motorcyclelog2005.html

03.05 Sunday March 05, 2006: The first racing weekend began Saturday with a few bikes testing the new track layout. Extensive changes and improvements to the track and its layout were made over the winter months. Heavy equipment was there from 7:30 in the morning until the late afternoon over a four week span. The dirt moving equipment that they keep over there was working regularly during the other weeks, but they didn't get started at 7:30 in the morning. A lot of dirt was moved from one end of the track to the other. New jumps were built, and some of the chain link fences were relocated to make more room for overnight camping. The track was extended down to the edge of the access road by the entrance toll booth. It appears that they are positioning themselves to extend the track across the existing access road by the toll booth once their new road to Route 696 is completed. The racing on Sunday was nothing spectacular, they ran from 11:30 in the morning until 6:20 in the evening. There was a good crowd, and it was a full card. Weather was cold and clear.

03.18 Saturday March 18, 2006: Some very expensive motor homes arrived Thursday evening late, and a practice session was run Friday afternoon. Saturday was a regular race day, and very large motor homes are on both sides of the hill. Few if any vans or pick-up trucks. Well-heeled riders tend to use larger bikes, so the noise was really bad.

03.19 Sunday March 19, 2006: Second day. Nothing cheap on that hill. They've been observing the 11:30 am Sunday start time, (an agreement with a local church, I understand), and racing usually ends by 6:30 in the evening. It takes about an hour or more for the motor homes to depart. Some of the motor home's occupants get a few hours rest before leaving. There are not as many family members with the riders as there have been in past years.

03.26 Sunday March 26, 2006: Four pick-up trucks, later joined by a white sedan, arrived at about 11:15 in the morning, and raced four of five motorcycles until about 4:00 in the afternoon. Very informal meeting. Since it wasn't a scheduled race day, there could be a liability issue if someone gets hurt over there. If the track owner did not give them permission to do all that, then perhaps the Law as it addresses "Maintaining an Attractive Nuisance" or "Trespass" applies.

03.27 Monday March 27, 2006: Three or four big motorbikes running around there all afternoon. Lot of big noise. They departed about 5:30p.

04.01 Saturday April 01, 2006: A real noisy day there.

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04.05 Wednesday April 05, 2006: Heavy work on the track all morning, campers began arriving in the late afternoon. Campers are being directed to the east side of the hill. A few motorbikes ran around the track in the early evening, but nothing spectacular.

04.06 Thursday April 06, 2006: Campers have been arriving all day. All are being sent to the camp site on the east side of the hill. The track operator has been putting a lot of time and money into building up the camp area. Construction size dump trucks have been hauling dirt from the south end of the track. From Shippensburg road it looked like the camp area was getting really full by evening. A dozen or so really big bikes were running on the track from about 3:00 pm until dark. Not really racing, just checking it out.

04.07 Friday April 07, 2006: Unusually heavy noise. No Mufflers. "Practice" day. Loretta Lynn Classic(?). They're having to put the campers on this side of the hill now, and it's getting pretty full.

04.08 Saturday April 08,2006: A nice thunder storm with some lightening passed through a bit south of here last evening, and light rain is forecast for today. There is almost a maximum population of campers at the race track, and still coming, but a few of the smaller vehicles, (pick up trucks and vans), that could not sustain the weather are leaving before race time. Most of the campers I see appear to be able to stay in the field for days without much support. Once they get into position in the camp ground, they never come back down off the hill. Which means they must have sufficient food and water, waste storage, electricity, and heat to last from Thursday to the following Sunday night. or in some cases Monday morning. Because of the rain, which was a steady drizzle, racing was delayed until 2:20 this afternoon, and continued until about 6:45 this evening. The schedule was not pushed, there was a considerable wait between races. Sometimes a few medium sized bikes would go around the track at almost walking speed when races were not in progress.

04.09 Sunday April 09, 2006: Beautiful day here. New arrivals are taking the spaces formerly occupied by the vehicles that departed late last evening, apparently after their occupants cleaned up, got some rest, and had their evening meal, before they got on the road. There are more vehicles than yesterday, and perhaps a record for any one day. Racing started at 11:28 am with a race that lasted approximately 22 minutes. It sounded like a maximum number of bikes in any one race. Noise was bad. Then, they didn't race again for 45 minutes or so. A lot of the races, once they got started again, were medium sized bikes, and not many riders in each race. A few of the races were kiddy bikes. Last race ended at approximately 6:30, and the final loudspeaker call was at 7:00 pm. Weather perfect all day.

04.19 Wednesday April 19, 2006: Approximately 10 or 12 riders have been using the track, or part of the track, all afternoon. They're hard to count when they use just a small part of the track. They parked their pick-up trucks and trailers on the east side of the hill. The noise is intolerable, and this is not even a weekend when the local residents can prepare for it.

