Riding skill level necessary to start racing...

It was only a mock theft.

 

.....and only as of this year.

 

The original question is a very common question for people who do track days but havent raced; i wonder about it myself also. I am not racing...but i would like to soon.

The common conception is that "racers" are the fastest of the fastest and if you are getting passed more than a few times during your regular trackdays, you have no business racing.

I guess everyone wants a "cut and dry" answer to something that isnt "cut and dry". I have only been to Talladega twice. The second day i was there i was consistently running 1:08's-1:10's. I know that is slow as balls compared to yall. But i was running those times without feeling as if i was working hard. I was breathing through my nose, relaxed and just having a good time. I felt as if i was running like 1:30's or some shit like that, then i got back to the pits and was like "illbedamned".

Personally, i have the same conception about racers being the fastest of the fast and i don't feel as if i belong in that group. But when i look at mylaps.com (as many people do to judge their times against the times of racers)...there were several people in Novice races (in the class i would be running with my current bike) who had fastest lap times of 1:10-1:15. So then that makes me think..."maybe i could do it".

I know that racing is like everything else, you wont know it until you try it...but the hardest part about trying it is figuring out if you are actually qualified/good enough to try it.

 

Only Jenson thinks you need to been advanced level to start out.

 

Someone needs to tell this to Lorenzo

 

Excuses are like... well, you know what they are like. If you want to race then race. Show up, give them your money, line up and see how it goes. You'll have your answer then.

 

3 sets of leather.....1 set of pucks is currently my ratio. The 2 new suits both came with pucks but they are in my emergecy spares box.

You never know when you'll be the victim of random puck theft.

 

Skill? Who needs skill? I race. Well, I am on the track while people race. Well, I try to stay out of the way of the people that race while I'm on the track.

To answer the question -- sign up for a race and give it a shot. You'll probably surprise yourself at how well you do.

 

Not exactly sure if this was directed at me or the OP, but i will ASSume it was towards me.

...or maybe not.

Personally, i am signed up for 7 more track days this year and Keith Code's Level III school (did the Levels I+II in a 2-day camp at VIR last year). I think i will see how all of that goes and then might attend a race school at the beginning of next season.

 

Spoken like a true third wheel expert.

-jim

 

I made that mistake once right before i started racing.

Checked mylaps and said to myself "I'm gonna kill 'em"

Mylaps forgot to mentioned rain.

 

Well, i actually thought to myself "no damn way..." and i checked the results of several different races (even with that other organization) and there were many instances of that.

So either i wouldnt be too much of a rolling chicane...or it rains a hella lot at Talladega.

 

i know many guys have done it and succeeded.
but the thought of a brand new beginner group rider being a rolling chicane in an "A" group pace, let along a race pace, seems quite scary.
you gotta learn to swim before you can surf.

 

<-- not a brand new beginner group rider.

...im not saying that i wouldn't be a rolling chicane in a race ...but im not a brand new track rider either.

 

It sounds corny, but Racers race, everybody else just talks about it.


If someone is too afraid to race, they should just stay doing trackdays.

Pussies.

edit: Damn, Mongo beat me to it.

 

Gawd, I hate that "racers race" BS.

 

People say stuff like that all time...not just about racing, about all kinds of stuff...and it is easy to say once you are on the "good" side of it. But for people who have never done it, it really isnt that simple.

Example: Any "strong" guy at the gym can be like "shit on this, im a weightlifter...and i need to compete"...because they really have no idea on what "strong" is...then they get to a competition and can't lift fuckall. The difference is that them lifting 100lbs less than everybody else doesn't hurt anything.

Oh well, fug it. This is a discussion that could go on and on and at the end of the day, yall are correct...i will never know until i just do it. But it would be nice to know that i wouldnt be in the way.