first track day, first impressions LONG READ

so im back from my first track day ever.. at Putnam road course.. Thanks again NESBA for the free track day!!

i will say i was a bit nervous before getting to the track, not knowing what to expect, running things through in my head from the keith code dvd... etc etc

The rider meeting was basic, do and donts..
the beginner meeting was a little more informative, but quite alot of info to take in, especially in 20 min or so, and im not really adaptive to listening to somone teach versus seeing it first hand, so the info did me only little good.

feedback and correction on the other hand i can adapt to if someone tells me (we will get into that in a bit)

ok, so it rained till like 6:30 am which was when the gates opened.. and i mean it poured from like 3 am till till that time.

so needless to say the track conditions for a first timer were less than desireable.

i actually sat out the first session per a NESBA guys suggestion.. told me for my first time ever at a track i might want to let the track dry out, especially since i was on dot race tires without warmers.

2nd session
my first time on the track... i was overwhelmed.. sensory overload, so much to think about in little time, trying to follow the CR's (control rider) line, look for my turn in point, turn in, look at my apex, head for it, look for my exit, slow throttle out of the corner when the bike starts to come out of a lean a bit.

it was so much to think about at one time, i fell back in the pack and my pace was slow... then i didnt have a CR to follow, i was by myself. i was braking to much, to early, my throttle was choppy, i was turning in to early, or to late, i just felt humbled.

after pitting i felt very very humbled, overwhelmed, intimidated. i dont consider myself a great rider by any means, but i though i was a pretty decent rider. after the first session i felt like i had just gotten on a bike.

i went and talked with one of the CR's and asked him for pointers, suggestions etc.. he was never behind me though, so he really had nothing for me. but said that next session he would tow me along a lap, then get behind me to see how i was doing.

2nd session, as he said , the CR lead me around, i tried to follow his line and pace as best i could, while not fixating on him, and keeping my eyes on the track , looking through the turns.

i felt more comfortable this time out, track was more dry, i felt looser, but i still wasnt smooth at all, and i was still heavy on the brakes, and trying to make up ground on the straights.

after a lap he got behind me and followed me for a few laps.
after pitting i went back to him and we talked, he said i looked comfortable on the bike, and didnt see much wrong (didnt feel that way to me ) he did say i was turning in to a few turns late, as were alot of the other riders.

the rest of the day, i dont think i got any better, faster than my 2nd session, i was still heavy on the brakes at times, and not smooth with the throttle. my main goal after the 2nd session was to try and correct that as much as i could, it got better but it needs alot of work still. and i was also working on locking myself on the bike with my lower body, and keeping my upper body really lose. it was kind of nerve racking at times, and i felt my grip getting tighter on the bars, so id make myself lock in and loosen up.

id probably say i was one of the worst riders in beginner group .. just alot of shit at one time lol.

my big problem is confidence in the bike and myself i guess. i know i can go faster trough the turns, but i think i come in to hot and i brake, which im not to hot, i just think it. ill have t just keep working on increasing my entry speed, and corner speed a little bit at a time.

all the other riders there are great, alot of nice folks who asked how i was doing, and after i told them it was my first time ever, and how i felt about how i was doing, they gave me a reassuring "i was there once" or "we all started out there before"

as for NESBA.. nice people, willing to help anyone. I think more control riders could have been in the beginner class. its hard to follow a line of the CR if there is 3 people in front of you then the CR.. you have to follow someone elses line when your learning which may or may not be right. which im sure happened to some people who may have followed me at some points

nearing the end of the day it started to mist a quite a bit, and on my last session first lap trying to get the tires up to temp the bike was kinda getting sketchy in the turns, so i made anther lap and grip was better but the back slid out on me a little bit in one turn kind puckered my butt... visor was getting fogged up as well, so i called it a day.

do i like track days? absolutley
i just need to be patient and keep learning as i go...
id love to have a one on one instructor instead of trying to learn with 15 other people at the same time.


if you havent ridden on the track i suggest you try it out.. very humbling experience, and you really get to know yourself and the bike, alot of your riding flaws will pop out and youll then be able to learn how to work on them. dont get discouraged though, it will just take time, you want be rossi on your first track day :wink:

 

Bike looks good after the work you did to it. Yea a track can be intimidating but it will humble you no matter how good you might be on the street. Seeing you basically got that part out of the way. Here's a few pointers for you.

