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Your 2012 and 2013 on track goals/achievements?

4K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  arcticamt6 
#1 ·
So...time for everyone to recap now that the season is winding down or over for many.

Did you meet your goals you set for yourself in the beginning of the year?
What are your goals for next year?

I'll start
Goals for 2012
1) Do 50 track days in 2012- Came close (got into the 40s) but I did not meet this goal sadly. I just didn't have the finances or commitment level to pull it off.

2) No crashes - I did managed to make it through a season w/o crashing. It was on my mind a lot this year so I think i won't have this as a goal again. While I got WAY more consistent with all the seat time I got but I think I had played it a bit too safe in my riding. I wasn't taking much risk and as a result wasn't improving as much as I could have been I believe.

3) Try 2 new tracks - I managed to get in 3 new tracks. Summit point main (loved it) and beaver run (hated it, but I had some bike set up issues so i dunno), NCCAR (liked it)

4) Run a sub 1:30 at NJMP Thunderbolt. I am closer to that goal ending this year then last year but I didn't quite make it.

5) Do my first CCS race - I got my ccs license to start the year and I never ended up racing! I found track days to be enough for me and the occasional mock races we get to do with TPM or ACE. I did half a dozen or so and that combined with all the track time I had this ended up being something I didn't pursue very hard. I don't think I have an interest in racing any more.

Goals for 2013
1) do 50 track days in 2013 - again a high goal but I think it's possible.
2) Try 2 new tracks - This will be hard this year as well. 1 is easily possible (NYST) but not sure what the 2nd one will be.
3) Do a Sub 1:30:00 at thunderbolt..its fucking happening god dammit :).
4) Learn to use rear brake more- I toyed around with it the last month of the season. I can DEFINITELY feel a benefit. I'll be working on this more next year.
5) help a few friends get the bump to advanced - few people i know are close. Will be cool to see them in advanced.



So..how did your season turn out?
 
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#2 ·
Not over yet. I got one more day on Saturday.

But, I did 7 days (8 after this weekend), haven't crashed so far, got down to 1:39 at tbolt, and 1:15 at lightning. Haven't crashed so far. I picked up another 675 which has been vastly superior to the SV in every way.

I didn't end up getting to shenny or loudon like I wanted. Didn't get the group 4 bump that I wanted. Still about 3 sec off pace.

Next year I want 10+ days, loudon, NYST, and shenny. Bump to group 4.
 
#3 · (Edited)
My 2012 season goals:

To hit all of the CCS Mid-Atlantic rounds - Failed. Bike wasn't done until the end of May.

Win a regional amateur championship in Thunderbike - Failed. Bike broke every round through July.

Go to Daytona - Failed!!! By the end of the season, I was burnt out.

Mid-Season goal - Figure out why my front brake lever occasionally goes to the bar - Fixed! Unfortunately, I didn't fix it before the end of the season. :(

Miserable season. One first place, one second and two thirds. I think I finished seven races the whole season...

2013 goals - No more mechanicals.

Stamford, if you run a sub-30's at thunderbolt, you REALLY need to race.
 
#4 ·
Haven't been on the Race Track for a few years now, but I REALLY want to get back Racing, so currently the plan for 2013 is to make that happen. :)
 
#5 ·
Did you meet your goals you set for yourself in the beginning of the year?
Almost. I got my track time at Calabogie well below where I originally thought it would be. I wanted 2:15 and I got 2:10.

Didn't crash.

Made all my track days on 5 sets of tires. (all are beyond done, however)

Didn't break any parts.

What are your goals for next year?
To go to Mosport. Because I didn't get there this year.

3) Try 2 new tracks - I managed to get in 3 new tracks. Summit point main (loved it) and beaver run (hated it, but I had some bike set up issues so i dunno), NCCAR (liked it)
Nice. I want to get to either Jennings GP or Barber next year.

1) do 50 track days in 2013 - again a high goal but I think it's possible.
Wow. I'm stretching for time and costs to do 15.

4) Learn to use rear brake more- I toyed around with it the last month of the season. I can DEFINITELY feel a benefit. I'll be working on this more next year.
Hell yes.

I had a great 2012! Here's looking for a better 2013, and cheers.
 
#6 ·
Goals for 2012:

Make it to advance:
I haven't made it yet, but I'm hoping to hit there this weekend which is probably my last weekend of the year. I hit the minimum times at all but one of the tracks I attend, I just haven't committed to bumping up yet.

Get a better bike
I got my 636 this year, definitely a great bike for the track!

Get 10 track days in
Yeah, I think I'll be doing 18 and 19 this weekend...

Goals for 2013:

Get my race license and do a few rounds. Very realistic I think.

Hit sub 2:00s at New Orleans

Crash less


I've hit most of my goals this year, at 3 out of 4 tracks I've gotten my times down like I've wanted, have really improved my body positioning and braking. Despite some crashes, I feel very confident that I've improved a ton this year. I dropped a good solid 25 seconds on average at every track, hoping to keep the progress up and drop another 5-10 next year, which will make me almost competitive to be winning novice races.
 