05.05 Friday May 5, 2006: The people and their big bikes that come to that track during the week are becoming a major problem. Three days this week the noise has been very bad. I doubt that the track is supervised during these "freebies", so they don't need to observe rules such as using mufflers. One day was a training day. Some of the riders were being trained to make jumps and to corner. It used to be West Shore Yamaha or somebody sponsoring some of this, but I don't know who it is now. Oh, yes, it's now revealed that they have two separate tracks over there. Our township supervisors (?) said there would be no expansion of the track. Well, really they haven't expanded the track, they just built an additional track. Good lawyer.

05.13 Saturday May 13, 2006: Another week of noise. Today was the worse of all. This weekend is a big race day, Mother's Day, and racing begins on Sunday. Very large motor homes began arriving Friday, and camping on the east side of the hill. Saturday was not an official race day, so whoever had a bike could come out and make noise. Which they did.

05.14 Sunday May 14, 2006: One enterprising family camped on the west side of the hill, by the entrance gate, last night, and they knew how to camp. They had a nice tent, a big grill, lawn chairs, and a boom box for entertainment. More large motor homes arrived. Racing began today at 11:30 on schedule, but it was not a big race day as the posted schedule indicated it would be. There were long delays between races, and many of the racers began departing by 3:30 in the afternoon. Everything was out of there by 6:00. The track is not as visible now that the trees have leaves. The bad weather which was possible did not develop. The drizzle stopped, and it was comfortable outside. Note: Try to remember that the fields where the motocross track is located in Hopewell Township is zoned "Village Residential". Again, good lawyer.

05.17 Wednesday May 17, 2006: A small group of riders have been using the track all afternoon.

06.04   Sunday June 4, 2006:   Races today. Not a large crowd. Lots of free time between races. Everyone out of there by 5:00pm. A mix of big noisy bikes, and small kiddy bikes. Very good weather.

06.07   Wednesday June 7, 2006:    Loose racing from 10:00am until late, 7:30pm. Big noise. Mostly on the new track, but some on the regular track.

06.08    Thursday June 8, 2006:    Six or eight heavy bikes were racing on first one track, then the other, from about noon until after 8:00pm today. Very noisy without breaks. At least organized races have breaks. Five pick-ups, some with trailers, came down off the hill at 8:40pm in the evening.

06.09    Friday   June 9, 2006:   Comment: Although mention has been made here about bikes using the track on weekdays, and the noise being often heavier than a regular race day, the "informal occupancy" of the track has been more often than what has been recorded here. There's hardly a week day anymore that the homeowners can get any quiet.   Now that school is out, and the kids are home, it will be doubly hard on the locals.

06.14    Wednesday June 14, 2006: As usual, they're over there using the main track today. Those guys are very noisy, worse than a regular scheduled race day. A thunder storm with half inch of rain came about 5:00pm and ran the bikers away.

06.16   Friday June 16, 2006: A couple of medium sized bikes have been running around the main track most of the day. They're not very big, and sound like young roosters learning how to crow.

06.17   Saturday June 17, 2006:   A lone bike has been running on the main track most of the day.

06.21   Wednesday June 21, 2006:    Very heavy and very loud usage of that track today. Much more noise than a regular race day. They were there all afternoon up until 7:30pm in the evening. Highly disturbing to the locals, but that's the way it is here in Hopewell Township anymore.

06.22   Thursday June 22, 2006: One lone bike again over there most of the day.

06.30   Friday June 30, 2006: Mobile homes and large campers have been arriving since early Thursday afternoon for the well publicized Fourth Of July meet. Weather good, although its been raining for the last few days. If racing can be defined as a number of motorcycles running around the main track, with the obnoxious noise that they make, then there has been racing most of the afternoon. Track maintenance machinery began work at about 7:00pm, and continued to well after dark.

07.0   Saturday July 1, 2006: First Noise at 12:45 this afternoon. Beautiful day here in Hopewell Township. It must be a big money day because there's not that many vehicles on the hill, but the ones that are there are noticeably expensive. Big bikes, very noisy, but the races aren't back-to-back.

07.02 Sunday July 2, 2006: The day started out with good weather, but the afternoon brought a few quick thunderstorms and some rain, heavy at times. Strange enough, racing continued through the downpour. Mud always enhances an otherwise uneventful motorcycle race. They ended racing at 7:15 this evening. There was very little coming and going during the day, so most of the participants had camped over from yesterday. Departure took little time because there weren't that many vehicles.

07.12 Wednesday July 12, 2006: Big bikes been on the track all afternoon, and didn't stop until 8:20 this evening. That's late, even for them. Lots of noise. No relief.

