RideSmart Track Day - 3.07.2009 @ MSRH Angleton, TX

[ciaka]

Now with the first track day behind us, we hope some of those cob webs were cleaned out of your systems and bikes.

Moving on, we are proud to present the next event we are hosting, the great facility in Angleton, TX. Here are the details:


DATE: March 7, 2009
TRACK: MSRH, Angleton, TX

REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE (http://ridesmart.info/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=R&Category_Code=030709R)

DIRECTIONS: CLICK HERE (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=msr+houston,+angleton,+tx&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=43.934478,79.101563&ie=UTF8&ll=29.277995,-95.420702&spn=0.023733,0.038624&t=h&z=15)

TRACK URL: CLICK HERE (http://www.msrhouston.com/)


For those who have not been to this facility yet, it has great paddock space, great classroom and other facilities. It contains some of the best turns you can experience.
It is great for all types of motorcycles, from the 600cc to Literbikes, etc.
So come on out and join us for a day of awesome riding.

[ciaka]

...not sure if any of you here are interested, but the MSRH rider lists are getting bigger pretty quick. It is a track SW of Houston, and it may be a ride for many from here, but if you are trying to get some nice track experience, this is a nice, large track with tons of good grip even in the wet. Tons of parking and camping space.
So if you are interested, please use the links above for more info, or to register. Thank you, and we hope to see you there.

[Loyd]

Where's the writeup from the last one? :-P


And any tips for pinching a third bike into the back of a full size pickup?:mrgreen:

[ciaka]

Third bike?? LOL...if you manage that, I sure would like to see a pic of it.
Tow it? :lol2:

Maybe a single bike open trailer for the third bike?


As to the write up (follow up from GSS), I do not think there were any riders from here. The thread sat idle and a few posts were not 'I'm going' type of post, but rather fyi or I can't types. I will post something up now to give heads up to those who were interested in how it went.

Thanks.


Where's the writeup from the last one? :-P


And any tips for pinching a third bike into the back of a full size pickup?:mrgreen:

[Squeaky]

And any tips for pinching a third bike into the back of a full size pickup?:mrgreen:

If it can handle the tongue weight, you can put the lightest of the three bikes on a hitch carrier? :trust:

[Loyd]

I'll look forward to the write-up. :)


I "think" I can squeeze #3 in backwards. :trust:

[shirazk]

All right, I am signed up. Cant wait. Which track layout is being run at this session anyways?

[dhdrider]

All right, I am signed up. Cant wait. Which track layout is being run at this session anyways?

2.4 Mile full course, clockwise as far as I know....

[shirazk]

thanks

2.4 Mile full course, clockwise as far as I know....

[DLSGAP]

had a good time at MSR-H aside from my shifter breaking in round robin. top notch facilities.

I have to give a shout out to GOE Kawasaki and to Neal, the sales manager, for going above and beyond and helping me get back on the track. He took a part off of an '09 floor model to get me going again.

[shirazk]

I had a blast too; the weather was perfect

[DLSGAP]

agreed... looks like rain towards the end of the day and there were a couple drops that fell, but it held off.

I think there were an uncharacteristically high number of wrecks for a ridesmart day. VERY unusual.

[shirazk]

which level/bike were you on?

[DLSGAP]

I was on a Blue ZX10 wearing a white 1pc Dainese suit. Could have run in grp4 but i'm having issues with my brakes so i went down to 2. And it was my first time to the track so i was just plannig to take it easy.

My shifter broke half way through round robin so i finished it up and limped back into the pits in 3rd gear and tried getting it fixed. Thought I had a temp fix in place and it broke 3 laps into session 2... right after that was the ordeal with the broken femur. seeing as how it was almost lunch time, I caged it over to the local kawi dealer for parts . got back just in time for group2 to head out.. .so our first session after lunch was actually my first time running the track at speed.

I had my instructor (Paul) follow me the 2nd session after lunch. Afterwards he told me to get out of group2.... i explained i could be in 4 as i was cleared for it last year, but my bike wasn't up for it seeing as how its 100% stock on street tires and shoddy at best brakes.

[shirazk]

I was in level 1. Too bad I didnt know you were there; i would have come introduced myself. You are right, there were just too many wrecks and things breaking.

