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Barreling down the front straight I grab 6th gear at 144 mph just as I cross the start finish line. I can see the reference cones for the braking area in T1 on the left edge of the track coming up ahead of me, and I glance down just before I enter the braking zone and see my speedo reading 157 MPH. A quick dance on the shifter while braking and I’ve downshifted 2 gears and enjoy the advantage the slipper clutch on my 636 allows as I trail brake into the apex of T1.
The T1 corner is a bit deceiving as it looks much sharper from your point of view coming down the front stretch than it actually is. The only trickiness to it is that there is some sand from the inside curbing, which is the outside curbing from pit out that is drifting into the apex. The corner workers continually sweep the area throughout the day.
As the corner opens up on exit, I’m hard on the gas and my trajectory has me heading towards the outside edge, perfect for the setup of another deceiving corner (T2), which from this angle appears to be an almost impossibly sharp right with a fairly sharp elevation that blocks my view of the exit. One downshift as I tip in for T2, and one must be trusting that the track is actually going to be there at the top of the rise since you can’t see a thing except the top of the incline at the apex. But the track opens up nicely on exit. The trick here is to get the bike turned in, and get right back on the throttle over the rise to carry your speed all the way to the entrance of the T3, 4, 5 chicane. As I enter the right hander (T3) and I am pleasantly surprised at the speed I can carry through here and find the chicane to be very smooth and flowing taken in 3rd. Bend it left for T4, then right again for T5 as the elevation drops away quickly, aiding my acceleration, and I grab 4th gear again heading up the short, but steep hill. At the top of the hill the front comes up without effort and leads me directly into the T6 dogleg right. Try not to hit the brakes here as again, the turn looks like a 90 degree right, but is really just a dogleg. I chop the throttle to drop the front, turn in, and am right back on the throttle before the apex.
One down shift as I brake for T7. I can see the bleachers on the right side of the track actually have a few people in them. T7 is a 3rd gear left where time can be made by getting on the gas soon and carry the drive. There is plenty of room on exit as the corner relly opens up to carry the momentum. It is here that I spy Hobbs (yes, that Hobbs) up ahead, looking back at me in that “catch me if you can, fucker” kinda way. A clear challenge that does not go unnoticed, he tucks in and passes a guy as he approaches the turn in for T8.
A right hander, T8 is fast…..4th gear fast for me, with full lean, two lines and plenty of exit room all the way down into the next braking zone. I opt for the late turn in line, all the better to aid my drive toward Hobbs. That little 620 he’s on is handling well, and his corner speed in a couple corners is much higher than mine. But as we enter the loooooonnnnnnggggg right hand carousel turn, I am constantly reminded of the instructor sighting laps we had first thing in the morning to find the line when he was behind me entering this corner. He had front row seats all the way around as he witnessed me accelerate through the corner only to run out room at the other end, and head right off the track. At least it gave me a chance to notice that although there is no grass on the edge of the track, there has been hydro seed planted
Dividends. Funny thing about dividends; it’s difficult to appreciate the little things you do to reap them until you do something completely boneheaded which outlines your wrongdoings. Like not paying attention. And assuming that this corner will remain at a constant radius, which, unfortunately for me, it does not. And by the far end of the carousel, I had found the line…..and I wasn’t on it.
Here’s the trick to getting around the carousel: As you turn in, hit the apex, then get right back on the gas and head to the outside. As you run around the outside 3 feet from the edge, you’ll notice first one, then another small “x” on the asphalt identifying where you ideally want to be. From there, you’ll notice the second turn in cone coming around first on your right, then directly in front of you (This cone is actually on the left side of the track). At this point stand the bike up and brake hard, look far to the right to find the second apex, and accelerate through. Taking this corner anywhere inside of the mid point will greatly increase risk as the track tightens up at the far end. I carried 4th all the way around accelerating until the second “x”, then downshifting before I turned into the second apex.
I’m within striking distance of Hobbs as I exit the carousel at full lean and set up for a mid track entrance to T10. The T10 sweeping left had patches all the way through it. As I enter, I’m the outside of the patches and stay there until about mid way through the turn, then turn in to the curbing and begin standing the bike up as I drive off the corner. The drive off this corner is the beginning of the run to the long front stretch, so it’s imperative to get a good launch here.
I’m about 5 bike lengths behind Hobbs now up shifting and holding the throttle wide open, his little 620 twin getting through the last two corners faster than I, but I’m gaining now as we go through the quick right/left transition and head under the bridge. Approaching from the left side of the track, I’ve grabbed another two gears and I’m looking at the sharp right hander in front of me that leads onto front stretch. I bend in, Hobbs just a bike length in front. At the apex I finally have to juice to glance down at my speedo and see an indicated 125 glaring back at me. Christ this track is fast. I pull out of the draft and pass Hobbs, who thankfully, is only on the 620. I up shift to 6th once again at 144mph as I cross start finish.
All in all, Thunderbolt is a fantastic track. If you’ve been to VIR it is similar, but at VIR, as Kevin put it, the fast sections are faster, and the slow sections are slower. It’s an outstanding facility, with an outstanding staff. In fact, while we were there (yesterday) they had erected the framework for another metal building, and the painters were there painting the garages.
The Pennsylvania Posse (corner workers) did an incredible job, and as fast as this track is, there was only two crashes – one due to cold tires at the far end of the carousel and the other a low side in T2 due to rider error.
Thanks to Fishtail and to the NYC Ducati club for inviting us down – you guys are great. We’ll see you next year.
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Originally Posted by jtaylor719
