What Facilities are Most Important to You?

[Steve W]

As most are aware ORP is still in its infancy. We have limited resources and a long list of infrastructure needing to be built. We'd love to hear from the racing community what they feel are the priorities for facility and infrastructure development going forward. What things are most important to make your weekend at our track pleasant, comfortable, and convenient?

So let's hear from you.

Thanks for your input.

Steve W.
ORP Web Guy

[Rcl4668]

Steve --

Thanks for setting up this forum.

Beyond FIA curbing, walls and other structural safety equioment, bathrooms/port-potties and maybe some benches to sit would be about it.  I think of what I actually use when doing lapping days at PIR and again, the only things I really need are a place to go to the bathroom and a bench to sit down on to eat/stretch out.  Maybe some temporary tents and/or shleters for very hot or rainy days.

A little off topic but in terms of facilities, I just registered for the OR PCA event at ORP on April 18.  I will need to fill up my car with 92 octane fuel right before entering the track.  Are there some "name brand" gas stations in Grass Valley (Chevron, 76, Shell, Texaco, etc) not too far from the track and do you happen to know when they open?  (I think the PCA event is scheduled to start around 7 am with tech inspection.)

Finally, I have downloaded some videos (both CW and CCW) of ORP to try and get some familiarity and muscle memory for ORP.  Can you recommend any other guides or comments that would help with getting to know the track?

Thanks again for a great track and Iweb forum.

/Rich

[Steve W]

Rich,

Thank you for participating in our forum, and for signing up for the PCA track day. I think you will find ORP in either direction to be a real challenge. I hope you post some comments after your experience.

We don't have anything else to help you prepare- yet. Our hope is that as people experience the track they take some time to post what they learn here and we can build a resource that first-timers can use.

As to gas- I believe the closest station with 92 octane is in Moro. You might check the "Area Travel Info" page on the web site for this information.

Steve W.
ORP Web Guy

[martys]

Hi There -

I'm signed up for the Cascade track day April 24th.  I hope one of the first essentials is running water. Even an open faucet from a well would be essential to get through the day. Porta-potties are ok for now and I can bring my own shelter, seats, etc. but running water would be really helpful across the board.

thanks and I'm looking forward to being one of the first year riders on the track this year.

Marty

[Rcl4668]

Marty --

When you say Cascade do you mean Cascade Sports Car Club ("CSCC")?  I am a CSCC member and I know we have an HPDE/track event on April 24 but I believe it is at Portland International Raceway ("PIR") in Portland, not at Oregon Raceway Park at Grass Valley.   As far as I know (and I could easily be wrong) CSCC does not have any events scheduled at ORP this year.

/Rich

[Rcl4668]

One other thing Marty, if you did mean the CSCC track day at PIR, PIR has bathrooms in addition to porta potties that have sinks with running water.  Depending on the day and where you will be gridding (pro pit area or the other pit area), you might also have access to the food concession booths which have running water as well as food.

Have fun!

/Rich

[martys]

Thanks for the reply Rich - I meant Cascade Track Time, the motorcycle organization.

[Rcl4668]

From your avatar, that's what I was hoping.

[anacapa1]

Hey Steve and other ORP owners,

Referencing the 92 octane gas issue, this is going to be a hotly-desired/demanded issue in the future as ORP attracts the lapping drivers.  Similar to the lap swimmers/rec swimmers demographic with a new swimming pool, in that they are the ones that can really help pay the bills in between the race weekends.  LOTS and lots of drivers in the PNW that are not racers with fast cars and the interest in paying the money and making the trek to Grass Valley to drive their cars the way they were meant to be driven.  Don Kitch is going to bring 50 lappers down from Seattle in August, and that will be a huge hit I am certain.  ORP is going to explode after people get on it in 2009.  Moro I believe is around 30 miles away and that's going to be too much of an inconvenience for drivers that just show up with their 400+ hp gas suckers and no trailers.  Any hopes for the local gas station in getting 92 octane this year?  Given that they are located right at the mouth of the access road, this would be a wonderful solution.  I am bringing my Audi R8 to Bill's STAR event at the end of this month, and I still don't know where I will fit all of the gas cans!

Thanks very much for all that you have done in making the track a reality,

Roman

[fastway40]

important things- i def agree with the running water, bathrooms, and some shade whether it be tents, roof structures or start planting trees. and maybe start thinking about getting a large tank and a pump and sell fuel at the track.