[Loyd]

Bad day at the track is WAYYY better than a good day at work...which was where I was. :P

[DLSGAP]

yeah it was an off day for me I know... but I trailered down from Mckinney so i wasn't about to waste it. Unfortunately my better half couldnt figure out how to work my digital cam so I have NO pics of the day. they're starting to pop up on Blair Hart's site
Click HERE for pics. (http://www.hart-photography.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=4150)

[KAM]

Are they allowing Supermoto bikes?

[shirazk]

Are they allowing Supermoto bikes?

yup

[DLSGAP]

you can ride a SM if you want... but one of the accidents of the day, was on a KTM supermoto... he was an experience rider and was literally blown off the track by a gust of wind. had a nasty spill off track and broke his arm and wrist.

[ciaka]

From the report I received, there were two accidents that stopped the session, both happening at pretty much same time in same session.
One was the guy on KTM (to whom I did not speak), but from what he said and others who did speak to him, a gust of wind (and it was pretty windy that day) took him off line and contributed to him crash.
The other was a crash at the end of the carousel. Due to the location of the happening, no one really saw what transpired. many posted in other forums that it was too many people, or that one rider was ruthlessly pursuing another rider, etc, etc.
I took the time to get the stories from both involved riders (spoke to the person who did crash) and took personal accounts of what happened as the other rider saw it.

Rider 1 story: Personally stated it was not crowded at all at the time of the crash. Said there were maybe 4 riders in the entire carousel at the time. He was going through and towards the end of carousel, there is a kink in the course that veers off to the left. He said he was planning to turn slightly left just before the last turn onto the straight, when another rider who was on the inside of him (probably some small distance behind), made contact with him. Neither went down. Rider 1 was hurting in the leg so he stopped his bike in the straight away and it turns out he suffered a fractured femur due to the contact they made.

Rider 2: He himself said that he was going a bit on the inside of rider 1. He thought rider 1 was wide and off the line (at the area in the track with the kink in the carousel). So he thought he would make a pass before the next turn. As it turned out, he made the decision for a pass just as rider 1 decided to veer left a bit to compensate for the kink. Both made contact and same result as above occurred.

Unfortunately both made decisions to execute a move at a time where the results of their action placed them on a collision course.
It would have been prudent not to pass, especially since inside passing is not allowed in lev 2, but we can say all we want now. Nothing will change the result now.
Rider 1 is doing OK. He is at home recuperating.

It is a great example why people should obey rules of the track.
Doing your best to learn the line and not passing in a turn are some of the most fundamental rules. Not adhering to either played a role in this crash.


However, other than that, all I heard was that there were a few ride offs, where a rider did not go down, but went off the track. These happen in all organizations, and seem to be higher at the start of the season (I think people are really anxious to start going fast and do not let themselves get accustomed to higher speeds first).

Hope we all have a lot of fun on the 29th of March at same track (MSRH). I will surely be ready for TWS in April.


Take care.





agreed... looks like rain towards the end of the day and there were a couple drops that fell, but it held off.

I think there were an uncharacteristically high number of wrecks for a ridesmart day. VERY unusual.

[DLSGAP]

Those were two different sessions.
Graeme (broken femur) had his incident in the morning.. 2nd session out for grp2.

The KTM was later on in the day. He was in grp4 and it happened around 4:15-4:30pm.

There were alot of new riders there that day. Including many that have been riding less than a few months (on a liter bike too) that went to group 2 for their first track day because they wanted to go faster. breaking rules, not coming to the classroom... etc etc etc.. Slavek, you know how some riders are like that. Anyways.. The rules of the track and the Track day org, no matter which one it is, definitely need to be followed. If they say don't pass, they **** well mean it and they say it for a reason.

[ciaka]

...yes, and we have worked out a process that will allow us to know if someone is not coming to class and to the riders meeting too.
Those who cut class and generally show up to try to outrace everybody else in levels 1 or 2, may find out what it feels like to be watching the track day from the stands feels like.
These rules are for a reason, and not so that we prevent others to have their fun.

Hope to see you guys at the track. Looks like I am a no go for 29th (bike still in pieces) but I am making April 4 date for sure.

Take care.