Getting into track days and possibly WERA racing

Thank you all for the feedback. It looks like I should try to do both the race license and my first race at Talladega in February. Then I can learn from that experience and hopefully improve for Barber in July. For Christmas, my dad got him and I the 2-day California Superbike School at Barber in June, so that should help me some.

With regards to the hitting apexes, I think the coach was implying that I can use more of the track, meaning I should ride closer to the track edge at the apex. It's not that I don't know where the apexes are exactly.

Thanks,
Will

I got the bump at Talladega. But I rode novice on Saturday at Jennings and intermediate on Sunday. I had the black sv650. It was night and day how much more space I had to work with in intermediate. I remember that novice group 1, a few guys on Ducatis from what I remember. I try not to get caught up with other people on the track. I hot pit a lot to give myself space.

 

I remember you. I ran intermediate Saturday afternoon after was bumped and on Sunday, was surprised I had mid pack speed right from the start, was expecting to be more towards the back of the pack. Super foggy all morning, my helmet was fogging up so had to pit a couple times and back off my pace, was very frustrating.

I was in the paddock straight across from tire service on a grey BMW S1000RR

Will probably be back there in late January with TDW,

 

That's going way back. What track did you ride at when you did CSS?

 

This kinda struck me as an odd statement from someone practicing for racing. I would think you would need to do the opposite; ride around people so you get used to passing and being passed by faster riders.??

I like to seek out faster riders than me and get behind them, they definitely pull me along at a faster pace and I learn where I'm slower and need improvement.

My first track day was a few months ago at Road Atlanta. Riding my GSXR1000 street bike. I progressed fast enough to be released on my own after the 3rd session so I jumped up from group 7 to group 1 in one go....lol; was AMAZED at the difference in speed those guys had, they would all leave me but I would hang as much as I could. I rode with them the rest of the day and couldn't believe how much faster these guys were, I ended up learning a lot from them in just a few sessions. On the last session while sitting on the grid I say to one of them... you guys are fast as shit for novices I can't stay with you long but your helping me learn your speed. The guys laughs then turns to his buddies and says this guy thinks we're all novices then says to me no were all advanced, we're riding in novice because the classes were full.....I was like WHAT??? I didn't know you were allowed to do that...lol.

Anyway...since then I know if I want to learn to go faster then ride with faster guys !!!

 

Watkins Glen, of all places. Baby blue guardrails everywhere. I think the last motorcycle race there was in the mid or late 80's; a WERA event.

 

Obviously I wasn't there, but there can be a big difference between latching onto someone and the clumps of 10 trackday riders all over the place trying to pass each other while being stuck behind a CR or a really off-pace rider. The latter is not particularly fun, educational, and tends to be risky.

The thought of running Watkins on a bike makes me cringe. I've been a passenger in a car for a track day, but I'll take a hard pass on a bike.

 

Jennings is one of the few that runs their OWN trackdays... Im curious why would you wait to patronize TDW??
Also the tell tale signs of speed are how fast you get thru 2 & 12 plus your entry into 3. You would be suprised how far out people "let off" for 3... If youre lucky you might get to witness someone swooping 3-4...lol (depends on how much commitment you have approaching 3) Also you can pass a whole lotta folks in 6.

 

+1. I think i only roll off the gas and catch a downshift or 2 going into 3/4.

Just make sure somebody doesn't decide to fk your line up when you're coming through like a buzzsaw.

 

Yeah just found out they do their own track days at Jennings and will be doing those but I will be riding with TDW at other tracks and need to be evaluated for intermediate, yet again. I already called office asked to be moved up since I've already been evaluated 3x and approved for intermediate every time. I get the feeling they try to keep people in novice because intermediate get filled up first. I was evaluated and approved on my 2nd track day with STT then later they say I didn't ask to make it "Official" so I had to do it again. TDW did basically the same thing to me. This time I will raise my hand in the first class and ask to be put in group 1 and officially evaluated for the 4th freaking time.
Guess I'm gonna have to do this with N2 too

 

#3 is where the guy got life flighted out who was trying to block me from passing him. I kept showing him a wheel and he would speed up and go faster instead of letting me by, I passed him going into 3 so then he tries to pass me back late on the brakes and it didn't work out too good for him. He looked like a rag doll flopping around at 100+mph flipping end over end.

 

Or don’t ride with those groups. JGP let’s you pick and WERA just say’s go for it!

 

Was that in Nov?

 

A lot of it depends on what track day org you're riding with and what the passing rules are in the group you're in.

 

No just 3 weeks ago with STT. Shut the track down for over an hour. Was a young guy who had more ego than skill.
I raised my hand at the first class session and asked to be in group 1 and "officially" evaluated for intermediate so the instructor asked the whole class who else wants to be in group 1 and evaluated for intermediate. 6 others raised their hands, in the end only me and a girl got the bump. After I observed all of them riding that girl was the only other person that looked to have enough skill to be bumped. I'm surprised the others even asked IMO.

 

Funny, almost the same crash happened in Nov.

 

Problem is Jennings is the only track that does that in the SE? That I know of. I like to ride different tracks, ridden 4 so far; Atlanta, Tally, Barber and Jennings. Planning on some new ones next year; Roebling, CMP, NCM etc

 

You can run Roebling and CMP with WERA

 

That's how i've described a crash like that....the flying rag doll effect. Hopefully dude is ok and has learned something.

The guy that pancaked with me in 3/4 was ok....no ambulance ride, definitely over 100 mph when we hit. He was waaaaayyy off line on the outside of 4 and im making a straight line thru 3-5....As i'm going into the apex of 4, he comes over and we pancaked. He said my shadow/wheel spooked him and he grabbed the front brake and it threw him into the side of me.

 

I did see practice days listed on schedules with a race weekend, I figured that was just for racers. So I could ride with those guys during their race practice sessions?

Man I would not want to hinder guys practicing for a race, that would be my fear thinking about it.

 

Sounds like a NESBA story in the making...lol. I would just skip the BS of those other orgs and ride jennings until you can run a 26 right off the trailer with a hand on your hip or outlap.
I wont name orgs but Im amused when their control riders crash. Ive seen this too many times to list. Or if you can round up some friends do a private day. Its not bad $$ unless you want a weekend.