I went to my second track day on Monday. Back to Road America again. I swear that track was designed with the Busa in mind.
I started out lined up in the back of the B-group (beginner) but after the first session, I realized that I wasn't that slow any more, so I started lining up towards the front of the slow lane. There's one lane for the faster people, and one lane for the slower people, but both lanes are for the beginner group.
During the 3rd session, I went out with a Control Rider (Coach) for some one-on-one help. I actually went out with the rest of the "fast" riders ahead of me and behind me. The CR and I were our own group. I followed his lines, and every lap he quicked the pace. Believe it or not...Not one person passed us during the whole session, and we even managed to lap a few of the slower riders. It was some of the best help I ever could have received. This is one top notch organization known as NESBA.
After my one on one session, I felt much more confident and started lining up in the fast lane. I went to the track with my wife's cousin Ronnie and his friend Jeff. They were both riding brand new Kawasaki ZX-6R's that they were setting up as "track only" bikes. They were also trying to get bumped up to the Intermediate level. In the next to last session, I lined up behind them and two other riders right up in the front of the fast lane. We were the first group out and by some miracle, I was able to stay within sight of them for the whole session and when the session was over, I was only about 5 seconds behind them. All four of them got bumped up to Intermediate, so I felt pretty dam good about my riding abilities after that. Not to mention I was having to throw the Busa around in order to keep up with them through all the turns. For the last session of the day, I lined up as the number one person in the B-group, and only got passed by three other guys. Overall it was one helluva day for me and the Busa.
I actually scrapped my toe slider a few times, and managed to "touch" my knee slider in two of the turns. Scared me at first, but then I was screaming for joy inside my helmet. Hope no-one actually heard me.
Now for the crash story...NOT me...my cousin Ronnie and a Road America first ever event.
Ronnie had gotten bumped up to Intermediate level and got to do his last session with the faster group. He was doing well, and while going around the Carousel" (looong RH sweeper) at about 110 mph, draggin a knee, he said that all of the sudden he realized that he was sliding along the track without his bike. When he went into the gravel, he started doing summersaults (not by choice). He flipped about 3-4 times before "he" came to rest. He was fine, and then stood up looking around. His bike, the brand new ZX-6R, was nowhere to be found. As he and the corner worker looked around, they followed the trail of broken piece over to the tire wall and then they saw it. The bike had slid through the gravel, a good 60 feet at least, hit the tire wall, and then flipped up and OVER the fence. The guys said that they had NEVER had a bike on that side of the fence in the history of Road America. When I came back to the pits after my session, I couldn't believe that I was looking at the same bike. He and the bike were being carried back to the pits as our group had gone out. Pictures to follow.
Sorry about being long winded, but it was just too awesome of a day not to share it with all of you.
Here's the pics:
stkr00 got his official NESBA number...130
I started out lined up in the back of the B-group (beginner) but after the first session, I realized that I wasn't that slow any more, so I started lining up towards the front of the slow lane. There's one lane for the faster people, and one lane for the slower people, but both lanes are for the beginner group.
During the 3rd session, I went out with a Control Rider (Coach) for some one-on-one help. I actually went out with the rest of the "fast" riders ahead of me and behind me. The CR and I were our own group. I followed his lines, and every lap he quicked the pace. Believe it or not...Not one person passed us during the whole session, and we even managed to lap a few of the slower riders. It was some of the best help I ever could have received. This is one top notch organization known as NESBA.
After my one on one session, I felt much more confident and started lining up in the fast lane. I went to the track with my wife's cousin Ronnie and his friend Jeff. They were both riding brand new Kawasaki ZX-6R's that they were setting up as "track only" bikes. They were also trying to get bumped up to the Intermediate level. In the next to last session, I lined up behind them and two other riders right up in the front of the fast lane. We were the first group out and by some miracle, I was able to stay within sight of them for the whole session and when the session was over, I was only about 5 seconds behind them. All four of them got bumped up to Intermediate, so I felt pretty dam good about my riding abilities after that. Not to mention I was having to throw the Busa around in order to keep up with them through all the turns. For the last session of the day, I lined up as the number one person in the B-group, and only got passed by three other guys. Overall it was one helluva day for me and the Busa.
I actually scrapped my toe slider a few times, and managed to "touch" my knee slider in two of the turns. Scared me at first, but then I was screaming for joy inside my helmet. Hope no-one actually heard me.
Now for the crash story...NOT me...my cousin Ronnie and a Road America first ever event.
Ronnie had gotten bumped up to Intermediate level and got to do his last session with the faster group. He was doing well, and while going around the Carousel" (looong RH sweeper) at about 110 mph, draggin a knee, he said that all of the sudden he realized that he was sliding along the track without his bike. When he went into the gravel, he started doing summersaults (not by choice). He flipped about 3-4 times before "he" came to rest. He was fine, and then stood up looking around. His bike, the brand new ZX-6R, was nowhere to be found. As he and the corner worker looked around, they followed the trail of broken piece over to the tire wall and then they saw it. The bike had slid through the gravel, a good 60 feet at least, hit the tire wall, and then flipped up and OVER the fence. The guys said that they had NEVER had a bike on that side of the fence in the history of Road America. When I came back to the pits after my session, I couldn't believe that I was looking at the same bike. He and the bike were being carried back to the pits as our group had gone out. Pictures to follow.
Sorry about being long winded, but it was just too awesome of a day not to share it with all of you.
Here's the pics:
stkr00 got his official NESBA number...130
