Thunderbolt is AWESOME!
Not sure what the "official" turn numbers are, but
here are the ones that I'll use in my tips below
Turn 1 is pretty straight forward... Use the number boards on the left to dial in your braking point and flick it in hard while quickly picking up the throttle again for your drive out.
Turn 2 is pretty tricky... You don't have to touch the brakes unless you're REALLY hauling, but it's a blind, cresting corner without many reference points at all. Look for the trees and the big white hangar off in the distance over the horizon of the crest, it'll help you dial in your exit line. I found myself coming out of that corner smack dab in the middle of the track for the longest time... it's kinda scary going through that corner with some speed, you keep thinking you're gonna run off track, but it's pretty wide.
If you use the T3 chicane like we do, it's really fun. Nice flick back & forth with some elevation change. Try & get your knee right over the curbing all 3 times on both sides and put the power down on exit.
Just before T4 is a sharp crest where the front WILL get light on just about any bike (even my SV), assuming you've got what it takes to hold the throttle to the stops over it before you SETTLE the front & begin your braking (you don't wanna be grabbing those brakes right as you crest the hill... wait untill the front end has some weight on it, otherwise you'll lock up the front)... It doesn't take much brakes to slow to your cornerspeed for this turn as you can carry a lot of speed through there, drift out a little on the exit and still have plenty of time to set up for T5.
T5 is pretty tight, one of the tightest on the track. Squeeze those binders, grab a downshift or two and concentrate on a nice flick-in and a smooth, powerful drive out of the corner and head to turn T6. Slowly merge over to the left side of the track to set up for the next turn w/o cutting anyone off that might be passing you on the left. (I would exit T5 and then aim my bike at the first braking board)
T6 is pretty straight forward... Scrub speed, get a nice quick flick-in and power out. You can carry a lot of speed through here.
T7 is really fun, but you can get kinda lost through that biiiiig wide sweeping turn. Hit the apex, then drift to about mid track and carry a mid-track line most of the way around it. Tighten up your line a little near the end, then straighten up the bike and start scrubbing off your speed for T8.
T8 essentially turns T7 into a VERY decreasing radius turn. There's a LOT of grip on corner entry, so if you go into T8 too hot then it's a good place to develop your trail braking technique. I was regularly putting my knee on the ground for this turn while still on the front binders. (I'm also riding on Pirelli Race DOT's and have worked suspension)
Stay a little tight on the exit of T8 and flick it in for T9. Use the three patches to keep your bearings on this long left hander.... My line took me to the outside of the first two patches, then through and to the inside of the third. It's a verrrry late apex that sets you up for the esses.
Hammer through the esses and set up for the kink.
The balla's are holding it WIIIIDE OPEN through the kink. Takes some big balls to do that though as your knee will be on the ground at over 100mph.
Your milage may vary as I haven't been there in months... Hope that helps
I'll be heading back down there again this year for two days back to back, but not until October
Can't wait... SUCH a fun track. Done 4 full track days there since October.
If ya think you might be up for joining me, lemme know! I hardly get any chance to ride with any sb.net-ers. Regular price is $200/day and that includes instruction, garage space, etc.
(vid:
Overview of trackday)
Linear Mode
