OK, this is how it went.
To start with, on the Thurs leading into the Race weekend, I booked in for a Training Day with the Club Riding Instructors. I figured to get as many tips as I could, not only about Rider Technique and Track Position, but also about tyre care/wear and suspension observation/feedback and adjustment. A big bonus was that Gary McCoy was one of my Instructors. It was a great experience talking bike and sharing the track with Gary. Make no mistake, on rider level, there was Gary (get your hand and raise it all the way above your head), then there was the rest of us (get your hand and wave it down real low, no shit). The other way cool thing we did, which is banned at every other track I've been to, is practice on track Race starts. I haven't done starts like this since I was at the Drags last. This exercise took some nerves away for when I was gridded up for my first ever Race start.
Friday was Track Day.
Now we get Lap Timers to put on the bike, supplied by the Club. I nominated myself in the Medium Group, but was bumped into Fast Group on Lap Times. This was my initiation to the smaller bikes (MOTO 3, Honda NSF and other 125 2 strokes & 250 singles) ridden by teenagers. Man, they rode around me in the corners. In fact they were up to 4 sec's a lap quicker than my quickest lap. From behind, it looked like they rode without brakes :jsm: I spent the day just going through brake, turn and throttle exercises. I was averaging around 1:31 a lap in my comfort zone.
Saturday.
3 Qualifying and 2 Races. This Race is not a graded Race, but one based on Lap Times for the whole field. So we went out in our nominated groups, only to be regrouped at the discretion of the Race Stuart. This is important, because those kids on the little bikes do laps in a different way to open class bikes. We pass them on the straights, they pass us in the corners, sooner or later, there would be a bingle. No one wants that. So even though they were faster, we would not ride in the same Race. They were given/got their own class. I managed to qualify in Group 1, which I was a bit nervous about. This Group has proper experienced graded riders in it. 16 riders fill the grid. I qualified 10th, and as part of the ruling, this is the grid position I would hold over all Races. I was now around 1:29 a lap, the front runners were running around 1:20 - 1:21.
Qualifying over, lets Race.
1st Race. 8 laps. Finished 12th. Fastest lap 1:28.097 on 2nd lap. Realed off the other 6 laps @ 1:28's. Consistent. Winner 1:19.963 Yamaha R6. Top 6 places all R6's.
2nd Race. 8 laps. Finished 15th.Fastest lap 1:28.029 on lap 3. Next lap I overshot turn one. Went out in the paddock (grass, no sand) for 16 sec's. Nearly crashed when the bike tank slapped when I applied the rear brake trying to stop before the tyre wall. Winner 1:19.662 Yamaha R6. Top 5 R6's.
Sunday
3rd Race. 7 Laps. Finished 11th. Fastest lap 1:27.727 on last lap. This was my best Race. Noticeable front tyre wear developing :wtf: Winner 1:19.775 R6. Top 5 places 600's.
4th Race. 9 laps. Finished 11th. Fastest lap 1:27.498 on the 4th lap. 5 laps @ 1:27. My fastest is now becoming consistant. Lap 6 had me nearly crash though. Turn 6 had me in knots, nearly throwing me over the handlebars. I had the rear out entering the corner, next minute it feels like I'm riding a Bull. It felt like I was bouncing on the front, then the rear. I don't know what happened, but it was a spectacular save, and must have been great viewing by Marshals, riders and spectators alike LOL. Tyre wear on the right side of the front tyre a worry now.
5th Race. 7 laps. Finished 15th. Fastest lap 1:27.467 on 2nd lap. It was all downhill after that. I felt the front folding in right hand corners :wtf: I tried to ignore it, but after burying the front on all the right handers, and the last sending me into a 2 wheel drift at full lean with pace, that was enough for me. Last lap leg out, I was coming in. Back to the pits, I had destroyed the right hand side of a brand new Pirelli Supercorsa SC2. 39 laps, rooted :wtf: The rear SC1 showed superb wear.
I will post the tyre pics in another section for discussion. But it ended my day, as I had to now sit out Race 6.
So how did I go? Great for a novice. I didn't crash (bloody nearly twice though), I didn't hit anybody, and I didn't get lapped. Qualifying and Racing in Group 1 exceeded my expectations.
It has given me confidence to partisipate in any of my Club Races. Interestingly, my times would have me back pack fodder for Group1 BEARS Racing. I'll never be a front runner, but seriously, I don't care, as that was never my goal.
So maybe I'll enter this year's BEARS round when they arrive from down south? I have another round of the Warwick Challenge Cup in October. Next year I may enter the Rookies Cup on an F3 :naughty: Who knows?
But I have to sort out my tyre wear issue first. Boy, am I learning............
Pic's are in the post from the track photographer. I'll post when I can
Oh yeah, it was cool after the race to have Marshals and spectators clapping you on your warm down lap back to the pits. You don't get that at Track Days :smoking:
PS. I also loved the static grid start and mad dash to the first corner, that was a BLAST!!!!
