Tourmeister
08-12-2003, 03:42 PM
Howdy,
:tab If you want to skip the narrative and go straight to the pics, here you go:
http://twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/
Some of the vids are pretty big (11 Mb or so) so modem users beware! On average they are about 2-3 Mb each. I shot the vids with my Sony CD500 digital camera. Unfortunately, the vids are only about 16 fps and are a little choppy. In hindsight, I should have switched to 320 X 200 mode for a better frame rate. Wish I had a better zoom as well. Full sized copies of the still shots are available on request.
---
SATURDAY
:tab I have never done a trackday before. The thought of getting out on the track with my beloved VFR cause me to twinge slightly. Will I have the self control to keep from wadding it up in a corner? Will someone else take me out no matter how careful I am? Will I get hopelessly addicted to doing trackdays and have yet another thing vying for my limited amount of income...? You can see the dilemma.
:tab The time has come, the planets have finally aligned themselves properly, **** has frozen over and I finally get a chance to ride on the track. I'll be riding on Sunday in the C group (beginners) at the Texas World Speedway (http://texasworldspeedway.com/) just South of College Station on Hwy 6. For those of you that don't know, this is one of the regular stops for the CMRA and WERA racing clubs. I can't wait.
:tab Saturday evening, I get the bike loaded up and head for College Station to spend the night with Chris "AggieVFR" Conrey. This way I can just get up in the morning, head straight to the track, and potentially not be a complete zombie. After dinner and some visiting, I try to get some sleep. The excitement of the first time on the track keeps me tossing most of the night.
SUNDAY
:tab The alarm goes off at 6:15am. :brainsnap I am NOT a morning person! But I haven't really been asleep all night so getting up is not all that hard. I grab my stuff, toss it in the truck and head out, stopping for munchies, ice and gas along the way. I spot a few other trucks with bikes in the beds and on trailers heading the same general direction. No telling how early some of these folks must have gotten up to get here by 7:00am :shock:
:tab I pull up to the front gate of the track and get in line. The sun is just coming up over the horizon, a sight I rarely see. (Pic 1 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00246.JPG) / Pic 2 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00247.JPG) / Pic 3 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00248.JPG)) After signing my life away, I head to the pits to find a spot for the day. I find a spot where I can park the truck and trailer and get the bike unloaded.
:tab The days leading up to this morning were pretty hectic and I did not get a chance to really prep the bike. I do have a new set of Metzler M1 Sportecs installed, but I haven't got everything taped. The guy next to me helps clue me in on what is required to be covered with tape: headlights, turn signals, brake lights... remove the reflectors and mirrors, unplug the headlight and brakes. Simple stuff but it still takes me a good fifteen minutes. Then I head to tech inspection. They are not sure what to make of the GIVI Wingrack II on the bike. However, since it is obviously securely bolted to the bike, they decide to let is slide and pass my bike.
:tab With the bike ready to go, I head over to check in for corner working duties and to let them know I am here. I will be riding the morning sessions and attending the classes. Then after lunch I will be cornerworking in turn 13. After checking in, I have a little free time so I walk around the garage area taking in the sights and sounds and looking to see who else is here. I find a host of the Houston Sportbike Network guys in the last garage and they invite me to come down and join them. I find a new spot for the truck, unload my junk and then move the bike over.
Jeff "Jeff6R" Mills (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00249.JPG)
Scott Mendlson (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00250.JPG)
Warren and Scott checking out Tim's GSX-R750 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00251.JPG)
Tim "TSO Maltese" Miller slipping into something more comfortable... (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00252.JPG)
Scott's sweet sounding SV650 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00253.JPG). His wife has one too!
My baby taped and ready to roll! (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00254.JPG)
:tab The call finally comes for the first A group session. With that, the C group folks are off for our first classroom session of the morning. It is basically a rules of the track review, flags and their meaning, and just basics of what is expected of us for the day. There is a high ratio of instructors to students! Each instructor gets about two students assigned to him for the day, the students being on similar style/powered bikes. My instructor is running a 99 VFR 800! Sweet. We get colored pull over mesh vests so that our instructors can find us easier.
:tab The first session on the track is just a follow the leader round robin. The instructors take their groups out and run us as a moderate pace. The idea is just for us to get used to the track, look for the pavement irregularites, etc,... At the end of each lap, as we are coming down the main straight, the lead student falls to the back of the pack and everyone moves up a slot so we all get a turn riding right behind the instructor. I like this as it really lets the adrenalin settle and the newness wear off a bit. We get a chance to really look at the track without worrying about how fast we are going.
:tab When the session is over, we head back to the garage, get ride of the riding gear, grab something cold to drink and head right back to the classroom for a debriefing. The LSTD folks have graciously provided TONS of cold Gatorade for us. It is only about 9:30am and already the heat is building. It is going to be a real cooker today! 8) The classroom session is a debriefing and then Stephen starts to suggest specific techniques.
