Track Day

I've finally bitten the bullet and have my first ever track day booked for
next Tuesday at Snetterton. Anybody from here going? Have to say I'm a
little nervous about the potential for crashing but I guess I'm master of my
own destiny on that one (up to a point anyway). Any advice from the hardened
track veterans out there?

 

As a matter of interest, who with?

 

Apex

 

Just relax. No one will care about you going fast or slow, they'll be too
busy doing their own thing. Many people will be nervous anyway. One of the
fastest riders I know would regularly throw up before the first session.

When you're sitting in pitlane, just tell yourself you're going to be
learnng and to take it easy. Try and be as smooth and relaxed as possible.
Aim to build up your confidence by the end of the day. If you only remember
two things when you're riding: Relax and Breathe.

Don't relax so much you fall off. And don't breathe so fast you
hyperventilate.

I've done about 15 track days and I'm shit slow. I've never crashed. Apart
from twice. But I've always enjoyed myself. Except the crashing bit.

It all else fails, panic, and launch it through some crash barriers. It can
only get better after that. Or worse.

So remember: Relax and Crash.

I mean Breathe.

 

"porl" wrote in message

<snort> That made me laugh that did.

Tullyhubbert

 

Actually, quite a few of us have crashed at Snetterton and quite a few of us
more than once. It's a good track to have a crash.

I still have fond memories of Ash's crash. I had the sequence of photos
somewhere.

 

Don't ride some stupid overpowered bike like a ZX10R.

And here's my write up of my first ever track day - also at Snetterton:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X51542B6B

 

Not a track day veteran, as such. But...

Nerves are good, it shows you are paying attention. That last trembling piss
before heading for the bike, just tell yourself to calm down and relax (as
much as possible). It is amazing how much the nerves will simply fall away
the moment you head out down the pit lane on the bike. You now have other
things to occupy your mind...

Like, not going fast at first, just ride round as you would on a road ride.
Familiarizing yourself with the track. Take note of the lines the
instructor/
smoother riders in your group are using and copy them. Accuracy is worth a
*lot*.

Oh and once you start to step the pace up a bit... breathe... normally...
it helps a lot if you aren't blue in the face. Trust me on this one,
I know what I'm talking about ;-)

Primarily though, just remember to enjoy it. It's *fun*.

--
Alex
BMW R1150GS
DIAABTCOD#3 MSWF#4 UKRMFBC#6 Ibw#35 BOB#8
http://www.team-ukrm.co.uk
Windy's "little soldier"

 

I was enthralled right up to the point where you almost lied.

 

Buy a minimoto they are only £299 do 37mph and its less of a distance
to the ground and wont cost you £2k when/if you either fail to take
Alex or Porl's tip on crashing, err I meant breathing..

HTH

 

It's that or a ropey GS550 - I'll take my chances

 

Heh - I've done about twenty trackdays and only ever crashed at Snetterton.

 

lol

I'll suck that wine out of my t-shirt later.

 

I am feeling *so* much better about this now.

 

It's strange - that we get so worked up about doing a trackday.

We should get more worked up about going for a bimble on the public roads
where there are far more hazards, oncoming vehicles, surface variations and
no 'kitty-litter'/gravel-traps.

The things you *need* to concern yourself with on the track are things you
do on the road anyway - like choosing a place to brake, settting your corner
entry speed, choosing when to counter-steer, when to get back on the
throttle etc - but without all the peripheral worries/risks associated with
road-riding - so it should be easier on the track, no?

You might be concerned about other riders nerfing you off, cutting you up or
stealing your lines/apex - but these concerns exist on any popular biking
road on any given Sunday.

So, relax - and enjoy it. Take it slow to start with - build up your speed
as your confidence and circuit familiarity grows.
Don't make assumptions about other riders or use them as reference points
for speed or when to brake or turn (they may be better on the brakes,
counter-steer quicker or be unreliably random) - it's just you, your bike
and the track - and the only significant variable is you, the rider.

 

Kiran did as well. HAHAHAHA.

Only noobs crash at Snetterton. Silverstone for FTW.

 

LOL

If it helps, I crashed because I broke the golden rule of trackdays and
started 'racing' another rider whose ability I knew nothing about.
I was fooled because he was also on a VFR (although it was an 800) and I
overshot the back-straight after locking the front wheel up on the brakes.

Like Molly said - it's a good track to crash at - I wasn't hurt at all -
though the bike took a beating.

 

I've crashed everywhere except Snetterton. And Brands.
And Rockingham. But I did go over the grass at Snetterton.
Does that count?

 

You have our gratitude.

 

I did my first and only track day at Snetterton. You won't be the
slowest[1] and you won't be the fastest. The worst part for me was the
night before, once I actually got to the place and on the track I
wondered what I'd been worrying about. Its fun.

[1] on a 10R I should bloody well hope not