[JeffHanken]

I believe ther is a 76 in biggs which is about 15 to miles or so.

[Steve da wrench]

1) Gas availability would be a major one. I too would be driving cars there, and would needs lots of fuel after getting there and while running.
2) Running water/restrooms
3) RV spaces with hookups since there isnt much hotel accomadations available locally, and most people have to drive quite a ways.
4) keep a schedule of events coming up and what group/club is putting them on, along with contact info.

Thanks for all those of you who are making this possible.

[Rcl4668]

According to mapquest.com, the distance from Moro to Grass Valley is about 10 miles as Steve previously stated.  Does anyone have "on the ground" experience with Moro who knows the gas station(s) there (brand, 92 octane availability)?  I called directory assistance for Moro, OR and the operator said the closest station she could find was in Rufus, which is about 6 miles away, but nothing in Moro.

Steve, would you or someone at ORP mind looking into this?

I have a Viper with about a 16 gal fuel tank and will just be driving to and from Grass Valley without a trailer.  Given my experiences at PIR in Portland, running 4-5 sessions of 20-30 minutes each on a given track day puts me at nearly empty on the fuel guage.  So I usually fill up at the 76 station which is only about a quarter mile from the track entrance.

Without such a local option at ORP, I may have to bring a small fuel tank along but I don't know where to fit that.  I would also rather not carry fuel in my car if possible.

Anyone have any bright ideas on this one?  Thanks.

/Rich

[mitsu]

I just went up and down the street on google and there is no gas station in Moro.

There is a centex if you have an account or a "Road House Gas and Diesel " in Grass Valley

I do see a Shell in Rufus which is right off I 84

[Rcl4668]

I did the same and likewise did not see a gas station (at least on the main street).

Looks like we may need to bring in our own jerry can of gasoline.

[mitsu]

Guys, anyone been to the "Roadhouse gas and diesel" in Grass Valley?  fresh 92 octane?

afraid all the other stations are to far to commute for gas during a lapping day.


40 minutes on the track, I'm on fumes

anybody with the room want to bring gas to sell?

[Rcl4668]

I called directory information and got the number for a "Roadhouse 97" and "Lock and Load Towing" in Grass Valley.  The good news is that they confirmed they are in Grass Valley but they said that they unfortunately do not sell 92 octane fuel at this time.  The lady I spoke to said that they are trying to see if they can get some by summer but there are obviously no guarantees.  She also seemed to think that the nearest source of 92 octane fuel was right off of I-84E at Biggs Junction which is about 30 miles from Grass Valley.  I hope she is incorrect.

[mitsu]

your post is correct, I was just in Grass Valley regular is all they have. If you have a cenex account (kind of like pacific pride) you could get gas in Moro~ about 9 miles from Grass Valley. Otherwise its 30 miles one way to Biggs.

 I lucked out when a tow truck driver went out and picked up some gas for me, at near cost.

[anacapa1]

It looks like this is the way it is right now, although there is apparently a growing interest in the Grass Valley station getting 92 or higher this year.  I carried 15 gallons in my two seater yesterday, 10 gallons on the floor of the passenger side, and 5 gallons in the small front trunkspace. It worked, but barely.  I hope a local solution occurs this year.  There isn't enough time in between lapping runs to drive up to Biggs and back.

Also, depending on the budget it would be great to have the access road paved.  Slow going, very dusty and rocky.  And when it gets warmer out there cars with R-compound rubber will have to wait a bit to let their tires cool down before driving out of town.

But it is the field of dreams of race tracks around here and people will come .  Adding these amenities will make it a no-brainer for lapping drivers vs. PIR or PR.

[bend92SC08TC]

There is a group of us in Bend, OR that are itching to get up to ORP asap.  A few of us would like to head up there for a day to check out some racing and the track before we sign up for an event at ORP.  One thing I don't think I'v seen mentioned so far in this post is anything about pit areas.  Are the existing pit areas paved?  How much space is there per car?  Is there enough room to park a trailer or another vehicle besides the vehicle entered in the event.  We will be traveling quite a ways and some of us don't really want to drive up on our track tires.  We would be bring fuel, tires, tools, etc. with us.  Thank you for any helpful answers to my questions.  Some of the facilities that I enjoy having at a race track are: bathrooms, concession stand/s (food), and a good place to sit and relax between track time.