RFR Closing?
 

Well, if the rumors over at RenoSCCA are true, that's going to be the only option as RFR is shuttered.

So now that there's no race track in Reno... anyone wanna buy a racecar? :mad:

Not sure if any buddy check RFR, but they posted this. Seems like a last straw to get some people showing their interest in saving the track.

http://www.reno-fernleyraceway.com/news.php?ID=74

You know, I like Jeremy and I understand his frustration (as an ex-SCCA board member, I know how frustrating is was just to try to get people to come out to our events at RFR), but that rant is pretty unprofessional. The only thing I have to say about that is "install bathrooms". Running water and basic facilities would go a long way to bringing people out to the track. Plenty of people come out to give the track a shot because it's a new place for them to run... few people come back because they're rather spend the money at Thunderhill, Laguna Seca, and Sears Point where it's more like hanging out at a country club than desert warfare.

That reminds me, I got a call from Danny the other Thursday to let me know they were running $100 test-n-tune over the weekend. That's a great idea for drumming up some cash, but 2 days notice ain't enough. If he were to give me 2 weeks notice, then I could post it up here and try to talk some of you guys into coming and make a mini SECCS track-day out of it for those of us w/ track experience. But as it was I couldn't even get out there myself with such little notice, let alone try to plan something to bring people out.

Either way, that track is in a hard place. The only way they're really going to be able to get a bunch of people to come out is if they spend a bunch of money on fixing the track surface and adding facilities. But the only way they're going to do that is if they get a bunch of people to come out to make the money then need to spend. Catch 22... and with the economy down, people's play-time budgets go away first. To be honest, I'm not surprised the track is closing.

The track itself is most important.

Thunderhill had one freezing cold full of crap quonset hut and porta-potties for years and people came because the track was great.

The RFR track has never been in great condition since it opened. Between boulders in the runoff, freeze ripples, poor drainage, badly ground surface and just poorly cambered/graded course design, it has always had issues.

It needs an influx of money to make the HP(K), A & B configurations fun and safe, and maybe a real paddock on the sunset straight with an access road if they want to be able to rent it in halves. Oh, and a festival turn on the front straight. All this needs to happen before a penny is spent on toilets IMHO.

That's not what I've heard from the Californians that don't want to come back for the Reno Race. 'Course it's not all just the track. It's also because Fernley's motels suck... though I don't know why people wouldn't just stay in Reno... but I guess if you're going to rent a place to stay, you might as well not have to drive 45 minutes to/from the track.

But yeah, the course itself needs a major renovation... which is unfortunate considering it's only like 5 years old. They should pick a lower course, an upper course, and a full course that uses both and regrade and repave just those sections with proper camber. Having 15 layouts doesn't really make the track better than having one or two really good layouts. As it is, all those weird junctions and off-camber turns makes a lot of the track tedious.

This got me thinking in Photoshop. Here's what I'd do with the track as far as a revision. Basically, add a bypass up top to abandon much of the upper course, add a festival turn, then re-grade and re-pave the rest of the course. Add an upper pit and paddock (and an access road from the north to get to it while the lower course is live). Then you'd have an upper and lower course, and two full courses.

Looks good. I would use a bit more of the turn at the end of sunset and I think the waterfall can be saved, it just needs more banking/camber.

The Best Western is not bad, neither is the Super 8 on the east end of town. Willows only had a BW and S8 to start with as I recall, maybe a M6. They are not Embassy Suites... but are acceptable. Racers will put up with a lot for a good track.

I love the track but of course I never been to another track. I don't mind the bathroom or johnny on the spot. They should have more track tour day for people to try it out. Let the race bug bite.

I would love to do a Ben day too.

There is a new S2000 club in town that I might take them to the track next year. There are 8 of us right now.

Sucks. I'll miss my one PDX every two years.

I'm sure we can find some dirt you can spin your car into somewhere else. :P

Time to go play on the playa.

Alex is trying to get me to go to a RallyX on Sunday but I think I'll just stay home and play Dirt2 since it came in the mail yesterday and the GF will be out of town. :alien:

Where's the rally-x at?

Down here, at Prairie City.

It's sad to hear that RFR is having this much trouble after such a short life. I've never been there since it opened after I left Reno but could someone tell me what the infield surface is like?

If it's not terribly rough maybe RFR could host some Rallyx events or Rally Sprints. A grader and water truck is all that's needed to make a course and they can be rented. The Northern California guys over at Dirty Impreza have been looking for new venues for a while now as some of theirs are getting closed down. Maybe RFR can help them out while getting help themselves.

It would take a lot of work to create a rallycrossable surface at RFR, at least in the infield area.

Years and years ago, MattR and I talked to RFR about hosting Rally-x. They've actually got an old motocross course that they offered to let us use, but it was going to need hours and hours of going over by hand to remove stones. All the dirt out there is extremely rocky, and the grading they can do doesn't cut down the rocks enough to make it rally-able... it takes hand picking of the rocks.

But with the track shutting down, I doubt there's anything they'll be able to do for you even if you got 15 people together for a weekend to pick rocks, since they'll probably be canceling their insurance rider to save money. No insurance, no racing. :(

It's good to hear that RFR is open to the idea.

I can't view the RFR site from here (work filter) but are they giving an estimated date for closing or a goal they need to reach to stay open? Do you think if we got the word out as RFR being a possible rallyx venue that they might let us give it a shot next year?

Well I hope that they are up and running next season, I would like to go there a few more times. I think that the track is a lot of fun.

Its not a matter of raising money from what it sounds like (although, it might be due to unpaid rent or something) but apparently the road course portion of RFR is actually on a different parcel of land and the owners are not going to be leasing it to the family that owns the RFR complex.

http://www.renoscca.org/forums/showp...0&postcount=11

Well that's a shame.

You're a towel!

Quiet you.

I sent Jeremy at RFR an email (thanks Scott) to see if Rallyx is something they're interested in hosting.

RFR Closed Indefinitety, as posted on their website 11/11/2009