What do you want from a Track Day? - Page 5

OreoGaborio · 07-20-2007, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrotherGrim

I really like the way my r6 fits. even if I am a big guy and I look like an ape on a minibike. Being able to sling the bike around is fun. Now if I can just get more comfortable with the actual turning in part. I always find myself too slow mid corner and wishing I had more speed in, but too scared to go in hotter.

Give the "no-brakes" drill a try.

Roll off the gas super early (be sure to sit straight up as you're rolling off to give the riders behind you an indication that you're doing something different and give them a little room on the outside to make a pass), apply as little brakes as absolutely necessary and then crack the gas back open as early as possible.

If you do all of this long before the apex it will help you establish your cornerspeed earlier and avoid that split second "oh shit" moment that causes you to over-brake when you go in deep & hard on the brakes.

no-brake exercises are alotta fun when you get it right

It teaches you to be smooth & smooth is fast.

alexchannell · 07-27-2007, 01:07 PM

Easy....don't fuck me out of my money when the track is wet. Don't care about this "ohh but you can learn good throttle control" bs, i practice that every day, I am here to ride fast.

OreoGaborio · 07-27-2007, 01:30 PM

ahh, gotta love the fair weather track day heroes.

suck it up. Riding in the rain teaches you a shitload about how to ride faster in the dry.

Not to mention, why should THEY fucked out of money cuz of crappy weather? Espeically when there's plenty of other riders that'll ride in it? They still have to pay for the track, ambulances, staff etc. It's not free just cuz it rains.

velocity bmg · 07-30-2007, 01:56 AM

I don't look at it as a gyp, I just wouldn't ride.

I've ridden in the rain about 1 million times, not on a nice smooth racetrack, but because it was my only source of transpo.

So any visions of macho "Rain Master"..doesn't even matter...to me anyway.

I've wrecked in the rain, and bodywork is much more expensive than $150-$200.

Simple math after that.

Have a good swim.

alexchannell · 08-07-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OreoGaborio

ahh, gotta love the fair weather track day heroes.

suck it up. Riding in the rain teaches you a shitload about how to ride faster in the dry.

Not to mention, why should THEY fucked out of money cuz of crappy weather? Espeically when there's plenty of other riders that'll ride in it? They still have to pay for the track, ambulances, staff etc. It's not free just cuz it rains.

No it doesn't teach you how to ride faster inthe dry, else racers would only practice on wet tracks.

I didn't pay $260 to ride slowly in the rain. They aren't fucked, if the weather is poor, shut down the track, have people not come in. The workers are hourly at most tracks.

Yeah there are riders that will go out, mainly because they don't have anything else to do. In the few hours the track was wet, 4 people went down, the rest of the day after drying off...not a single crash.

With how much they charge, they can afford to loose a few trackdays every so often. Hell their real income comes from race events anyways.

260*80 = $20800
That is a crap ton of money and the tracks are greedy, thats it. They can afford to cancel days, but if they know they can screw the riders....why would they cancel.

acalliste · 08-07-2007, 11:08 AM

Ever wonder how much it costs to actually own and operate a track? Insurance, corner workers, medics, emergency vehicles, etc... all these expenses are paid out for each day the track is opened for business even if it decides to rain, right?

OreoGaborio · 08-07-2007, 02:06 PM

Alex, you need to mature a little & start looking at the big picture. Until you realize you're not the only one that exists in this little world that you think belongs to you, you'll continue to think selfishly.

To use a phrase you've probably heard before; "You think you know, but you have no idea." You couldn't be more wrong on all accounts if you tried.

Here's how it typically works... at least around here:

Track Day organizations do NOT equal Track owners. There is a BIG difference. Track Day organizations are SEPARATE ENTITIES that rent out the track from the Owning entity for an event. Their track workers are NOT paid hourly by the track day organizer, they are hired contractors & the track day organization pays for them by the day. Then the individuals are paid by their respective companies. Sometimes it's hourly, sometimes it's by the day. Cornerworkers are often paid by the day (or half day), Insurance (a HUUUUGE cost) is paid for by the day. EMT's are paid hourly and Track staff (registration etc) is paid hourly, but the they aren't paid by the track day organizer, they are paid by their respective employers. The Track day organizer pays their employers for them based on how much they will be paid over the course of the entire day, so the track day organizer pays for THEM by the day as well.

Bottom line: track day organizations pay the track owner for the track by the day WHETHER OR NOT their event goes as planned. The track owner doesn't say "well, it's raining today, I guess you won't have to pay me the 15 thousand dollars you were going to pay for track rental". Therefore the event goes as planned, rain or shine. And yes, track rentals are in the 10-20 thousand dollar per day range nowadays.

OreoGaborio · 08-07-2007, 02:59 PM

had to run out the door so I didn't get to the other 1/2 of the subject... riding in the rain.

Everyone that has ridden in the rain will tell you... the secret to riding in the rain is being smooth as silk. The smoother you are in the rain the safer you are & the faster you can go. All of this translates back to the dry: Smooth is fast.

You asked why racers dont always practice in the wet? Well that's obvious... because they don't always race in the wet... brake markers can be different, shift markers can be different, turn-in points can be different, gearing can be different, so on and so on.... but you can be damn sure they still practice in the wet, not only because it makes them faster in the wet, but because it makes them smoother in the dry as well.

You're also closer to the traction limit at a slower speed, which makes learning how to handle the bike near the limit all that much safer. Fall and you're going slower on pavment that's not as grippy which means there's less chance of tumbling & damage to the bike.

Basically, there is a LOT to learn from riding in the rain. If you go out there with an open mind for learning you can learn a shitload.... If weren't so close minded you'd see that. Again, it goes back to having the ability to approach the situation like a mature person and rider, something you dont seem to be doing here.