Surfer77

Hey y'all,
I have not seen the citys proposal online, but I heard the city is looking to lease the facility for $2k per month. Last I heard, Ivan is gone. Wonder what the future holds for Grassroots and other sessions
-Robyn

Morelock

I've been hearing rumors (*just rumors) the last couple of months about Giordana's future, and none of them sounded positive.

Even pre-covid a big night racing was maybe 50 people... and that on Friday, Saturday maybe 20.

For a multi-million dollar facility, I imagine it's easy to look on paper and see reasons to try other things.

Ivan had stepped back a while ago. For racing really Barman has been at the head the last couple of years.

Surfer77

Actually i talked with Ivan last month. He told me his last day at the velodrome was the next Saturday. I saw him there all this year running Grassroots.
-Robyn

Morelock

*right, I didn't mean Ivan wasn't involved although that's how it came across I suppose.

brian44

Awesome...I planned on shifting from road to racing on the track next season. Perfect timing...

Last time I was at Rock Hill, it sounded like things were heading in this direction. It is such a shame the lack of promotion, events, and utilization of such a great facility.

Surfer77

I am not sure how much yearly support Giordana Corp gave to the velodrome, but last year was renamed Rock Hill Velodrome, officially. I am guessing whatever financial support Giordana gave is gone. It opened in 2012, so maybe the stipulation it be called “Giordana Velodrome” became nullified?

Anyway, yes, Ivan told me it was impossible to get track Nationals held in Rock Hill. He guessed it was bc it is outside. USAC preferring an indoor track.

We shall see what happens. If all of us that use the track pony-up the $200 annual membership, that may give the city/facility an influx of cash.
-Robyn

Surfer77

Haha! what size frame? Maybe I will be selling my Aventon!
-Robyn

Morelock

I've talked to a few people the last couple of days and the answer I keep getting is "nothing but speculation - track isn't going anywhere"

take what you will from that

brian44

I'm not new to track riding; I have my own gear...

I just don't understand how T-Town can pull in international riders, and have such a robust season, while (in my opinion) Rock Hill has a much nicer facility...and a legit 250m track. Rock Hill has been open long enough to draw this sort of crowd, but it never seems to have happened. Again, I could be way off and unaware of some years when there were more events occurring. I will admit, I am guilty of being one of those "track certified" roadies (certified way back in 2012) that never really made it back out to the track (moved away shortly after initial certification), so I might just be making baseless assumptions about the facility's utilization over the past decade.

Regardless, I don't want to be that guy who complains about lack of support, promotion, and events while doing nothing about it, so if anyone here knows how one can be involved with supporting Rock Hill (other than simply utilizing the facility) let me know!

Surfer77

brian44 yes i wish there was more i could do. but at 68 y/o, my competition days, are, pretty much over. I was certified last year and made a number of trips from Charleston, staying over at a rancid HoJos down the street. But my rent went waaay up so driving a pickup at 12 mpg and staying over a couple times a month, i just cannot do it now. I just try to spread the word at the LBS. I lived in CHS for four years bf I found out we had a velodrome in SC!

brian44

Did a workout at the track today. The rumors are true...there is currently no organization to put on any events at the Rock Hill Velodrome; Rock Hill is actively looking for entities to lease the facility to manage the site. Again...as of now...unless someone, or a group, actively pursues putting on USAC races (or even their "grassroots" events), nothing will be happening this season. Such a shame...

Surfer77

So they are just collecting a daily fee and renting bikes?
What a bummer. They should have kept Ivan on.

Russ Roth

What is "certified"?
I'll be heading to Rock Hill this month, my daughter was invited down to train with her team. I'll be bringing my track bike but doubt I'll have a chance to ride it. Most of the time they're at the track the team has rented it for their private use which means not me either but is certified something special?
Also heard there's a crit course nearby? Might have to spend a few hours there while she's practicing. Any good MTBing nearby?