To start with, on the Thurs leading into the Race weekend, I booked in for a Training Day with the Club Riding Instructors. I figured to get as many tips as I could, not only about Rider Technique and Track Position, but also about tyre care/wear and suspension observation/feedback and adjustment. A big bonus was that Gary McCoy was one of my Instructors. It was a great experience talking bike and sharing the track with Gary. Make no mistake, on rider level, there was Gary (get your hand and raise it all the way above your head), then there was the rest of us (get your hand and wave it down real low, no shit). The other way cool thing we did, which is banned at every other track I've been to, is practice on track Race starts. I haven't done starts like this since I was at the Drags last. This exercise took some nerves away for when I was gridded up for my first ever Race start.
Friday was Track Day.
Now we get Lap Timers to put on the bike, supplied by the Club. I nominated myself in the Medium Group, but was bumped into Fast Group on Lap Times. This was my initiation to the smaller bikes (MOTO 3, Honda NSF and other 125 2 strokes & 250 singles) ridden by teenagers. Man, they rode around me in the corners. In fact they were up to 4 sec's a lap quicker than my quickest lap. From behind, it looked like they rode without brakes :jsm: I spent the day just going through brake, turn and throttle exercises. I was averaging around 1:31 a lap in my comfort zone.
Saturday.
3 Qualifying and 2 Races. This Race is not a graded Race, but one based on Lap Times for the whole field. So we went out in our nominated groups, only to be regrouped at the discretion of the Race Stuart. This is important, because those kids on the little bikes do laps in a different way to open class bikes. We pass them on the straights, they pass us in the corners, sooner or later, there would be a bingle. No one wants that. So even though they were faster, we would not ride in the same Race. They were given/got their own class. I managed to qualify in Group 1, which I was a bit nervous about. This Group has proper experienced graded riders in it. 16 riders fill the grid. I qualified 10th, and as part of the ruling, this is the grid position I would hold over all Races. I was now around 1:29 a lap, the front runners were running around 1:20 - 1:21.
Qualifying over, lets Race.
1st Race. 8 laps. Finished 12th. Fastest lap 1:28.097 on 2nd lap. Realed off the other 6 laps @ 1:28's. Consistent. Winner 1:19.963 Yamaha R6. Top 6 places all R6's.
2nd Race. 8 laps. Finished 15th.Fastest lap 1:28.029 on lap 3. Next lap I overshot turn one. Went out in the paddock (grass, no sand) for 16 sec's. Nearly crashed when the bike tank slapped when I applied the rear brake trying to stop before the tyre wall. Winner 1:19.662 Yamaha R6. Top 5 R6's.
Sunday
3rd Race. 7 Laps. Finished 11th. Fastest lap 1:27.727 on last lap. This was my best Race. Noticeable front tyre wear developing :wtf: Winner 1:19.775 R6. Top 5 places 600's.
4th Race. 9 laps. Finished 11th. Fastest lap 1:27.498 on the 4th lap. 5 laps @ 1:27. My fastest is now becoming consistant. Lap 6 had me nearly crash though. Turn 6 had me in knots, nearly throwing me over the handlebars. I had the rear out entering the corner, next minute it feels like I'm riding a Bull. It felt like I was bouncing on the front, then the rear. I don't know what happened, but it was a spectacular save, and must have been great viewing by Marshals, riders and spectators alike LOL. Tyre wear on the right side of the front tyre a worry now.
5th Race. 7 laps. Finished 15th. Fastest lap 1:27.467 on 2nd lap. It was all downhill after that. I felt the front folding in right hand corners :wtf: I tried to ignore it, but after burying the front on all the right handers, and the last sending me into a 2 wheel drift at full lean with pace, that was enough for me. Last lap leg out, I was coming in. Back to the pits, I had destroyed the right hand side of a brand new Pirelli Supercorsa SC2. 39 laps, rooted :wtf: The rear SC1 showed superb wear.
I will post the tyre pics in another section for discussion. But it ended my day, as I had to now sit out Race 6.
So how did I go? Great for a novice. I didn't crash (bloody nearly twice though), I didn't hit anybody, and I didn't get lapped. Qualifying and Racing in Group 1 exceeded my expectations.
It has given me confidence to partisipate in any of my Club Races. Interestingly, my times would have me back pack fodder for Group1 BEARS Racing. I'll never be a front runner, but seriously, I don't care, as that was never my goal.
So maybe I'll enter this year's BEARS round when they arrive from down south? I have another round of the Warwick Challenge Cup in October. Next year I may enter the Rookies Cup on an F3 :naughty: Who knows?
But I have to sort out my tyre wear issue first. Boy, am I learning............
Pic's are in the post from the track photographer. I'll post when I can
Oh yeah, it was cool after the race to have Marshals and spectators clapping you on your warm down lap back to the pits. You don't get that at Track Days :smoking:
PS. I also loved the static grid start and mad dash to the first corner, that was a BLAST!!!!