles. We don't mind wet races, but NOLA is fast and a 2" puddle at some parts there is like having an 8" puddle at other tracks. We got it and understood. It was frustrating, but we understood and agreed with the call on it.

[Kasey Lewis]

We basically were asking the "WTH?" when the bikes did not go out while the track was still wet...as we had rain tires mounted...then we saw the trucks blowing through large puddles. We don't mind wet races, but NOLA is fast and a 2" puddle at some parts there is like having an 8" puddle at other tracks. We got it and understood. It was frustrating, but we understood and agreed with the call on it.

Did you race any after that? I only ask because there was standing water, lots of it in race 18. Or so i felt anyway. Maybe some others that ran that one can toss their 2 cents in.

[marcus mcbain]

Yes...right after the "break" and the rain in race 18...there was still bad puddles.

[Derek Thomas]

I read the new RRW and Josh Hayes article stated they practiced at NOLA in May I believe and he commented how the track "held" water in his article.

[Walter Walker]

Kacey, If you are going to quote me then I suggest you get it right.

My words were this. "We will not stop for light rain. We will stop in the event of a torrential down pour, cloud to ground lightning within 5 miles of the track, hail, extremely high winds, or if at any time the track becomes impassable."

FYI I rode out to the turn 6 and 7 area just as the so called afternoon shower was coming in. The B Superbike race was gridding up when the heavy rain started coming down in T4 thru T7 area. I decided to abort the race and declared the event wet for the remainder of the day. We then took what I had hoped would be a short break to allow time for those that wanted to change tires do so. During this break the heavy rain overwhelmed the drainage in the T8 thru T11 resulting in water as deep as 8 inches in places. At that point the track was no longer passable regardless of tire choice. We brought out the blower to clear the deep water but by the deep water was clear the majority of the track was dry or drying. The showers later in the day never overwhelmed the drainage so while there were puddles the track remained passable.