Villopoto's New Track
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 | 1:35 PM
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PrintBy: Stacey Baker
Dream Traxx has become one of the leading track building companies in the industry. Building for many of the sports top riders, as well as some elite events. We receive many emails with questions about how we design and build our tracks, as well as what it is like to build for the sports top riders. We wanted to take the time to answer some of those questions, and give a little background on what goes into designing and building a track like the one just completed for Ryan Villopoto.
Villopoto's new track built by Dream Traxx.
Photos: Dream Traxx
1. How do you plan a track design for a top rider like Ryan Villopoto?
Jason Baker: Basically, in Ryan's case we talk about what stuff he likes and would like to see in his track. Then take into consideration the tracks that are coming up and if there are any features that stand out or that they are doing a lot of. We would want to put those features in to get practice on. Also, with Ryan having Aldon as a trainer, Aldon has a voice as well regarding what he would like Ryan to have on the track from a training standpoint. Then we put all of our thoughts together to build what works best for the riders program. All of our tracks are individualized for each particular rider to help focus on their strengths and weaknesses.
2. What is the most difficult part of building a supercross track?
Dirt management. When you are doing a knock down rebuild - you are not just fixing the jumps that are there, you are knocking everything down and starting from scratch. You need to make sure you manage your dirt to be able to build all of the obstacles so they are balanced throughout the track without running out of dirt. It is important to make sure that you don't build one section bigger or smaller than the next, and that is all part of managing your dirt amounts as you build.
3. What is your favorite thing to build on a supercross track?
I really like building a big finish line, with real steep take offs and big landings. I love big jumps and I love visualizing the guys throwing a big whip off of it! I also like to build big whoops, but they are tough on you as an operator.
4. What is the biggest challenge building tracks for some of the sports top racers like Ryan?
Making a track that has the three key elements: fun, challenging, and safety! At the level the guys I build for our riding, plus the quality of the bikes they are on - to build a challenge can sometimes have a very fine line between challenging and dangerous. Keeping that line separated is important and often tough. Trying to keep it fun is a big obstacle too. These riders put more than 60 laps on the track each day, week in and week out. You want a track that makes them want to get up and train. You want them to have fun riding that same track over and over again, while trying to shave tenths of a second off their laptime throughout the season.
5. After completing a track like Ryan's, what do you enjoy most as you look at the finished product?
I am very particular and critical during the build process. I demand perfection from myself and my crew - so its nice to look and see how all those little things add up to a beautiful track. I love standing up above the track, looking out over it, and seeing it picture perfect. Visualizing all of the lines, and everything symmetrical - and picturing the rider on it for the first time. I love being able to be there when the rider takes his first laps on the track. Watching a rider come off the track with a grin from ear to ear is so rewarding and the best thank you I can get.
For more information on Dream Traxx, visit www.dreamtraxx.com , Be sure to follow www.facebook.com/dreamtraxx and www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx to get all of the latest dirt on our "Dream Tracks"
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Not as "pretty" to look at as Stewies due to the different dirt and contrast with the surrounding forrest...but it is awesome none the less. RV, lets go riding at your place!!!!
Take a good look at those corners cuz at the end of the day RV will have blown each and every one out at least 10 different ways.
What?! No M-60 or .50 caliber bunker? Where's the sniper tower? RV you're slippin'! Now make that gordo Matthes do something stupid so we all can laugh at him.
Wow.... that track looks really good. Damn it must be nice to wake up and look at that track every day......I hope Matthes got to go and check it out. but we need video. Mabe get Villy out there on his KX250 2 stroke that would be the best.
Now get us a VID of RV ripin it!!
After looking at these tracks, Stewies and now RV's my jealousy has hit its max.
They should seriously consider changing their name to Wet DreamTraxx... and then come build one at my house.
Looks sick! Now lets see a video!
