But it wasn't my fault

[timmyho414]

if by "group 1" you mean "group 1" and not "first practice" you prove my point.

if by group 1 you mean first practice I also disagree.

Like Pete said, there is no point in running around that far off pace unless you had mechanical issues and were giving a shake down. Even if that were the case, you'd know it's fixed within a lap or 2 and your back on pace or you need to get off the track.

[Jim]

i was referring to my 1st lap of 1st practice in the 1st group.
after lap 1, i ride more on a track day pace.
practice session #2 for my group, i ride more of a slightly less race pace.

[tsorfas]

Fuck practice one. This might be the only crash Jim was not responsible for at all.

[Jim]

Fuck practice one. This might be the only crash Jim was not responsible for at all.

yes, because the guy hitting my brake lever in T1 was my fault too

[k_cotter]

I haven't had a problem in group one practice, and generally skip first practice because it's normally a very different ambient temperature / track temp from race time and doesn't help me for the races that day. (Plus I'm a lazy ass) That being said in all my races I lap at consistent low 17's, but in practice can't break a high 19 and feel like I'm pushing hard. So I am still atleast 2 maybe 3 seconds off race pace, translate this to some of the slower amateur riders, you may have people lapping at 1.27 while people may be doing 15's at the same time. I can imagine that would make for some serious closing speed issues

[timmyho414]

so I have to ask, why do you ride at a track day pace in a race practice? For that matter, why would go ever ride at less then your race pace? other then a track day.
I remember doing that as a novice because I didn't know better. I though it was a warm up session. It was a wake up to bump to amateur, never mind my first expert practice sessions.

Shit, warm-up laps a just about race pace.

for me some of my faster times were in practice(late year, not so much this year). I'm more relaxed.

[k_cotter]

I'm not saying I intentionally run slower in practice, It just ends up that way... That's why i said "felt like I'm pushing" I usually run 18xx at track days

[Gecko]

for me some of my faster times were in practice.... I'm more relaxed.

Same thing here....

[tsorfas]

yes, because the guy hitting my brake lever in T1 was my fault too

That was this year?

[breakdirt916]

whoa! crazy video!

[CBR929RE]

Other thoughts.... Why not combine group 1 for their first practice with whatever the novice equivalent is? Like Pete said, don't amateurs need to learn their racecraft too (maybe more so than experts)? Why not shift group 2 guys into the group 7 time slot so that they can be combined with group 8 guys for their first practice? Then I can tell Eric or Shane they shouldn't be blazing on their out laps or passing me too closely in practice. Are these suggestions too dangerous? Why? Why is it too dangerous to put guys doing 16's in with guys turning 13's, but it’s okay to put the guys turning +25's in with the guys turning 16's?

Being selfish, I too think maybe I should just get .027 faster and be done with it ... but that isn't going to help solve the problem for everyone else.

And don't you dare start another thread ... I don't want to have to retype or cut and past all this.

Um ... that's what the sweeper, golf-cart-riding corner workers and Eric on his scooter are doing out on the track first thing in the morning. When the track goes green and I go out there, I feel fairly confident that everything has been taken care of (Fluffy notwithstanding).

this sounds like a good plan to me. this way people like me can still skip the crappy 8am practice which in my opinion isn't worth running for a variety of reasons and keeps a longer second practice.

[daviid]

clearly jim is at fault as he is a amateur and not yet an expert. :p

[MaRce1o]

I'm not saying I intentionally run slower in practice, It just ends up that way... That's why i said "felt like I'm pushing" I usually run 18xx at track days

I'm with keith on this one too.

Even though it feels like I'm pushing I'm usually about 2 seconds off in practice as well, specially the very first practice