auto club saturday (4/08) practice with a smaller bike?

Just curious, for those of you with smaller bike (like the R3's and 250's) that are planning on going to the practice session on Saturday run by fastrack, which group are you planning on signing up for? They only have one "Racers" group, where I guess is for the racers, but since I'll be on a R3 I don't really want to get in the way of the liter bikes. I don't have any issue being passed, I just don't want to cause someone to slow up while trying to get a fast time in. (all the while trying to get a fast time in myself). Think it's better to sign up for group 3 where there might not be as many big bikes? or would being with the racing group be the way to go?

 

Can't you change groups at the track, depending on the number & speed of the riders in each group?

Also, some orgs prohibit passing in the "slower" groups; they might take a dim view of someone screaming around the track on an R3 making banzai passes.

 

At fasttrack yes you can change groups (usually dependent on speed/pace). They have a 6' passing rule, level 1 is on straights only, level 2 and 3 will have some restricted turns for no passing.

 

A year or two ago, a few RC Cup racers showed up and ran the first session in Racer group. they were moved down to Lvl3 for the next session.

 

Josh Hayes was there a month ago on a Friday running in all 3 groups. Super nice guy. Passed me like I was standing still, scared the crap out of me.

 

I run my Ninja 300 in the racer group. I pucker *every* time I enter the turn 1 kink. Not sure its for everyone. You may want to run in the fast non-racer group if you're not comfortable getting passed at high speed with 3" to spare.

 

Usually I hear them behind me before they pass. He was going so fast I didn't hear him until he was next to me ( and yeah like 3") lol

 

They don't run a Level 1 on a race practice day, but they are running Level 2, Level 3, and race practice (plus, at that event, a 4th group, the Academy). I have a Moriwaki 250 and my preference is to run Level 2, mostly because the Level 2 folks are not flying into turn 1 so fast - they come up on me on the straight but usually let off before I do so they don't end up actually passing or trying to race me into Turn 1. And they tend to give you some room if they see the number plates. If the race-practice group is very uncrowded, I'd usually move up into the race group mid-morning on the day of the event.

Level 2 riders are not as predictable as the L3 or Race group, but they are usually less aggressive and there are lots of places to pass at Fontana, and the passing rules are not too restrictive with Fastrack in Level 2, you can pass in most corners, inside or outside.

Personally I did not like running Level 3 on race practice days; in my opinion the race group is more aware of and considerate of smaller bikes, I'd do Level 2 or race practice and stay away from L3 - unless it is extremely uncrowded in that level. The speed differential coming into Turn 1 is pretty freaking high in Level 3, if someone is going to be coming up on me at 50+ mph faster, I'd rather it be a licensed racer than a brave dude on an 1190 or something.

Here's a tip, if you haven't ridden there before, don't think that staying low on the banking on the main straight approaching Turn 1 is a good idea. Not only does it make Turn 1 much tougher for you, it also makes it hard for a faster rider coming behind you to predict what you will do when you get there, because your angle of entry to the turn is much different from theirs.

 

Yep, my kid has come back and told me his right arm bumped the outside wall setting up for turn one. Getting up high, evidently makes the proper entry into 1 work better?

 

Yes, it opens up the entry considerably if you get higher on the bank. Sometimes riders have the misconception that if they stay way low on the track they will be out of the way of the fast guys, and that is not really a good idea because it makes the turn much sharper and makes the rider have to slow down a lot more than would otherwise be necessary, and it puts the slower rider on a path nearly perpendicular to a rider coming down from the wall. Fastrack is pretty diligent about mentioning this in the riders meeting, they advise everyone at every level to enter turn 1 from up near the wall.

 

The info supplied by 'Hotfoot' is good info. Another possibility is to ask one of the faster lightweight guys drag you around for a couple of laps.
"Fastrack riders" monitors lap times, and will arrange to have you assigned into another group, should you or them, feel it is necessary/desirable.
Fastrack's primary concern is safety. They want it to be safe, and fun. See you there.

 

First, there is a 1:40 lap time requirement (or lower) to run in the race group at Fontana Fastrack. The bike cc isnt the problem as I remember when Benny Soliz was running his 125cc in the race group, but his lap times were still quick. He was only slow in the straights. Wera race weekend the pace is pretty good in racer group. I wouldnt recommend it, but as others say they will move you, but remember they dont even monitor the first session for times.

 

And yes, stay next to the wall right before entry makes the opening down into turn 1 alot easier. Good lap times are made between turn 1-4. The rest is pretty gravy.

 

I've never seen that 1:40 laptime requirement for the race group, where did you find that info?

 

half the group was running >1:40 in the RacerGroup last January. so thats not right.

 

I was thinking the same thing, I looked at the practice times and race times from the January event and a 1:40 minimum would cut out a LOT of riders - all the LWT, D E and F classes, Formula 2, half the C Superbike class and even a portion of the A and Formula 1 class riders. I know it was cold then but that's a pretty fast practice time.

 

I prefer to run Friday instead of Saturday this year due to the four group format. Worked in my favor in January. YMMV

I will run in Group 3 (just below race group) on my 450 which runs low 1:40s. Didn't have any issue with that on Friday or in the one practice run I got on Saturday afternoon.

 

50-60 mph winds.

Affected everyone.......except Toye.

 

Ha, that's a huge exaggeration of the winds. Gusts might have hit 30mph and it was only a problem into T1. It helped down the back stretch too. I was there and ran a few 1:35s on my R6.

 

On Friday Practice?

Mmmm-kay, whatever.