07.15   Saturday July 15, 2006: Big racing day. Management was working on the track all day Thursday and Friday, and this morning until racing started. They started races at 10:10 today. That's very early. They don't usually start until 11:30 or thereabouts. Weather is hot and muggy, with no specific forecast for this area.

07:16 Sunday July 16, 2006:    Most of the racers camped over Saturday night. First Noise was at 11:45am. Racing today was not hurried, there was noticeable space between races. Weather was good, but the "heat wave" is making it 104 degrees in the shade. It appears the big money races were run last. The big bikes whose noise rock ones gut ran the last three races at the end of the session. It could have been worse, I think out trees which are all leafed out cut the noise some.

07.19    Wednesday   July 19, 2006: Busy afternoon at the ol' motorcycle racetrack. A few noisy bikes ran up until late. Weather was acceptable.

07.26    Wednesday July 26, 2006: About six or eight bikes of all sizes were there from before noon up until 8:00 in the evening. Some of the riders left at about 7:30, but those who wanted to get their money's worth continued until exactly 8:00pm. Only two of the bikes were really large, and with minimum mufflers, and the others were mid-size. Weather questionable. Drizzle for half an hour or so.

08.19   Saturday August 19, 2006:   Racing started today at 10:15 in the morning which is about an hour and a quarter before the published starting time.   Weather good. The noise from the really large bikes has carried over into today.   When racing ends the maintenance crew gets their heavy equipment and cleans up the track. Not many vehicles departed after the races were over, most camped overnight.

08.20 Sunday August 20, 2006: Started today at 11:20 this morning.   Things are pretty much the same as yesterday. There are long breaks between races, same as yesterday.   The noise was the same.   Some of the participants began leaving early, 4:00 pm maybe, but most of the large rigs didn't get gone until dark.   This was a big-money weekend, lots of expensive motor homes and trailers.

09.06   Wednesday September 6, 2006:   For many months now the race track has been used on some weekdays by small groups of from one to ten riders and their motorbikes. Sometimes a dealer will use the track as part of their selling program. Other times a dealer will conduct motocross training. Most of the time, though, it's just a bunch of guys who want to play. It's definitely pick-up truck people, and I suppose most of them hold steady jobs. Often times they run with the mufflers off their machines. That is more noise than a regular race. There's no medics there, so I hope nobody cracks their head. The local people have it that over the years there have been four or five fatalities on that track, but there's no record of anyone being pronounced dead while on the premises.

09.30 Saturday September 30, 2006: The week-day use of the motorcycle race track has been an unusual pain in the butt all this month. They're running every Wednesday and every Saturday, and some of the Sundays. The noise these people make is worse than a regular race day. Whereas the regular races are spaced somewhat, and there are breaks between races, these guys never stop from the time they come until the time the leave, which is usually late in the evening.   There must be some game they play where they want to see can do the most laps while they're here. (?) Or, maybe they play the Dublin Gap version of the Indy 500 where they see who can do 10,000 laps the soonest.

10.07 Saturday October 7, 2006: A regular racing weekend.   This was a mixed card. There are many expensive motor homes camping over, but there's also a lot of pickup trucks with trailers that are not staying over. They'll leave in the evening, and come back the next morning.

10.08 Sunday October 8, 2006: A very beautiful day. Second day of the races. The back lot was full of campers and motor homes since Friday. Loud racing all day and early evening.

10.11 Wednesday October 11, 2006: As usual, those guys ran until dark, even though there was a light drizzle some of the time. Noise is very bad, worse than this past weekend. They never stop, and they are very large bikes.

10.29   Sunday October 29, 2006:   Sky was a heavy overcast, and it got dark before they finished all their races, so the last race ended with the riders following each other around the track at an almost walking speed.   Mostly pickup truck people. A few campers stayed over from Saturday, but they didn't have any bikes on the track that day.

11.04 Saturday November 04, 2006:   Looks like a regular race today. There are a group of campers and motor homes on the other side of the hill, but they specifically haven't let anyone park on this side of the hill. I noticed all this when I returned from Shippensburg. Maybe they want their grass to grow. Not good weather this weekend.

11.05 Sunday November 05, 2006: Racing again today. Almost all those who were there yesterday camped over last night, but again, they weren't visible from here at night. It's getting dark earlier, so the races are ending earlier. The leaves on the trees are gone, so the noise is much worse now.

11.10   Friday November 10, 2006:    A few large bikes, and a small pipsqueak bike, running until about 2:00 pm.    Nice day. These guys on their bikes during the week are often more of a problem than the regular race days. There may be rules during the regular races, but during the week there's no rule I know of that says the mufflers can't be removed for more power. Anyway, the noise is much more damaging.



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