Supercross needs a facelift, with tracks that have some slight elevation changes and big jumps to actually challenge the riders, who are the best in the world. It can't be all about saving dirt, keeping all whoops 16" tall, the same height and the same measurement peak to peak, and all the jumps 4-6 feet tall except an 8 footer at the checkered. We need a promoter with some pizzazz, an AMA that's not so street bike centered and we need to make tracks TWICE as exciting as these cookie-cutter-ass, lego-land-looking, same-old-same-old, FORMULA TRACKS. These current SX tracks should be the ones the amateurs have to ride on amateur day, and the one the pros ride should be twice as exciting! When are SX riders going to grow? When is the sport going to grow? The X games grew! Hell, SKATEBOARDERS are jumping FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN SUPERCROSS RIDERS. Not just bicycle riders, with no suspension. SKATEBOARDERS. Chew on that one for a while. Let's face it, Supercross stagnated a long time ago, and it needs a facelift! And if the current crop of riders can't handle it, I say get a whole new crop in there who can! There is a long list of riders who can definitely handle the job.
IMO too much big air is boring............... and the odd spaced jumps with varying elevation changes and short landings are whats getting guys hurt. Yeah we need rhythym lanes and jumps but corners and whoops are were the passing is. Making the corners wider at the exit would make the tracks less one lined and offer passing opportunities. The way it is now the guys pretty mauch collect at the exits and well we see what happens there. Doesnt matter anyway ,, SX is entertainment for the masses, the TGO is where its at.
Dirt
TGO is the best. That is when you can tell who has the skill to pay the bills. Every single week announcers and riders say that the track was onlined. It sounds like an excuse bc I know they sure as hell would find a way to get around me. lol TGO TGO. One lined tracks, horrible first turns ect......
Jairtime, have you ever walked a stadium SX track. Tell you what, pick ONE of these! Huck a 10' face 30' in the air , 100' in distance and spot the landing within 5' ! Or blitz some 2' whoops for 30 yds in 3rd of 4th gear . Or hit fifty yards of rrhythym lanes with varying hts and landings. Have the ER nurse dial l my number for you and tell me how easy it is. Try any of those an your name will be jwheelcahair time !
Jim
Yeah jimbo.. jaritime sounds like Donald Trump or that Keith Oberman guy rambling on and on.
im sure i can do those doubles.... wait, no those are whoops!!
joe dirt I agree, supercross is already getting circus like, its not what moto is supposed to be. And they are taking the crap outdoors too. Littering the tracks with tabletops and man-made jumps everywhere.. Making it look like outdoor supercross. Its not a jumpfest, its racing. If you want that, go watch freestyle.
hey all you guys writing on here. RV new track is obvoius sick like all the others ( the elite ones anyways have ) But i agree with most of you that yes the tracks are real hard to the normal rider but those guys arenot normal and as i see it. The tracks indeed need more racing lines which means changing the tracks to more racing is about. Not just jump after jump after jump and yes a few other sections. You ask yourself why are the so called top riders only want to race supercross? Because we see it alot easier and thats just facts ! get a good start and be gone, not like out doors where you have to have grit no fear and wide open riding like we all like to see. I love supercross because its fun to watch but nothing beats the out doors and when it comes to that we shall see the real men step uo and go racing.. So for all the haters keep hating because you cant ride anyways..
Hey Guys - just wanted to say thanks for the compliments on the track....though everyone has their own opinion on what is best for the sport and tracks - it's nice to put in a long hard week on the equipment, and read all of the great feedback! Jason Baker - DreamTraxx
The track is definately sick. I have to agree with some different comments though. The tracks do look all the same. Maybe too many jumps, maybe not enough lines, or not enough speed sections. One way or another, no mortal man can attack these tracks like the pro's do. But I think tracks can definately see a change. I mean dirt moves, it can be sculpted in any way. I saw a GP track onetime that had a rythem section with two different levels. It was pretty cool. Maybe they should experiment a little.
With the problem some riders have had with injuries, we really don't need bigger and higher jumps. The fastest that I have ever seen in JS7 has a hard time keeping the rubber side down. If the jumps get any higher, their is a greater possibility that young men will have a greater chance of having a career ending crash. Supercross is all about speed in small confinments. All riders know of the risks involved in MX & SX racing, we need not compoind it for them. If you like to see high flying antics, check out freestyle and nuclear cowboys. This is racing, and it is all about speed, and not high flying antics, although it can be a part of it. The "Bubba Scrub," is all about not flying to high and getting the wheels on the dirt sooner and driving forward with no wasted hang time. I think more talent is shown by a rider disecting a track to produce shorter lap times than anyone on the track. They don't get paid to impress the crowd with "Big Air." Riders get paid to win, and I pay my ticket to see riders go faster than what people thought was possible.