Half of racing is MENTAL. Yes in your head. Confidence helps. The biggest part is keeping your mind way out in front of the bike. The faster you go the farther out it has to be. As you start to enter a corner you glance towards the apex and look at the exit. When your out of the corner your looking at the next corner entrance. Unless you have a long straight a way. Then you can relax for a second or two.

ALWAYS get your braking done just prior to the entrance of the corner. Notice those number markers before some of the corners. Those are braking markers that you use to judge your distance or time to the entrance. Your bike should be set towards the apex at the entance of most corners. The main thing is to carry your speed thru the corner. Using throttle or brake DRAG to keep your line. Just before or at the apex is when you want to be ROLLING the power on. The main thing is to carry your speed thru and out of the corner. Easy in Hard out.

You never really set on the seat! All your weight should be on the pegs supported by your legs. Straights excluded. Your shoulders over the bars (area). This way you can lean/pitch the bike with ease to stay on your line with minor adjustments. Hanging off helps the faster you go. I must say here it's very over rated by most. It's only part of the equation not most of it as some think. Only use one or two (I perfer) fingers on the brake and clutch levers. Learn to feather the brakes. This helps in mid corner adjustments. I light touch is all that's needed. Don't hang on to the bars. Lightly lay your hands on top with thumb around bottom. Caress those things not ham fist them.

There are really only three types of corners you have to learn and they are:

1. A corner at the end of a straight
2. A corner at the beginning of a straight
3. A corner between corners

I'm sure you know a few of the books out there to read, so do that of coarse. Learn how to take corners more than just how to race a motorcycle. Learn how to spot the apex. Where to start to setup for the apex and what to do if you have to change the apex in the same corner for some reason. Which there will be. Don't use the rear brake! It will get you into big trouble most of the time. Learn how to modulate your front brakes from being able to JAB, not JAMB, them on and how to feather them. You can be using the front brakes (feathering) and be accelerating at the same time. Use your braking technique to set the suspension prior to corners and sometimes in mid corner.

Over all go out there with a clear head, and an attitude of having fun for starters. Things will start to fall in to place after that. Don't worry about the speed. It will come with more seat time. That's not the most import thing when starting out. Learning corners is where it's at. Good luck and have tons of fun.

 

excellent read, and I remember it well. Keep plugging and as a suggestion I would recommend you use each session to figure out/explore one thing: whether it be braking, relaxing, apex, line, throttle - your choice, but 1 thing. Given your writeup and that you know Code from Superbike School. I would suggest relaxing and turn-in points. Jamming brakes is a sign.

NESBA is a great place to explore/expand your skills. Keep on truckin, love the club!

 

One thing that may be helpful is something the Keith Code school does on the first couple of sessions: no brakes. You have to ride at a slow enough speed that you don't need your brakes going into the corners. Their theory is that it takes away a distraction and allows you to really focus on the corner. I think it really helped me a lot. I don't know if the format of the NESBA events would allow it.

-Mark

 

I will be in your shoes soon hoblick.

Thanks for the detailed write up about your experience.

 

it was actually discussed on the NESBA board just last week. Not a good idea as not everyone has the same idea of what "learning" is and the closing speeds in a no brakes drill would be very dangerous unless everyone in the group was aware you were doing it.

here is the thread: No brakes and no shifting drill - NESBA TrackTalk Forum

 

Awesome hoblick.

Welcome to the addiction and NESBA is a great track day org. Too bad you don't live closer. Would be great to pit with you and ride together in B-group.

And hoblick, every street rider 'thinks' they are good rider... that is until they do their first track day LOL!

I realized how much I sucked as a rider and continue to suck, but with each track day I suck just a little bit less.

BZ

 

I've never been in a real race, but as a turn worker at SearsPoint I had many hours of track time over a ten year period. It is fun as heck.

 

Nice post Hoblick! You were right to sit out the first session, I chose to give it a go, took it REALLY easy and still got the "pucker" a couple of times. If I see you out there I'll stop by and say hello.
P.S. I'm the green pickup in the background of you picture.