[more later...]
:tab If you want to skip the narrative and go straight to the pics, here you go:
http://twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/
Some of the vids are pretty big (11 Mb or so) so modem users beware! On average they are about 2-3 Mb each. I shot the vids with my Sony CD500 digital camera. Unfortunately, the vids are only about 16 fps and are a little choppy. In hindsight, I should have switched to 320 X 200 mode for a better frame rate. Wish I had a better zoom as well. Full sized copies of the still shots are available on request.
---
SATURDAY
:tab I have never done a trackday before. The thought of getting out on the track with my beloved VFR cause me to twinge slightly. Will I have the self control to keep from wadding it up in a corner? Will someone else take me out no matter how careful I am? Will I get hopelessly addicted to doing trackdays and have yet another thing vying for my limited amount of income...? You can see the dilemma.
:tab The time has come, the planets have finally aligned themselves properly, **** has frozen over and I finally get a chance to ride on the track. I'll be riding on Sunday in the C group (beginners) at the Texas World Speedway (http://texasworldspeedway.com/) just South of College Station on Hwy 6. For those of you that don't know, this is one of the regular stops for the CMRA and WERA racing clubs. I can't wait.
:tab Saturday evening, I get the bike loaded up and head for College Station to spend the night with Chris "AggieVFR" Conrey. This way I can just get up in the morning, head straight to the track, and potentially not be a complete zombie. After dinner and some visiting, I try to get some sleep. The excitement of the first time on the track keeps me tossing most of the night.
SUNDAY
:tab The alarm goes off at 6:15am. :brainsnap I am NOT a morning person! But I haven't really been asleep all night so getting up is not all that hard. I grab my stuff, toss it in the truck and head out, stopping for munchies, ice and gas along the way. I spot a few other trucks with bikes in the beds and on trailers heading the same general direction. No telling how early some of these folks must have gotten up to get here by 7:00am :shock:
:tab I pull up to the front gate of the track and get in line. The sun is just coming up over the horizon, a sight I rarely see. (Pic 1 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00246.JPG) / Pic 2 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00247.JPG) / Pic 3 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00248.JPG)) After signing my life away, I head to the pits to find a spot for the day. I find a spot where I can park the truck and trailer and get the bike unloaded.
:tab The days leading up to this morning were pretty hectic and I did not get a chance to really prep the bike. I do have a new set of Metzler M1 Sportecs installed, but I haven't got everything taped. The guy next to me helps clue me in on what is required to be covered with tape: headlights, turn signals, brake lights... remove the reflectors and mirrors, unplug the headlight and brakes. Simple stuff but it still takes me a good fifteen minutes. Then I head to tech inspection. They are not sure what to make of the GIVI Wingrack II on the bike. However, since it is obviously securely bolted to the bike, they decide to let is slide and pass my bike.
:tab With the bike ready to go, I head over to check in for corner working duties and to let them know I am here. I will be riding the morning sessions and attending the classes. Then after lunch I will be cornerworking in turn 13. After checking in, I have a little free time so I walk around the garage area taking in the sights and sounds and looking to see who else is here. I find a host of the Houston Sportbike Network guys in the last garage and they invite me to come down and join them. I find a new spot for the truck, unload my junk and then move the bike over.
Jeff "Jeff6R" Mills (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00249.JPG)
Scott Mendlson (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00250.JPG)
Warren and Scott checking out Tim's GSX-R750 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00251.JPG)
Tim "TSO Maltese" Miller slipping into something more comfortable... (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00252.JPG)
Scott's sweet sounding SV650 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00253.JPG). His wife has one too!
My baby taped and ready to roll! (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/lstd081003/DSC00254.JPG)
:tab The call finally comes for the first A group session. With that, the C group folks are off for our first classroom session of the morning. It is basically a rules of the track review, flags and their meaning, and just basics of what is expected of us for the day. There is a high ratio of instructors to students! Each instructor gets about two students assigned to him for the day, the students being on similar style/powered bikes. My instructor is running a 99 VFR 800! Sweet. We get colored pull over mesh vests so that our instructors can find us easier.
:tab The first session on the track is just a follow the leader round robin. The instructors take their groups out and run us as a moderate pace. The idea is just for us to get used to the track, look for the pavement irregularites, etc,... At the end of each lap, as we are coming down the main straight, the lead student falls to the back of the pack and everyone moves up a slot so we all get a turn riding right behind the instructor. I like this as it really lets the adrenalin settle and the newness wear off a bit. We get a chance to really look at the track without worrying about how fast we are going.
:tab When the session is over, we head back to the garage, get ride of the riding gear, grab something cold to drink and head right back to the classroom for a debriefing. The LSTD folks have graciously provided TONS of cold Gatorade for us. It is only about 9:30am and already the heat is building. It is going to be a real cooker today! 8) The classroom session is a debriefing and then Stephen starts to suggest specific techniques.
[more later...]