#7 · (Edited)
2012 summary
Racing - this season was kind of a "throwaway" year for me... my new job required me to cut my program in half and only do two races per weekend instead of four. I had good finishes but all year my lap times were about a second off of what I know I'm capable.

I was able to pull off third place overall in both of those classes (LWSS and LWSB). I also finished off the year with a win in my last race of the season, beating 60-something time Champion, Rick Doucette (who's currently featured in a Dunkin Donuts commercial :lao).

Track days went much better. I continued working along side Ken Condon and the other senior TTD instructors to further develop our personalized instruction program where we work one-on-one with customers and we got an amazing amount of positive feedback. Lotta happy faces and customer milestones achieved. Even still, we've got a few ideas to make the program even better for next year.



My teammates, Gino & Jake and Myself with our awards from the banquet.
Gino took two Expert Championships - Ultralight Superbike and Production '89.
Jake took two Amateur Championships - Lightweight Sportsman and 125 Grand Prix
I took two thirds - Lightweight Superbike, Lightweight Supersport.




2013 plans
Racing - Hopefully my job situation will change and I can go back to a full program and maybe make it out to one or two other CCS events (Thinking maybe NJMP, VIR, Daytona or Homestead).

Track days - our big announcement is four dates at the new NYST circuit (New York Safety Track) in Oneonta, NY. (June 2-3 and August 18-19. Mark your calendars!). We'll also be going to NJMP Thunderbolt and NHMS (dates soon to be released). A couple of other BRAND NEW TRACKS in the New England area are also on the horizon. ;)
 
#8 ·
I didn't have many goals for 2012. Met a few of them, fell short on a couple....

10+ trackdays in 2012: I'd have my +1 by next weekend (doing the NESBA 2-day season finale @ Barber) if it weren't for my 8/31 crash at a Ducati Minneapolis trackday that forced me to miss the 9/3 ZARS season finale @ BIR. Final tally will be 10.

Get the 848 on the track and develop confidence in it after missing the opportunity last season: Inevitable since it was my only bike all year. I ended up getting 6 in on the Duc.

More training: After getting a taste of the track thru doing TrackSchool1 with the ZARS (our main td organizer in the midwest) last season, I knew I had to go back in 2012. Did TS2 with ZARS and levels 1 & 2 of California Superbike School. It also gave me the opportunity to ride Road America and Infineon/Sears Point, as well as the chance to ride the S1000RR for 2 days. Spent all season working on what I learned at CSS to make it habit....though I still have a great deal of work to do.

NO CRASH 2012: .........yeah..........try again for 2013.

1:55 @ BIR Comp Course on street tires: Closest I got via point-to-point in vids was a 2:01 on the Q2s once I finally got comfortable with handling characteristics of the tires/new wheels. Still letting holding steady throttle instead of pinning it until braking markers....and braking waaaay to early (the monoblocks are NO joke), so i can basically see my goal time made if I had actually used the throttle & brakes in 2 or 3 of the 'in-between' straights.

Goals for 2013:

Getting my novice race license with CRA: All my friends are doing it....and plus my bought me a CRA-prepped/ raced '03 CBR600RR as an early birthday/congrats on crashing the Ducati present. Bringing it to Barber next weekend to really ride it for the first time and see how it feels to be on something that turns, lol.

Sub-1:55 @ BIR on street tires on the 848: Hope to be there within the first couple of trackdays next season. I have dedicated track bodywork for it now, so I should be a little less cautious than I've been with the OEM plastics.

Return to Barber: Next time WILL be on the Duc.

Hit a new track: I'll be fortunate enough to have visited 3 new tracks this season (Road America, Infineon, & Barber). Next season, I'm thinking CSS or YCRS @ Miller. Or possibly being a part the English-speaking group 'Bridge to Gantry' is putting together for next year--motorcycle riding school at Nurburgring Nordschliefe aboard a rental S1000RR. Finances permitting on the latter.

NO CRASH 2013: TBD

Riding-wise: I need to stop being a sally with the throttle....which means I need to widen my field of vision. Also need to commit to my throttle crack-on, because at my skill level there really isn't an "in too fast" speed. Again, working on vision skills. Better logging to track my progress. I didn't take a single note between sessions during trackdays this season.....bad stuff.

And finally, to have fun and stop thinking so much!!
 
#9 ·
Make it to the track next year. This year was EXPENSIVE, over $4000 in travel expenses alone. I would like to maybe go to BIR next year and also High Plains outside Denver.
 
#12 ·
if you are really interested, I can pick you up on the way to MAM next summer.
 
#13 ·
Making it happen!

Yesterday I mailed my CCS Expert / ASRA Pro Race license renewal for 2013.

:)
 
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