Firstly, let me say a HUGE thank you to Tony, and his crew for arranging this event. Secondly, to the instructors who ALWAYS had useful knowledge to pass on and were about the friendliest bunch you could hope for. Thirdly to the cornerworkes for their long hours picking up our messes. When I pay for service, its not too often that I find myself wanting to thank those that provided it, unless it was something truly phenomenal, which this trackday was.

As a first timer at a two wheeled trackday, my main goal for the day was just to learn the line around the track and to explore my own personal limits on a bike (while hopefully learning how to handle my bike better). I can definitely say, I met my own goals for the day.

I didn't go into the day thinking I would be fast at all, and I tried to treat the track exactly as Tony said: "the best new set of twisties you know". Of the red group, I think there were only two riders who I passed consistently, so at least I didn't feel like I was the slowest out there, not that that is too terribly important.

In general, I had no desire to be hammering on the throttle and seeing how fast my bike would go, since I well know that, and given that so many in my group were faster than me in the corners, I didn't want to be holding them up by screaming through the straights, and then backing them up in the corners.

After the classroom session (good stuff Ken, much appreciated as good way to set the mindset for the day), it was out to the follow the leader sessions. Luckily for me, Degs was leading my session, and he was really very good about keeping an eye out behind him and giving me some direction... also, due to the size of our FTL group, I got two laps behind him (since I was the first one out behind him), which really helped me out. I am still amazed that anyone can ride the track with one hand, while looking behind them almost all the way around it... I bet some of the instructors could ride the track with their teath and a blindfold!

During the first session out, someone crashed (was that the session elaine's sprocket came off?) and we headed back in early. During my second session out, I crashed right in turn 3. I want to say a BIG apology to those who were in the red group who's session was cut short due to me

Luckily, I do think I learned something from that crash. I know exactly what happened, and why. Coming into turn 3, firstly I turned in too late, after that, instead of looking through the turn, and leaning it over further/rolling on the throttle, I caught sight of the approaching gravel/curb, and I couldn't stop staring at it! As a result, I chopped off the throttle (mistake number 1), and low and behold, just like they tell you in MSF, the bike stood up! After that, it was all downhill... Seeing that I was going into the gravel, I grabbed some brake to slow me down, but unfortunately I was still holding it when I hit the gravel. The front wheel dug in, and I lost it. By the time the bike and me went over I couldn't have been going that fast, so I was quite lucky. Unfortunately, with the bike on its side, oil started pouring out the crankcase breather... Thankfully, it was in the gravel, not on the track surface itself.

It took me another session to clean the bike up, and get some more oil. Luckily for me I had a) already attached the crankcase breather hose to its own seperate filter (otherwise that oil would have poured into my airbox, ending the day for me), and b) another TT owner who was there, had a great temp fix for the crankcase breather seal that had went. Attach a catch bottle to hold any oil that continued to piss out of there. After a little cleanup, I was back on the track.

Needless to say, that little offing shook me up a bit, so the next session I was a little shaky. I had to FORCE myself to look all the way through turn 3, even though my brain was saying "YOU DOLT THERES TIRES AND GRAVEL AND AAAAAAH". After that session immediately after my offing, I gradually regained more and more confidence throughout the remainder of the day.

I wasn't out to drag a knee or anything, but I did discover with my wide ass feet that I can drag a toe every time through the bowl, which was startling at first but still nifty. Now I need to get boots with toe sliders since I ground a good cm off the sole of my left boot. I came into the track day with about a cm of virgin rubber on the sides of my tires, I left the trackday with gooey sticky balled up rubber on the sides of my tires, so I definitely leaned it over further than I have before.

My top speed for the day was in the ballpark of 100 down the front straight, on the rare occassion that I had to pass someone (like I said earlier, there were only two riders in red group that I consistently passed).

By the end of the day, I was beat up and exhausted, but feelin great and really wishing there were more trackdays this year since I have so much more to learn...

I'd like to say that the food was great, but my mind was racing and I didn't even get a chance to try any of it, but it sure looked real good.

OK, blathered on enough. What a freaking blast, about sums it up for me.

Cheers,
Chris