After meeting with riders during a team test at Barber Motorsports Park late last month, track officials had crews fill in a ravine at the exit of turn one and move 700 linear feet of steel barrier back between 35 and 43 feet, improving run-off room. The project involved cutting back a slope and filling in the ravine with 1500 truckloads of dirt. According to track Operations Supervisor Mark Whitt, the work had to be done at night to avoid disrupting various activities booked on the track during the day. Riders led by Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking requested the meeting and went over track maps with Whitt, prioritizing areas that needed attention, with the majority singling out turn one. Other areas of concern include turn four and turn 13. Whitt said that the turn one gravel trap will be expanded before next season, and changes in turns four and 13 will also be made. “Mr. Barber’s concern for safety is #1,” Whitt said, speaking of track founder George Barber. “He wants this to be a safe track, a track the riders enjoy and want to come back to.” According to Whitt, riders at the test requested the meeting. “They kind of came to me this year,” Whitt said. “It was a learning experience. We want this to be a safe track and we understand that run-off room is the key. We can run around the track a zillion times in a car and still not see what the riders need.” Riders also took the initiative to meet with Infineon Raceway officials during a rained-out AMA team test last month, and officials there have promised to move back the barrier that Vincent Haskovec hit last May.