Track Day This Weekend

[mehush]

A friend has reignited my desire to do a few track days. He used to club race many years ago. I went with he and his son for my first time in years about 2 months ago. I haven't done much performance riding the last 5 years or so and it showed. I was a little nervous the first two sessions but, by lunch time I was riding with confidence. By the end of the day I was riding with some aggression but lap times were pretty slow. I am riding a 600cc bike now, used to do the track on a 1000cc machine. There is a huge difference. The smaller bike requires a lot more attention to make power while the bigger bike made big power everywhere.

The plan is to go again this coming weekend. I am hoping for a better start to the day this time. The last time, we arrived on Sunday afternoon to ride on Monday. We arrived at the track to find a rider being airlifted out. His brand new Ducati was destroyed and sitting just across from our pit location. It was a sobering reminder of what can happen, and played a role in my having a tentative start the following day. Hopefully this weekend will be less dramatic.

[CHARLIE]

Good luck and have fun ( I'm sure you will) I wish I could do a track day but I don't have a track bike and my insurance would be null-void
as soon as I rode thru the gate. This kind of sux being there are 2 tracks right near where I live.

[mehush]

Good luck and have fun ( I'm sure you will) I wish I could do a track day but I don't have a track bike and my insurance would be null-void
as soon as I rode thru the gate. This kind of sux being there are 2 tracks right near where I live.

My first two track days were on a ZZR.

Just don't wreck.

[BIG O]

Have fun Mike and be sure to take some pics

[mehush]

Sunday turned out to be a good day at the track. Had to overcome some obstacles to get there but, it all came good in the end.

I started much better than I did a few months ago. That being my first track day in many years. I missed the first session and almost decided not to ride at all. Issues began with not getting more than 2 hours of sleep the night before. Then left home without my wallet and had to back for it. Then no cash on hand for the gate girl. Trackside temp at 9am was about 40 degrees, damn cold for this southern blood.Then, at the riders meeting the track officials were furious with the way guys were riding the day before and threatened to toss anyone that made even the slightest infraction. But my buddy talked me into unloading and registering despite all the bad sign. Glad he did.

The day warmed quickly and so did my riding. Unlike previously, I was running decent speed right out of the gate. By the end of the day I was ready bump up to intermediate group but held back, not wanting to press my bad luck. Still not back to riding like I did years ago but, felt really good about the day. My mind was feeling good, but my body was another story. Loading up and making the 3 hour drive home was about all I could manage. Had to work yesterday, so the unloading was left till this morning. All put away now. In it's place on back of my p/u is my dirt bike. Gonna go test these old bones again tomorrow.

[mehush]

Sorry Mike. No pics. My camera girl called out sick.

[BIG O]

Sorry Mike. No pics. My camera girl called out sick.

Don't forget your wallet next time

[BIG O]

Glad you had a good day Mike.

Still gotta be easier than riding a dirt bike?