I always liked the 4 group layout as well. I kind of like having more time between sessions to relax and get myself mentally ready before going out. Some of us are getting older and need any extra time we can get.
+100000 I never liked riding in the intermediate group. I think Int. typically has the most # of riders, the widest skill range, and the highest Bonehead ratio. I was riding in the Advanced group w/ Reduc, I liked the 4 group format because I didn't feel like I was getting in the way of racers but also felt better about getting out of Int. Either way it should be decided before hand & not over booked.
+1 I've had two crashes at trackdays in 2 years.Both to which I blame myself.Tucked the front on worn tires in the 1st & lost focus on the 2nd (looked at guages/lap timer & new better) but luckily i was the only one involved... we all make mistakes.. just take responsibility for them....Learn your lesson
In finding the solution to Sunday's mess, I think we gotta be careful in distinquishing between riders and the riders' actions. The problem generally speaking is not stuntahs, squids, old tires, cold tires, track temperature, or anything like that. The problem is that people are making bad decisions and riding over their heads. Few people can can honestly come to terms with the fact that they will never be as fast as their bikes can go. Slow it down, learn some skilz and the speed will come. I had a premonition that the day would not go well when everytime I tried to leave the gravely paddock area through the gate, 6 or 8 riders coming off the track would shorten the corner from the pit road into the paddock, completely forgetting that in the United States, we still drive on the right-hand side. This seems like a basic skill. Track riding requires skill, judgement, courtesy, and a heaping of self-restraint. Even with all your ducks in a row, the track can still bite you. You have to do what you can, and you have to take responsibility for your actions, and not blame others or conditions or equipment. Not only will you potentially ruin your bike, your health, and shell out a wheelbarrow full of dollars fixing things, but you will spoil the fun of 150 others who are trying to have a good time. I don't go to the track to roll the dice and I don't want to ride with people who do. My work depends on my full mobility, and my wife, our soon to be born first child, and the mortgage company that owns our house depend on me continuing to be able to work! The riders' meeting, while blissfully short, could perhaps stress more of the safety issues. While I got tired of listening to him lecture for the years that I rode with REDUC, Buchsbaum did an excellent job, setting the tone for the day even if not actually following his own advice.... Speedy recovery and best wishes to those who left the track injured. Chris
Pocono on the 23rd.... Crash and you're done. That's the penalty for riding over your head. So don't. Break a rule you get a warning, screw up again and you're done. Stupid and motorcycles are mutually exclusive and we're gonna keep it that way. We can't ride the motorcycles for anyone but to make the experience as good as possible, we will make sure that our rules are respected or those who disregard them can ride with someone else. (Rant Over) We want everyone to have fun and enjoy thier day(s) on-track BTW - In 2007 we will require numbers on bikes.
Numbers on bikes is a great idea - we can more easily identify the riders... The guy on the blue SV who blew the turn at the end of the back straight and decided to jump back onto the track while several of us were in the process of flying through the turn was classic - he never even waited for the corner worker to grab the yellow flag... loser almost caused a multi-bike crash... Things tend to get out of hand at the end of the season - people get stupid with their riding choices. Sitting out a session or more depending on the level of stupidity is a great idea. I also thought that 2 I-level groups and 15 minutes sessions was a great idea... Perhaps take a few of the 'not-quite' A-level riders and drop them down as well?
Chris wrote: Funny you mentioned that...I picked up on the exact same thing and thought..."do these people think they rented the track by themselves or what?" Clearly we did not impart well enough that riders need to be conscious of everybody's safety, not just their own. One thing is that if you miss the riders' meeting, you'll miss that stuff. The rules on this have been relaxed for years now, but I can remember a time where if you showed up late for registration/registration was closed, you didn't ride. That may seem a little harsh, but when some people think they can waltz right into a trackday with none of the prep and precautions that everyone else made time for...you have to think how serious are they about this sport, and do you want that person riding a couple of feet off your front wheel.
I'd like a bull horn thrown in for the next event. It seemed a little disorganized without the session calls. I think the sessions ran reliably on the quarter hour intervals, but the calls to the grid help make the event feel managed. I've also seen it used as an inspiration to attend the morning meeting. Nicole (And yes, I don't wear a watch, what's your point?)
The way sessions roll according to clock time is an excellent idea, works great in my opinion. The only problem is having a watch handy, which is more about personal prepardness. Wouldn't want to crash with a watch on!
Gee....numbers on every bike, a four group format, and a lenglthy, repeatative lecture at each and evey rider's meeting; I remember a track day organization that had a crazy guy with bad hair and was often seen using crutches that came up with those ideas a long time ago. They seemed to work out OK....... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
This thread I think touches on a lot of good points. I wasn't at this event and I must say the last STT event I was at left me very hopefull. This event sounds like it was one of those bad ones. As a long time Reduc member I know we had some of those as well. The following event always took a much more serious/safer turn. I always liked the lunchtime "calm it down" speach and the reminder that people, machinery and tires get a little worn out at the end of the day. Good reminders to those that listen. To me the biggest concern I have (an absolutely no tolerance for) is the people riding like idiots in the pits and the road on and off the track. On the track we have all decided to take certain risks, calculated ones. However off the track the riders, their friends and family should be able to assume that they are not taking their lives in their hands by sharing a day with a rider. Personally, I think people who are disobeying pit speed limits, doing wheelies and stoppies and endangering people should be tossed. The warning comes in the morning during the riders meeting. You miss that, too bad. 0 tolerance off the track. A big part of the enjoyment of a track day for me and people I ride with comes with sharing it with our friends and family. In fact it's how a few people I know first got interested and joined us. I hope we have a safe day this coming Saturday. Ps. I do think the track staff has seemed particularly good, great at reminding us to use our heads while lined up while waiting to get on the track.
Yep, and I used to piss him off by starting my old Hodaka pit bike in the middle of his lecture! Noise and two-stroke smoke in all directions! Kept the mosquitoes down, anyway :shock:
Sorry Rich, but ironically, having my bike fall onto my knee at zero mph was not only embarrassing, but it cost me all of my vacation time for the rest of the year, and although my last appointment with my surgeon left him a bit confused at the rate of my recovery (the quote was..."I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it"), I'm still pretty uncomfortable; far too uncomfortable to travel for 5 or 6 hours. I had originally scheduled time off between the event at Mid Ohio and Beaver and had planned on beginning and ending that vacation with STT Trackdays.....so much for plans. :roll:
I know the conversation was around 9/10 but from 9/23 +1 for the awesome riders meeting. That was just too funny. Not only the funny rants about languages understood and spoken but in general. I thought the bases were well covered. Kept things in fun mood even though most of us had left our fog tires at home. "It's burning off, any minute now" Only complaint is watching people leave the riders meeting doing things that were just gone over less than 60 seconds ago.
Just as frustrating watching people roll in after the riders meeting and begin doing the things that were just discussed. Why do adults need babysitters? Overall I was impressed with the way the riders meeting was under control, and people were instructed to listen when it got loud and turn around and face the meeting. Good stuff. I was also in agreement with the way decisions were made. It would not have been safe to run in that fog. Imagine how long someone could lie unnoticed in the Pocono bogs without being seen by a corner worker. Particularly since cornerworkers were in such short supply. Bummed that we didn't get to ride but understanding of why.
Not to rub salt in a would, but the fog clearned up a bit just after the last meeting. Enough to read the word Pocono on the back straight. With the track staff sent home, we still had to call it a day. I guess it's good that we still called it, for we got 1/2 credit from the track. If we had just one bike on the track, we woudln't not have recieved any credit.