Brand new to track days. Advice?

I think you will find this much easier than riding in a group on the street. Just try to ride a consistent line and have fun. You won't have to worry about all of those street hazards.

 

Allow me:





















PIN IT TO WIN IT!!! :lmao:

 

In all seriousness, when they take you up to the first classroom session they will ask you to assign yourself to a sub-group within Novice from 1 to 7, 1 basically being Intermediate pace lite and 7 being "I've never turned the throttle past halfway".

Place yourself accordingly and then be prepared to be AMAZED at how much progress you make throughout the day.

 

What he said! Our Novice instructors are absolutely awesome at taking you from never riding on the track before to being completely comfortable and picking up speed smoothly and safely.

 

Also, if you have some nervousness heading out there DON'T believe you're the only one. I still feel some nerves on Saturday morning and I'm sure many others do too.

After 2 sessions I guarantee you will be past the nervous phase and having so much fun that you can't wait for them to call Novice class to hot pit.

 

Don't stress yourself out and get all nervous, we will take care of you!

I was freaked out my first day in novice but then met my instructor and the anxiety slowly started to ease. Between everyone else in the pits that will be available to help you out, the riders meeting and then the instruction in the novice class - you will be golden!

See you there!! : )

 

Come have some fun.... Dont worry.... Ride like your in the Mountains ... As long as your having fun in a safe manner thats all we care about... fast or slow... It dosent matter..

We can even have a coach follow you the whole time to block you if you want...

 

^^^ everything above and leave the ego at home.

 

Trust me, most of us Instructors have had folks that were experiencing their first time on the track, AND mostly scared s*!tless. We love working with folks, both young and old, new and experienced, whatever the situation may be. Just be totally open to listening and learning and before you know it, the jitters will be gone and you will have a new addiction.

 

Then start saving your money for more track days because you will be hooked.

 

Just be open to learning and taking in everything that the instructors are teaching you and RELAX when you're on the track. So many people are just tense and amped up when they do their first trackday. Both you and the bike will do the best when you're just relaxed and smooth. Just start saving money now though because after a few trackdays the street will never feel the same.

 

Don't worry about having to push yourself way over your head, because the coaches will only ask you to go as fast as your comfort level. The experience is all about you and making you a better rider, so don't worry about the rest of the group.

It's ok if you're anxious and nervous, many people are even after years of doing this. Just remember to breathe, and relax, and I think you'll be surprised at how much of that melts away in the first session.

I got to sort of re-experience what my first track day was like last fall at Daytona. I wasn't racing, I had to work, but I did get out for a practice session on the team bike. I was terrified. That banking is super intimidating and I was out there with a lot of riders who were much faster than me. The first time up the banking I thought "OMG THIS IS STUPID I HATE THIS I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE". Then I came down out of it and realized I'd lived through it. Up again after the chicane and I realized "Hmmm... ok, this isn't so bad, look up, get higher on the wall, go faster... etc. etc." By the end of it I was kind of sad it was over and wanted to go again!

It should be fun. If you're not having fun, have a chat with your coach and figure out how to make it fun, they're there to help.

 

First hit is free...

And as others have alluded to, don't worry about toughening up. Just focus on the task at hand and trying to process everything going on. It's sensory overload the first day or two. It is very comparable to the first time you jump out of a plane. You just can't "grasp" all of it at one time.

 

Expect to be amazed. I bet the first time you drove a car you were scared and driving a car is a daily occurrence now. Just go out there, take a few deep breaths to relax your body and enjoy the scenery. You're going to feel like a kid on Christmas when you wake up that morning and you start to get your bike ready. To me, it's the best feeling in the world and I wouldn't give it up for anything.

 

Don't worry about being behind everyone else ride within your limits and just have fun. If you listen to your instructors, relax, and have fun the speed will come

 

Uh oh, you plan to actually budget for track days? As in keep track of how much you've spent??? ound:

 

This is SUPREMELY important. Don't force the speed, let it come to you!

 

Yeah, your budget will look like our current US financial picture: DEFICIT SPENDING.