Out of interest: Real Experiance on the track please

How many of the regulars here have any real Motorcycle race experience on a
race track?

I've followed this group for about 3 years now and see a lot of Armchair
experts .. I was utterly shocked once to see Julian Bond (Whom is a better
writer than I am) make desparging remarks once or twice about the Knockhill
circuit in Scotland UK ... Contrary to what he says, many riders find
Knockhill a very demanding track to race at ... they actually enjoy it here
very much .. I met Ron Haslam here when he was riding the Pharo Yamaha's in
the early 80's before Ron made it, goes without saying I've met Nial
McKenzie, Steve Hislop and all the other Scottish champions ... it was a
pleasure to share track time with most of them at Knockhill.



??

Seriously Guys, this season does now

 

I've had track time at Homestead and Moroso in Florida, Oak Hill in Texas,
Hallett in Oklahoma, Memphis Motorsports Park in Tennessee, and Laguna Seca.
I also did the KRTR in Barcelona.

I only did one race (Moroso). I've never claimed to have a great knowledge
of the finer points of road racing and have admitted as much in posts.

P.S. I met Schwantz in '96 when he was doing promo work at Dodge dealerships
in between BUSCH races. I asked him how the f*** you are supposed to get
better at road racing when track time is not so easy to get (or get to?).
That's when he suggested going to Oak Hill.

 

I did a few track days in the mid 90s and raced WERA for a couple of years
in the late 90s. Regardless of our real race experience, I think everyone
is entitled to their opinion. There wouldn't be very many fans of sports if
the only people that could discuss them were former participants.

Shane

 

Interesting! I would have loved to have met Schwantz. One of my friends who
went on to be the Scottish 600 Champ ... has. I am "however" on an infamous
video clip when Freddie Spencer won his 250 title while chasing the 500
title at Silverstone, back in the day? I'm kinda in the background while BBC
interviewed King Kenny Roberts and Fast Freddie... My God, those were the
days

Looking back at that, good to see the determination from the Roberts camp
these days ... Did anyone see that BBC2 look around the Roberts factory from
Steve Parrish? Totally amazing <---- this puts a whole new perspective on
Young Kenny's efforts ... He's not doing bad, is he?

 

Plus, it's not a given that former participants have any more insight
than the armchair racers!

 

Very true.

But looking at the latest reviews from the said -same-participants, its the
same old Yada Yada Yid, with a lot of political baggage being carried via
the nasty Europeans and the nasty Americans. Bloody fruitless if you ask
me.

May the best Man win IMHO.

Cheers

Colin

 

He usually does. :-D

 

I have several videos from when the ABC used to cover motorcycling
in Oz: "And now we come to the 250 Production race at Oran Park where the
field is RD250LCs to a man, except for _one_ Suzuki X7 who's snuck in there
somehow."

Adelaide International, Mallala (practice only), Oran Park, Amaroo
Park, Bathurst & Westwood (Vancouver) is about my track list.

--
Ivan Reid, Electronic & Computer Engineering, ___ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

I have track experience on the west coast of the US.
Laguna Seca
Portland Int'l
Pacific Raceways (formerly Seattle Int'l)
Willow Springs & Streets of Willow.

I don't have any experience on Euro Tracks or any of the Mid Western /
east coast USA tracks.

Tracks I want to ride and will eventually.

Jennings
Autobahn
Infineon
Barber
Road Atlanta
Road America
Mid Ohio
VIR



--
Andrew
00 Daytona
00 Speed Triple
71 Kawi H1
05 Infant

 

I have a 500cc two stroke triple in the garage, but it doesn't say
PROTON on the side of it.

--
Andrew
00 Daytona
00 Speed Triple
71 Kawi H1
05 Infant

 

What! No Miller Motorsports Park on the list?

Bryan

 

Oh jeez...you're right.
For some reason, Utah just slips my mind when I think of great tracks,
but it is purported to be excellent.

--
Andrew
00 Daytona
00 Speed Triple
71 Kawi H1
05 Infant

 

Yeah, but, Tooele UT? If you come to ride, and only ride, I think you won't
be disappointed. After all, we are talking an 80 million dollar facility.

