Ruin your time at a track day not mine.... Small Rant

[388]

Let me start off by stating that 1. I am not an expert racer or claim to be
2. And not affiliated with any track day organization.
With that said, looking back on this year I noticed at both Jersey events I rode blue group in, a rider crashed in front of me after making a pass going into turn 4 on the first 9am group!! Now granted I am riding a 68 hp bike but that should make it all the easier to pass me on any of the nice straights... Once I switched over to black group for both days, no more issues.
Please, if this rant helps one person only, don't flipping ride over your head on a track day as the day you ruin could be someone else. Both times they were very nice bikes in street trim and remained parked for the weekend with significant damage. When they say to take it easy in the morning group meeting, it's for a good reason. They don't give refunds for crashing.

[jwm2k3]

Yeah....you fuckin sons o bitches...

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted

They should give refunds for crashing. That's bull shit.

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted

Moral of the story: everyone should ride in black.

[Garandman]

Moral of the story: everyone should ride in black.

Note to self: Must. Not. Crash. Must. Not. Crash.

[csmutty]

Note to self: Must. Not. Crash. Must. Not. Crash.

Especially since you were following a girl haha. A girl who is a very good rider...but still

[Kurlon]

Especially since you were following a girl haha. A girl who is a very good rider...but still

He was practicing target fixation.

[OreoGaborio]

He was practicing target fixation.

Wouldn't you?

Good point by the OP though... I see FAR too many crashes early in the day. Most of the times it's just people being over-eager to get out there & up to speed as quickly as possible. YA GOT THE WHOLE DAY, FOLKS! No reason to bust a nut so quick!

One of the reasons why racing doesn't start until afternoon isn't JUST because practice is in the morning (though that's obviously a big part), but because the track is still cool. Just because you gave your tires time to come up to temp doesn't mean that they are. Even if they are, you've still got a cool track surface & that's not working in your favor.

So the real moral of the story (besides everyone should ride in black) is keep the dial set to 8 or 9 in the early sessions. There's a lot more to warm up than just your tires... The track, your suspension, your MIND, your BODY... all of these need to be working together at "operating temp" to keep yer hide off the tarmac.

[nhbubba]

Wait, there is a black group?!?

[G21forme]

That's racist!

[GingahNinjah]

Dont worry Bubba you didnt miss anything down at NJMP they run a fourth, black, group that they dont run up here at NHMS

[NPDCPA]

What's a "morral"?

[OreoGaborio]

It's like a moral, but rides on a higher horrse

[Garandman]

He was practicing target fixation.

[TTD]

It really baffles me when it's on day one of a two day event!

You have 16 sessions coming to you! Maybe the first one is not the time to push it?

[Jim]

i try to win every track day.
it's good practice to go 'balls out' in the first session to let everyone know YOU MEAN BUSINESS.

[SteveM]

It's like a moral, but rides on a higher horrse

...in a fancier corral




or is that coral?

[SteveM]

Slightly off-topic, but I'll never forget meeting this young dude who had just wadded up his CBR1000 on the Dragon at 10:00AM of the first day of a week long trip with his buds from Miami.

After helping get him and his bike up and making sure he was OK, I asked if I could take a picture and he seemed genuinely proud of himself for "winning" the race.

[nhbubba]

...seemed genuinely proud of himself...

I wasn't there, in fact I've never been there. But I wonder if he just wasn't resigned to the fact that what is done is done. Can't unwad the bike and no injuries inflicted, so you might as well have some fun with the situation. Beats pissing and moaning about it.

[backinthesaddle]

i try to win every track day.
it's good practice to go 'balls out' in the first session to let everyone know YOU MEAN BUSINESS.

LOL I like to set the tone by winnnig the race with my buddies from the red roof to the track. Heck I like to beat them to the continental breakfast.

[Paul_E_D]

While all of this is true to some extent, I think it's important not to judge people too harshly for falling. EVERY time you lean a bike over, there is a chance of crashing. Period. We have all done it, and we've all been caught by surprise at how quickly the expected physics involved can fail you. There are MANY factors at play, and controlling them all is not always possible. Doesn't mean the rider is stupid, or unskilled necessarily. Perhaps just unlucky.

[timmyho414]

Slightly off-topic, but I'll never forget meeting this young dude who had just wadded up his CBR1000 on the Dragon at 10:00AM of the first day of a week long trip with his buds from Miami.

After helping get him and his bike up and making sure he was OK, I asked if I could take a picture and he seemed genuinely proud of himself for "winning" the race.

funny, similar thing happened to me a Deals Gap. There was a bike on a trail all smashed, I was talking to the kid and I asked how the rider was. The kid said "I'm fine". I ask if I could take a picture. He smiled for it.

[Garandman]

A track day last year was responsible for my most destructive crash yet.

I knocked the Tiger off the race stand, and it fell over into the V-Strom's Jesse bags, putting a crease in the tank before knocking the V-Strom over and bending both bags.

If there had been a 2012 "Fail" competition, "I coulda been a contender."

[SteveM]

I wasn't there, in fact I've never been there. But I wonder if he just wasn't resigned to the fact that what is done is done. Can't unwad the bike and no injuries inflicted, so you might as well have some fun with the situation. Beats pissing and moaning about it.

My bet is that the adrenaline was still rushing. His buddies, who did not crash, did not look pleased at the prospect of wasting the day getting him towed and then dragging this third wheel around for a week.

It's a bit like this topic, there is stupid that only affects you and stupid that affects the experience of others you should care about.

This kid told me the lead guy hit the brakes coming into a corner, he was second, squeezed too hard and drove right across the double yellow into the ditch and rock wall. The third guy followed the second into the ditch, but had given himself enough space to basically roll it in and not damage the bike.

My wife's comment on the story was, "Of course he was smiling, I'm sure his parents will have another bike shipped up from Miami the same day."

[jwm2k3]

Ummm......Yeah, you fuckin sons o bitches