When Did You Decide To Race?

Just curious as to where everyone was at in there riding before you decided to go racing. I know some just went straight to racing w/out doing any trackdays whereas others did the trackday thing first. For the trackday guys did you wait until you got into a certain group before racing? Please share the pros and cons (if any) from the route you decided to take.

 

Early 90's, rode street for a few years before that. Sold my F2 and bought an FZR 400. Prepped it over the winter and took my new rider's school at BIR with the CRA. No trackdays back then.

 

Raced offroad and MX for a long time (15 years +/-). Started riding local backroads again as I slowed down the offroad stuff and after a few too many near misses took up track days. Had a blast at track days and with the urging of a few friends who were racing with WERA I decided to get my race license and try my hand at road racing. Never realy cared if I was the fastest guy out there but feel that I ride pretty well. In my years of offroad I saw far too many riders who never stepped up to the line, and regretted not racing later on in life. They have just as many aches and pains as I do, just no plastic...

The few races I did last year were both a blast and a real eye opener. Still a tossup whether I prefer Trackdays or racing, but I plan to run several NC V7 events this year to help figure it out. For whatever reason (mainly age) I just can't seem to get my head into racing, but I expect a little more experience will change that.

 

I had been doing track days for a few years to the point where I was eventually feeling like I could scoot pretty well around a track. At that point I thought it would be fun to take it to the next level, so I went to WSMC's new racer school. Been racing for 4 years now.

 

Standing in front of a judge and being told my fine for 142mph in a 45mph was $351.51. Never looked back.

 

Awesome.

 

I'd been doing trackdays forever, starting when I got a free trackday/school with Team Hammer after buying a '96 GSXR 750. Always loved the speed and was really into going fast on the track. Wanted to try racing, but frankly I was a little intimidated by the process at the time as I didn't know too many racers. So I kept doing trackdays, progressing to 'advanced' and pushing my riding in that environment.

Around 2007 I met a dude from here who talked me into taking a race school he was teaching. This was after I'd had a couple of close calls during trackdays that were starting to put a damper on my fun; too many folks daydreaming and over-riding their skills during sessions, nearly taking me out a couple of times. As such I figured I'd give racing a try, since I was told it was a more 'focused' kind of riding with more like-minded people involved. Took the school, and after completing my first race weekend my only regret was having waited so long...

One thing I'll say based upon my experience is that racing has provided much more valuable tracktime to me then any trackday ever could. The folks are much more down to earth (believe it or not, race paddocks feel less competitive to me then trackdays filled with 'heroes'), and much more willing to help each other out. Racers want to see other racers race - even their competition. More importantly for me, the riders racing are much more focused with their riding. They're not thinking about what size latte they're gonna get from Starbucks later on while tipping into a turn and lollygagging out with some crazy line.

My opinion is, if you're comfortable with your bike and the track environment, you own it to yourself to try racing - regardless of your competitive desires. I was never a truly competitive person, but I've come to enjoy it to an extent as it's driven me to push myself harder and learn more then I ever would have doing trackdays.

 

^^^ well said.

 

I actually happened to catch a MotoGP race on TV a couple years ago. I had never owned a motorcycle and didn't know how to ride, didn't know any of the riders. But I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Two months later I bought my first sportbike with the expressed purpose of racing. Tried to do a trackday the second week I had it and the organizers told me I needed to get more comfortable on the bike. I probably didn't sound very confident on the phone. Did one track day, then took Ed Bargys school, 6 mos and three bikes after the initial puchase and ~8 mos after seeing the race. I had a race license when I was still riding nov in nesba track days.

I think getting to the track so quickly kept me from learning bad habits that had to be unlearned later. And getting to a school on the second weekend for sure helped alot in that regard. Get out there, the sooner the better. If racing is what you want to do, go do it.

 

First time I rode a motorcycle was at an MSF class. I was 35. Was so hooked I promptly went out and bought a Kawi ZX7-R.

Rode that and then an R1 for a year or two in the canyons and worked my ass off on technique, etc. Then started incorporating occasional track days. One year I did over 30 track days.

Almost 4 years to the day that I first threw a leg over a bike, I was racing my R1 straight to levels of fame and fortune reserved only for a select few.

Anyway, woulda happened faster but working full time meant I only really got to ride on weekends.

 

i am in the minority... havent raced as of yet, but i attend my first new racers school on th 22nd of jan. anyway, i decided to race because im a competitive guy, and i hate going to track days with my friends, keeping mental tabs of who is fast and who isnt and comparing myself. i want to see what the talent pool is really like (chances, are, ill be the small fish at the deep end). anyway, after two seasons of trackdays, i want to try the next level.

 

Was the late 80's, track days were not invented yet. Had a friend that liven in another city that raced and it sounded like fun.

Had never ridden a street bike (lots of dirtbike), went and bought a bike in March, got my learner street license, rode a few hundred street miles and did the new racer school about a month later. Went in my first race the day after the new racer school with a total of about 1000 miles of riding experience.

Why? Watching Rainey and Schwantz on TV and it just looked sooo dam fun I had to try it!.

No track days back then, we had it rough! ....

 

In 1989. Video taped the World Superbike Series on ESPN that year. I was an idoit on the street with crushed pop cans duc taped to my knees (seriously!). Went with a buddy to the BIR WSBK event in 1989. Camped right in the middle of the paddock in a pickuptruck with a covered wagon tent in the back of it. Noboby cared! Woke up to the sound of WSBK racebikes warming up every morning. Bought a used racebike (600 Hurricane) that weekend from out of the paddock and started racing a few weeks later. No such thing as a track day back then.. **and they are not needed now to start racing..go to your local race clubs race school and start racing!!! I've been racing ever since and have not looked back!

 

SoCal, you doin ChuckWalla 22nd/23rd?

 

Always room for improvement, I'm going to give racing a shot this year I've learned a lot about riding in general this year.

 

Serious question Vinny. What have you learned this year that you feel that you're ready to race? What class are you considering?

I'm considering trying my hand in vintage.

 

After watching a production class race at Loudon, consisted of RD350/400's only, I wired up my RD400 street bike... 1978

 

Went racing the as soon as I could afford it.

As for when I decided that it's something I wanted to do? I dabbled between car and motorcycle racing interest as a young 'un but seeing a WSB race on TV back in late '95 sealed the deal. For some reason it made a huge impression on me and I was obsessed with it from then on.

 

Street racing on a Friday night (raining....what a dumb ass!) in Houston,TX. Me and another guy (no idea who he was) left the green light has a city cop arrived...i peeled off to the left and figured the cop would follow the other guy. WRONG...at that point i was committed to stupidity. Afew times around the block and i time between the buildings of an apartment complexed showed the cop was having too much fun staying with me......anyway it didn't end well.....Friend told me about CRRC, and away we went. I stayed off the street for many years and only rode at the track. That was in the 80's. I moved to the mountains of North Carolina and found myself riding way to fast for public roads but i loves the constant curves. After 20 some years of not racing i realized it was time to get back to the track before "stupid" showed back up. Never done a track day and have no interest in it. I love the WERA family and love helping people race.

 

Any chance you did that at Summit Point? That's where I cashed in my Team Hammer coupon from my 96. Destroyed the bike in a wicked tank slapper on the street before I could make it to the track. As a matter of fact, I was on my way to the dealership to pick up a back protector for my first track day.

Anyway, I did a couple of seasons of track days, too scared to go racing. Finally bought a race-ready street/track bike and followed my racing buddy to Loudon.