If come out this way, be sure and ping me. Good luck on the benefit race.

Bryan

 

Greets Dr Ivan

Also from Aus.

Recently road raced a ZX7RR (ZXR750RR) in a national series for 4 years
until the $ ran out.
Worked with Australian Factory team for 2 x years as technician in 04/05

Raced on the follwing road circuits

Eastern Creek
Oran Park ( Both GP & South )
Amaroo Park
Willowbank
Winton
Wakefield Park
Phillip Island
Bathurst
Broadford

--
Daron

ebay? - http://tinyurl.com/ykgh

 

Bathurst on a bike. Respect, fella.

 

I started out track riding and then club racing on the east coast
(Loudon) at the end of 2000. Then continued on in California
(Thunderhill, Buttonwillow, Las Vegas). Never had the pleasure of
riding Sears Point. Right now, I'm back on the east coast racing
Loudon and doing track days at Pocono. Would like to venture out VIR
and Summit. Probably next year. I've also done a bit of cornerworking
for club and pro events on both coasts.

I happen to think people who have experience with road racing (not
necessarily racing themselves) have a bit more insight than those who
haven't. I'm not saying I know more about what GP boys do than those
close to the scene, like the crew chiefs, but I do think I understand
it a bit better than someone who gets their ownly insight into racing
from TV.

 

As far as this racing thread goes... no, never seriously. I loved two
whelled antics since I was a little boy, I got my first motorized two
wheeler at 13, and thought I got pretty proficient at it. I tried to race in
the Bultaco Streaker series at age 15, and was out of my league, by a mile,
visibly and conclusively. Helps you to figure out to not pursue doomed
dreams. A good thing. The Bultaco Streaker cup resulted in guys like Pons,
Cardus, Garriga and several others in the end. I was never close to them. I
was also 6'1 and 190lbs due to track and field training, but far more
importantly I was just slower and less willing to take any sort of risk.

Ever since, I have been an enthusiast track day participant. My very
occasional (albeit not in the last 10 years) occasional club racing
experience in my opinion does not give me the most remote insight into what
racing at the top level may be like. I love thinking I can be fast, I know
several very amateur riders think I am fast, but have received enough
sobering experience to the contrary from the *real* thing over the years.

I don't think enthusiasm for honing my skills for many years gives me any
insight into racing at the higher levels of the sport. Even though I used to
know some guys that had worked their way into the paddock at the time, due
to the Streaker club roots combined with other indirect inroads. And these
days I am just another amateur armchair observer...

....pablo

 

Bathurst was an interesting experience... I only rode the track during
practice & the actual races so I was working on lines & setup so I wasn't
really thinking about the walls & lack of run off.

I did a couple of laps afterwards at the speed limit on a road bike ( It is
a road course lined with concrete ) & took in the actual track for the first
time on the monday following. I'm glad I did it that way otherwise I would
have been scared to bits.

Most of the tight stuff was in 2nd or 3rd gear as the bike was geared so
tall for the run down the 300kph Conrod Straight

I think Macau or some of the Irish Road racing circuits would scare me a
little more.

 

Those elevation changes 'round the back would appear to make The
Corkscrew look like something for beginners!

Aye, 206 mph on the straight at the NW 200. Bejeesus...

 

Haven't been here for a while and just saw this thread.

I started out drag racing cars and bike in '71. Started roadracing and
corner working with AAMRR (northeastern US) in '81. Raced for six
years doing well enough to make expert before the money ran out. Kept
corner working and am currently on the board of directors for this
group.

http://www.usmarshalls.org/

I have raced at

Loudon NH
Bridgehampton NY
Pocono PA
Summit Point WV

I have ridden but not raced at

Watkins Glen NY
Road Atlanta
Daytona

Since '99 I have been passenger on several vintage sidecars.

http://tinyurl.com/p9hmx

It is a blast.

I'm sure there are many that have never raced that know more about GP
racing than I do.

Bruce Richmond