Surfer77

Certified means you have been thru the half day class that introduces to track rules and etiquette. The black line and red line that runs around the track has certain “right of way” you need to know. Also where and how to enter and exit the track. Plus other stuff one needs to know. But nobody is doing certifications that I know of.

IFF you have a card from another track, you can use that.

Yes, there is a 1.1 mile crit course nearby, also a bmx track next to it.
-Robin

Russ Roth

I've raced at TTown and Kissena and never knew of a certification. I did do a class one time that was being offered by a US cycling federation official on how to race on the track but never got anything for it. Interesting to know.

brian44

There is a fairly large difference in riding those tracks when compared to a 250m track...so that could be the reasoning.

Surfer77

Maybe a current or old USAC card with Track 1,2,3, or 4 may get you in! Good luck!
-Robin

Surfer77

Heard back from Rock Hill Velodrome on FB page today. Here is what they say about this season:
=AZU74F8_yVEK7wG_aXx-RxWg-jzuM3dKDsCe06Aciz2vOUstwyUkWgtglh8fY-E_OhoqIRIg3F2ZE0BqNyHNGuVLD-nVMU_bPN7x8aoon9xshVSkQfp57pVtUlNO_xa7IrbZL8tFEa-9_ejnP5L_7peV&__tn__=R]-R]Rock Hill Velodrome
Hi! We are currently considering the leasing of the velodrome to an outside group. However, velodrome staff is working hard to create a spring and summer schedule for 2022 that a leasing does not occur. Please feel free to reach out to velodrome staff if you have any other questions.

carpediemracing 

A point of context. There is a really, really, really primitive track in New Hampshire, the NEV. 333m track if you ride 8 or 9 feet up from the inside. Cracks, potholes. 10-12 people makes a good night out. No facilities, no parking, bats and mosquitoes after sunset, kart folk working on karts and demolition cars (half the lease is to the kart folks). You know what the lease will be this year? For the velodrome portion?

$2000/month.

It was $1970 a month before the lease went back to the kart folks, then it dropped to $1500 (for half use, since karts got the track for about half the week). For 2022 the landlord wants $2000/month.

Annual membership is $500.

So the numbers on Rock Hill seem really low. Like bargain low.

carpediemracing 

I've never heard of certification on a track. I raced at TTown this year a few times, NEV multiple times.

Surfer77

I agree. The outgoing manager told me it does not make money for the city. There is good turnout for the “grassroots” training sessions on Saturdays, 10-15 riders. I dont know how big a crowd the USAC events draw. But i bet the bar/restaurant across the street does ok. Also I dont know how much USAC races are promoted locally. If a 100 ppl who regularly use the track put up the $200 annual pass, the town would be there. almost.
-Robin

topflightpro

CDR, certification requirements are pretty common at 250 tracks.

Rock Hill has a half day certification to ride and then an afternoon certification to race.

LA has a 3 or 4 week long certification process.

For National and world championship events, you do not have to certified to participate. But you may not be allowed to go practice in advance of the race (RH is a bit more lax about this than LA.) And the facilities reserve the right to pull any racer they do not feel is capable of riding safely.

As for the lease option posted, I’m not sure it will draw much interest.

Morelock

What do you lease to that's interested in a 250m 42.5° banked bowl?

burnthesheep

And I juuuuust got a budget track bike. I guess it all goes to ****.

carpediemracing 

Makes sense. That would have been a quick lesson - as prep for Nationals I did a recon trip to TTown the week before and did the Tues and Sat races. No certs needed, no nothing, just raced. If Nationals had been at a 250, well, in a TT maybe it's not required (?) but I wouldn't have been able to do much otherwise. Might be worth traveling to Rock Hill if they are open just to get the cert. My good friend (long time teammate, leadout man, and fellow car/kart fan) has family there, and when I mentioned there was a track somewhere in the Carolinas, his wife looked it up on the. phone, realized it was near family, she told him in no uncertain terms that if Nationals was ever at Rock Hill that he and I would go for "a guy's week out" and I'd race that track, kart, and do whatever else we want.